Starting yesterday, we’ve had the PENDA YOUTH CAMP. It’s been amazing! We’ve had the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from New Hope School in Kibera and played volleyball, soccer, netball, basketball, Frisbee, and all sorts of camp games. The joy on the faces of the children will be forever imprinted in my brain. But more than the sports, I think what will stick with the kids in the hours of Christ’s love that they have felt. I think Jesus loved in everything He did, and has called us to the do the same.
My favorite moment of the camp was after Joan, a precious girl in class 8, twisted her ankle. I went to sit with her and she couldn’t bear to tell me that she was hurt. She just sat there holding her ankle looking at me with these eyes that were on the verge of welling with tears. This is a girl who is loud, outgoing, and super loving all the time. I got to talk to her (and when I say that, I literally mean just me talking to her, there was no talking from her) and just over and over again tell her it’s okay to be weak, it’s okay to admit pain, it’s okay to be vulnerable. I could tell that not talking about the pain of her ankle was way deeper than just a sprained ankle. I told her that I knew she was hurting, and that because she was in pain and hurting, I was hurting the same. And my heart really hurt, and even though we didn’t really have a breakthrough, I felt this overwhelming compassion and hurt that could only be Christ in me. I felt this hurt for Joan’s suffering. I felt this overwhelming sadness for her pain. I wanted to just comfort her and love her and cover her like our Father looks down on us and loves us. I have been praying for the Spirit to speak, work, and love through me and was so encouraged that my life was put aside and His compassion was felt and shown through me.
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