I love this.
I am in love.
I am in love with 7 South African children.
6 of whom are able to walk.
5 pairs of hands I can now hold at one time.
4 is the number of times Lee ran out of the classroom today with me chasing after him, and also the number of students who are able to speak.
3 different languages are spoken in my classroom: English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa.
2 precious girls are my favorites. Shhh, don’t tell!
1 God I thank every single day for my life.
Today, as I was on the playground with my teacher, we were helping the kids on the playground. Not something they get to play on every day since they all need so much help and attention.
We helped them climb up to the slide and also coaxed them to come down, walked on the balance beam, and attempted monkey bars, all while fending off Lee from hitting all the other children.
There is one girl, so close to my heart, who has a much harder time walking and getting around than most of the other children. She had already fallen down quite a few times as everyone else ran around. I saw her starting to cry on the ground in the sand as I walked over to her. Normally, Yolanda doesn’t answer my questions or respond coherently at all, but that doesn’t mean I would ever stop talking to her and asking her all the same questions I’d ask anyone else. So, I picked her up and wrapped her up in my arms.
“Yolanda, baby girl, you can do everything just as well as everybody else. You hear me?”
“Yes teacher.”
I am in love.
I am in love with them every morning and every night. I love them through the drool, the coughs, the boogers, the pooped pants. I love them through the blank stares and screams. I love them when they hit me and when they hug me. I love them when they paint my shirt instead of the paper. I love them whether you call them special, challenged, disabled, handicapped, or anything else they have been labeled.
I love them just the way God created them.
This is amazing. I’m so glad these kids have you loving on then. They are very blessed, and it sounds like they are just as much of a blessing to you. You’re amazing Sami. God is doing great things with you. He’s kinda incredible like that. Keep it up babe!
ahhhhh. they are so precious! so glad you are loving your ministry and these kiddos. love them, hold them, pray for them. let them get into that little heart of yours. but remember, you have to come home. 🙂
love you, sami-na.
When I think of my 2 little girls, I’m so proud of you both. Each of you is totally obedient with God’s call to be a follower of him. Luke 9:23 defines God’s “invitation” for us to follow him, and that looks exactly like my girls. This means we must take up our cross and deny ourselves DAILY, and follow him. We must go where Jesus would have gone, which is honestly the very places we ourselves often don’t want to go. Thanks for inspiring us all, reminding us of God’s “invitation”, and what our response should look like.
Love,
Papa J
AMEN to everything my dad said!!
So blessed by your beautiful heart, spam. Love you so much, and love seeing what God is doing through you! How blessed are we to be included in the Father’s work!!
Wow! I am so glad that you have found God’s calling for you!! Sometimes I believe that God has given us these children to teach us- the privileged ones- a lesson. To teach us that we need to love like Him- and to love “the least of these.” It is so great to hear of all the wonderful things God is doing throughout your ministry for Him!! Praying for you always!
beautiful Sami! reading through tears…just feels a little more like you are mine after spending an hour together this morning working out on skype! love you 🙂
I see that God has reached out again and brought you great joy in what you are doing for Him. Not only our these little ones being blessed by you with God’s love working through you but you are being blessed by working with them. I am so greatful that you are able to do something that gives you so much satisfaction. Hugs, kisses and lots of love.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE POST OF YOURS!!!! wow. I can’t even tell you how touching this was. THIS is the kind of work I want to be doing straight out of college. Praying for you and thinking of you always!!! Soak up all the time you have there, it will end quickly! I really cannot wait to hear these experiences straight from your mouth. It’s incredible to even know you and be inspired by your willingness to serve. Keep on going!!