One of the communities we had the opportunity to minister to was called Riverside. It was the nicer of the three communities we spent time in, but still had struggles beyond what I've seen before. Most of our time at Riverside was playing with the kids up on the street above the "valley" where the houses were. We generally went at night, so the first time I met this little boy I couldn't even really see his face. I was playing with a group of boys and running after them throwing my arms up in the air and yelling as I ran towards them in an attempt to "scare" them. Anyway, there were a couple of boys who really loved this "new" game I had invented for them (hahahahaha) and one little boy had probably 30 rubber bands on his arm and he took off about ten of them and put them around my wrist. Ten or fifteen minu
tes later when I thought we had exhausted the game and I assumed I wouldn't be seeing much of them again, I was walking another girl home and I hear screaming coming from behind me. Well, I turn around to discover this little boy named Lee running towards me in the dark, screaming, and holding his hands up in the air. Can you guess what happened next? Yup, you guessed it! I picked him up. =) What else could I have done?? At this point I had given up on noticing how much I was sweating (keep in mind that even though it was night time it was still in the 80s with a humidity of about 150%.....)After a couple seconds of carrying him it occurred to me I was carrying him away from all of his friends and the other kids his age. I asked him if he wanted to go back up and play with all the other kids or if he wanted to stay with me. He wanted to stay with me. I carried him through the streets and we ended up playing with a group of two week old puppies. It was a precious experience watching his curiosity as he stuck his hand out to pet and welcome the new creatures to the earth. I carried him out of Riverside and at this point I was almost unwilling to let go of him.... this little boy Lee already had a hold on my heart.
Well, I had to put him down in order for him to watch the movie and for my team to perform the drime we had prepared and we also sang a song. While we were singing the song I looked over to my left and saw Lee. I also saw another boy who was trying to take Lee's toy from him and was pushing him around. You know how little boys get down in the crunched position and start shaking a little as the tears well up in their eyes because they are trying so hard not to break down? Well, that's exactly what was happening. As soon as the song
ended I asked one of my teammates to hold my water bottle and I went straight to Lee. As soon as I reached him and he saw me I decided it was my turn to return the favor. I put my arms out and within seconds I was back to the comfortable position of holding him close to my side.After a couple of minutes of holding him I sat down with him on the ground and he sat on my lap. At one point I looked down and he had his hands folded together. I took off one of the rubber bands the other boy had given me earlier, and Lee lifted his little arm up in the air and I slid the rubber band around his wrist.
The next night was our final time at Riverside and I was looking forward to seeing Lee, but dreading the goodbye all the same. Now, I should tell you Lee has an identical twin named Earl who I hadn't had the chance to meet the night before. I couldn't tell if the boy I was seeing was Lee or Earl, but then 10 minutes after we had arrived I felt a tap on my back and I turn around and this little boy tries to hide from me. I grabbed him and picked him up and said, "Are you Lee?!?!" and he responded with, "Yes!" After that I asked him if he remembered me from the previous night, and he did. I spent the next 15 minutes playing with him and holding him close to my side. But then it was time. It was time to say that hard goodbye, to put down Lee who in just two short nights I had connected with so well. I looked at him and said, "Gihigugma ko ikaw" (which in Cebuano means 'I love you') he looked into my eyes and smiled. I then said, "Does that mean you love me too?" and he looked at me again and let out a little laugh and said, "Yes!"
I tell you this story beca
use with my two previous stories I tell about how God placed kids in my life to break my heart. And break it did. But the most amazing part about my trip to the Philippines was realizing that while God will place children in my life to make me think about the reality of the sometimes harshness of this world, and He will place them there to break my heart for what breaks His; He will also give me a little boy like Lee who when he smiles at me it becomes clear to me God is using a 5 year old little boy to help put some of the broken pieces of my he
art back together.After being home for about two weeks I have had a pretty good chance to process my trip. The best part of re-entry for me has been sitting down with people and telling them all the stories God has given me. Anyone who supported me in prayer and finances is as much a part of my mission in the Philippines as I am. He chose me to go, but He chose all of you to support me. And it was through your faithfulness that I was able to do the ministry God called me to. And it was your prayers that kept our team safe, and opened up the hearts of the Filipino people to hear the Gospel. For all of those who I haven't had the chance to really talk with yet, I tell you in all honesty that I am sitting here thinking about it and I can't wait! I want to thank all of you who have had grace with me and have had patience in my sharing of stories. I just want you to know how much I want to (and will) tell you all the stories you would like to hear!
God Bless!
Cora
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