best part of my week

“I need a house. My 3 children and I are staying at our friend’s house but it’s not good, and I need the Lord to provide money for me to get a house.” -K

“I need my rent money, I’m scared my family’s going to evicted.” -B

“I need bedsheets and a mattress. Right now, me and my 2 daughters are sleeping on the dirt floor of our hut.” - J

A pause as the rest of us finish our prayer requests...

“You know, you all are beautiful women.” - Auntie Katie. 

They laugh...

“Glory be to God! We all have our problems but at least we’re PRETTY!” -B 

The best part of my week is not holding that precious baby with a sniffle

 or filling the 5 empty bellies that have come to school hungry and without food

or walking 7 special girls home just so they feel special

or seeing 60 smiles every day.  

It’s tuesdays

and thursdays

and saturdays

when I get to teach the mom that is fighting to get her baby medicine for that sniffle

and I get to laugh with 8 moms who refuse to let their circumstances define them

and I get to hear them learn to speak english as we have moved past ‘how are you’ and now say ‘what’s up’ 

and we have thirty minute, way off topic conversations about surrogate mothers and artificial insemination

and I get to watch them pick up things, whether it’s reading english or reading music, faster than you can imagine and then proclaim that it’s because the Lord is with them 

and I get to watch them have FUN, something that is unknown to most adults here, as they learn to play the drums under the instruction of crazy Auntie Katie. 

and I get to watch them earn their children’s school fees and take responsibility as they roll paper beads 

and I got to watch this bright light of hope flash in their eyes 

and it grew but it would flicker and fade

and now it remains.

and I stand amazed, in admiration, in reverence