It’s funny how the days that change your life never seem very special in the midst of the moments that occur. You experience so much within a single day that it can take weeks to pin-point why that day was so unique and why, after such a day, you will never be the same. It is just mind boggling how 1 day, how 24 hours, how 1,440 minutes, contains the capacity to wreck you forever. This was my day.
I awoke to the all too normal rooster crow, threw on an only slightly dirty shirt, and grabbed some breakfast. Orphans was the game plan today and I was excited for what God had in store. I packed the normal entertainment items: markers, paper, and gum, and met my new friend Kelvin outside the door of our contacts home. Kelvin’s appearance alone labeled him as “orphan”; roughed up clothing, emotionless face, and sullen posture.
As we walked towards another orphans house I started some small talk with Kelvin (because of the language barrier small talk is about all you have when communicating). When I asked how old he was my jaw dropped at his answer, “I’m 15.” What!? He looked like he was 10, no joke. The more I talked with him the more his story sounded all too familiar, yet unsettling all the same. Kelvin’s parents both died when he was young and he now lived with his grandmother who barely has enough money to support her own needs. He is moneyless and because of that, futureless.
Minutes later we walked into the household of a family plagued by AIDS. Joseph and Willy contracted AIDS from there parents at birth and a few years later the disease claimed both their parents lives.
What could I do? What could I say? These three children had experienced so much in their few years of life that it seemed to trump anything that I had gone through. All I had was love and so that’s what I gave. I asked Kelvin and Joseph if they wanted to climb trees and their response was like nothing I had ever experienced. Joy rang across their faces from ear to ear. Their personality sprang to life as they sprinted to the nearest tree. As we climbed, the tree not only shook from the weight of the children and I, but also from the roars of laughter that coated every branch and leaf.
I returned home drained physically and emotionally, but apparently God thought I could handle more. Outside the entrance of the house was a long wooden bench shaded by an overhanging tree. There sat our contact Bishop and an all too familiar face that held a story that shatters my heart every time it comes to mind.
Teresia is a nineteen year old girl who is responsible for one daughter and seven siblings ranging from ages one to sixteen. Her mother passed away about a year ago because of complications from child birth and her father passed away from stomach ulcers two weeks ago. She is eldest and therefore the families well being falls into her hands. She now gets the privilege (sarcasm) of finding a home for the family since the house they live in will be washed away in just over a month from the rains, figure out how to feed, clothe, and quench the thirst of her daughter and siblings with no money, as well as provide education for each child so that one day, just maybe, one child will escape the poverty that has plagued their life (If that sentence exhausted you I am glad!).
As I was summoned to the bench, I had no idea what to expect. I greeted Teresia with a handshake and when my eyes met Bishops I knew my day was not complete. He told me that Teresia was not a born again Christian and any help given to the family will not amount “to squat” (my words) if the family is not rooted in God’s love and grace. By this time I knew what was coming next. Bishop said, “Jeremy I want you to talk to her about God’s love.”
GREAT!!! (once again…sarcasm) What in the world could I possibly say to her? How can I get across God’s love when the circumstances in her life clearly do not point to a God that loves her. Beyond that, how do I not instill a false hope in her life that brings her faith crashing down when things don’t get better. In all honesty this conversation felt hopeless, but I knew deep within that it needed to be done. I knew Bishop spoke truth and I knew God’s presence anointed this conversation.
So away I went, covering all the basics of the gospel that I could think of. Long pauses filled the conversation and I’m not gonna lie…it…was… awkward. As I said though, God was in it and I just followed as he lead.
Then the big moment came. It was time for the question of all questions. The words slid out of my mouth with ease as I asked, “Teresia, are you ready to be born again?”
I know that each and every one of you are going to hate me for this but I’m not going to tell you how she answered because I don’t think her answer really matters in the context of this blog. So if you are sitting there let down, I ask you to reconsider your feelings, reconsider what defines your faith. Is it obedience or is it results?
This is a day that I will never forget. It is a day that I will never fully understand. It is a day that has changed my life forever.
