Hello all!
Isn't it just wonderful how God works? He will put small things in your life at different times and in the end, the result can be life changing. A couple months before I came on this trip, I began to prepare myself for what was in store. I was often in prayer and fasted in order that God could quiet my heart and my ambitions so that he could speak and work through me. I knew a major thing I would be doing over here was to be with the orphans. I knew that hope and love was what these kids needed and I was to act as a river and flow the love that God poured in me onto them, but I never really thought about how I could go about doing that.
I guess I have always had this thought in my head that when I spent time with children, I would only spend a little bit of time with them, act nice, then move on my way putting them behind me. But this is not love. So I might make them smile once... but will something like that really impact their lives? Will it be enough time for them to see Love and Truth (Christ) through my actions?
A week before I left my mom came to me and told me that I should really read this book about a guy who grew up as a missionary kid in Africa. The book is entitled Too Small To Ignore written by Wess Stafford. ( I suggest this book to everyone). The book is all about children and how important they are and how we need to love them unconditionally. As I was reading the introduction I was struck down. "If God places a child before you, and you are too busy to weild either a positive or negative influence...you just did the latter! You communicated that the child doesn't matter and isn't important." As the book progressed, Stafford clearly communicated the important role we have as adults to cultivate these children's lives.
Look back into your childhood. Many of you will remember key moments where people have either positively changed your life or negatively changed your life (sadly probably more of the latter than the former). As I look back at these occurrences in my own life, I see how huge of an impact they were... good and bad.
So as I have been reading this, I have looked on how I have treated children in the past and have been disgusted. Even the times I have spent much time with them, I could have always shown more love. Thus coming to where God does the life changing event...
This week has been a wonderful learning experience on how I can love kids and give them hope and compassion. Today as we pulled up to the community center, I knew that I had only several hours to impact these kids.
So began soccer. While trying to remember all the different names, I made sure to high-five every single one of them and cheer them on when they scored a goal. I prayed for them, asking God to send His love to these children. While we prayer walked down the roads, I had kids on my shoulders while holding the hands of others. In the end, Kevin bought them all ice-cream and seeing those smiles... The blood and scrapes and sore muscles I received today was nothing compared to what I would go through to see these children saved... finding true hope.
As it was time to leave, I jumped in the back of a pickup truck. We began to drive off and kids swarmed the truck trying to touch my hand one last time. As the truck sped up, the smallest of the boys broke through the crowd, running as fast as his little legs could just to touch my hand. I reached as far as I could without falling off, and grabbed his hand. At that moment... my heart was broken. Why must they live like this? Why can't people show more compassion? How I long to love them more and have them be saved.
Children are so important... Jesus rebuked the disciples the hardest when they try to keep the children away. We need to love them unconditionally and they need to know it. Oh how I long for that day when I have children of my own and I can tell them and show them how much I love them.
So in conclusion, never give up an opportunity to love a child. You never know, it could impact their life forever. Thanks for all who have been praying. I would love feedback as I miss you all. I am praying for Ohio that hearts will be prepared for what God has in store.
Jake
Isn't it just wonderful how God works? He will put small things in your life at different times and in the end, the result can be life changing. A couple months before I came on this trip, I began to prepare myself for what was in store. I was often in prayer and fasted in order that God could quiet my heart and my ambitions so that he could speak and work through me. I knew a major thing I would be doing over here was to be with the orphans. I knew that hope and love was what these kids needed and I was to act as a river and flow the love that God poured in me onto them, but I never really thought about how I could go about doing that.
I guess I have always had this thought in my head that when I spent time with children, I would only spend a little bit of time with them, act nice, then move on my way putting them behind me. But this is not love. So I might make them smile once... but will something like that really impact their lives? Will it be enough time for them to see Love and Truth (Christ) through my actions?
A week before I left my mom came to me and told me that I should really read this book about a guy who grew up as a missionary kid in Africa. The book is entitled Too Small To Ignore written by Wess Stafford. ( I suggest this book to everyone). The book is all about children and how important they are and how we need to love them unconditionally. As I was reading the introduction I was struck down. "If God places a child before you, and you are too busy to weild either a positive or negative influence...you just did the latter! You communicated that the child doesn't matter and isn't important." As the book progressed, Stafford clearly communicated the important role we have as adults to cultivate these children's lives.
Look back into your childhood. Many of you will remember key moments where people have either positively changed your life or negatively changed your life (sadly probably more of the latter than the former). As I look back at these occurrences in my own life, I see how huge of an impact they were... good and bad.
So as I have been reading this, I have looked on how I have treated children in the past and have been disgusted. Even the times I have spent much time with them, I could have always shown more love. Thus coming to where God does the life changing event...
This week has been a wonderful learning experience on how I can love kids and give them hope and compassion. Today as we pulled up to the community center, I knew that I had only several hours to impact these kids.
So began soccer. While trying to remember all the different names, I made sure to high-five every single one of them and cheer them on when they scored a goal. I prayed for them, asking God to send His love to these children. While we prayer walked down the roads, I had kids on my shoulders while holding the hands of others. In the end, Kevin bought them all ice-cream and seeing those smiles... The blood and scrapes and sore muscles I received today was nothing compared to what I would go through to see these children saved... finding true hope.
As it was time to leave, I jumped in the back of a pickup truck. We began to drive off and kids swarmed the truck trying to touch my hand one last time. As the truck sped up, the smallest of the boys broke through the crowd, running as fast as his little legs could just to touch my hand. I reached as far as I could without falling off, and grabbed his hand. At that moment... my heart was broken. Why must they live like this? Why can't people show more compassion? How I long to love them more and have them be saved.
Children are so important... Jesus rebuked the disciples the hardest when they try to keep the children away. We need to love them unconditionally and they need to know it. Oh how I long for that day when I have children of my own and I can tell them and show them how much I love them.
So in conclusion, never give up an opportunity to love a child. You never know, it could impact their life forever. Thanks for all who have been praying. I would love feedback as I miss you all. I am praying for Ohio that hearts will be prepared for what God has in store.
Jake
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