Simply God

The past 18 days of my life have been full of many things, joy perhaps the greatest of these, along with occasional loneliness, deep love, lots of confusion, ackward moments, lots of tickling, hand holding, snuggling, strained conversations, a few tears, and an abundance of laughter! Most of the time I truly don't know what is going on. It's often 2 minutes before I am supposed to go somewhere or do something when I find out about it. Flexibility is truly key here...because even when they tell the kids and I'm standing right there, I still have no idea because I cannot understand. So my days are full of confusion, but the joy, the laughter, the tickling, the games, the chasing, and snuggling are the things I remember each night before I go to bed. These are the kind of moments that have been stealing pieces of my heart. The simple moments that I have come to realize are truly the very reason I am here. I only hope that you will be blessed by the pure simplicity of my ministry. The simple moments when 4 or 5 kids hold my hands at the same time, pulling me in 3 different directions saying "chello aunty" (let's go aunty). How three year old Mona rarely leaves me and either must be in my arms or holding my hand....I love to hear that little voice saying, haut, haut aunty (hand, hand) or feel her little arms reaching up for me to pick her up. The moments when I chase the kids up to the top bunks to tickle them. Times like yesterday when Mona had a fever and I sat in her bed with her head in my lap rubbing a cool cloth over her body. Or later when I gave Mona a bath and six year old Ruth, perfectly capable of bathing herself wanted me to bathe her because no one has ever done that for her before. And while we were in the bathroom five kids stood outside screaming Kelly Aunty and banging on the door and throwing water in the window! Or the times when I am in my room maybe for bathing or preparing a Bible game and they stand outside my door knocking saying Kelly Aunty. Or yesterday, when Vinod blindfolded himself and took hold of my hand to have me lead him all over including up and down a lot of stairs....funny kid. Or today playing hide and seek. Or when eight year old Badal jumps into my arms and is content for me just to hold him for awhile. Or when 8 kids call for me to watch them as they use makeshift slingshots to sling rocks high into the air. Moments like yesterday when I helped the kids study for their exams and today after their exam they all wanted to show me their papers so I could tell them they did a good job. Or times I help them wash their clothes. Or how every night after dinner I walk the youngest kids back to their room because it is dark and they are afraid. And how whenever my lap is empty someone will crawl into it, or if my hands are free, someone will hold onto them. For these kids, they have never had someone (for more than a week at a time) who loved them unconditionally and just truly desires to pour constant love on them. They soak it up often without realizing it. The fact that Ruth wanted me to bathe her almost made me cry as I realized tender loving care is something these kids have been missing for so long. The other day I was reading in Heeralal's notebook (he is one of the older boys, 14 yrs. old) and I read something that brought tears to my eyes. He had written out, in English, 2 Corinthians 6:18 "I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." For these kids, this isn't just a comforting verse, this verse is truly a promise they cling to. They have been abandoned by everyone who should love them here on earth and truly the only one they can count on his the Lord. He is their father. The amazing thing is that the Lord decided to use me to shower some much needed motherly love on the kids. So it may seem like my ministry here is nothing special, but truly the Lord has brought me here at this exact time for His glory and for His purpose. The simplicity of simply loving these kids is truly a ministry that is needed. Simple moments make a big impact. It's simply God working.