Giggles Galore

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations that the Lord has done great things for them. Psalm 126:2

This day was needed after yesterday's events at the clinic! Today we spent most of the morning getting a storeroom ready for the start of their third term school semester. We were "working" with our roommates from Florida which made it great fun! But during the afternoon we got to play with the kids. Oh my goodness did we laugh! We made pretend soup with a couple of girls and before we knew it we had a swarm of little girls bringing ingredients for our concoction. Every homemade soup (featured to the left) begins with stones and sticks, then some sweet potatoes, stick fish (also known as fish sticks but that can't be translated) some seasonings, and a few other unknowns. I'll let Robin tell you about the bugs but needless to say, it was very FUNNY! I pretended to use a large leaf to eat my soup and the girls thought that was quite funny, they wanted to "eat" the soup too. These kids are so content with sticks and leaves sprinkled with dirt, as well as basketballs that have no rubber covering, soccer balls where all the patches have been worn off and a volleyball that isn't really a volleyball. The laughter today was contagious and the smiles were beautiful. Our God is so good to have given us such joy today after such heavy hearts yesterday.

Serving Him with joy!
Michelle

If you had told me earlier that I would be laughing as hard as I did by just sitting on the grass making "soup", I would have not believed it. Yesterday my heart was filled with pain, and today my heart was filled with joy. It was a gift to see and hear the sights and sounds of laughter. The giggles were so loud and we were all rolling in the grass. It was at that point that I realized that there are lots of bugs in the grass. As mentioned before, everything here is bigger! Let's just say I tend to get a little spooked by the bugs here. The girls thought it was funny to see me that way. So they all brought me bugs for the soup. Grasshoppers, caterpillars, snails, ants and even just the legs of something yet to be determined. I would probably have eaten the bugs if it would have made the girls laugh, well maybe not... The laughter was pure and the play time was simple. Another reminder of what matters most. It's not really that these children have more fun, it's that they do more with less. They exude a contagious spirit that makes my heart skip a beat. I have so many moments tucked in my reserve. Like the line from The Blind Side..."You're changing his life, no he's changing mine." I don't know if these children will ever know the impact they have had on my life. I am so grateful to be able to serve in this capacity. I am so glad I said "yes" to God.

Love and Blessings,
Robin