As a little girl up I always had a heart for orphans. I always wanted a career where I could help people who can’t help themselves. Be a voice for the voiceless. It was something that I wanted to do in my life.
As part of our trip to Kyrgyzstan we were planning to visit the local orphanages for disabled children. Statistically, Kyrgyzstan is one of the countries with the highest amount of orphans. Most of these kids are social orphans which means that they have at least on living parent. Parents can’t take care of their children due to poverty and bad circumstances and therefor they are left as orphans.
In our preparation for our trip I thought a lot about what we can do to help these kids at the orphanages. Most of the kids either has cerebral palsy or some other disability. We had some therapists on our team - but I was classified as one of the ‘other helpers’. Still I had this sense that I wanted to help in some way. In general I had an expectation to find a lost and broken people in Kyrgyzstan. I expected to find orphans with behaviour problems, that they will be difficult and aggressive because of a lack of love.
What I found was something much different.
Our team’s first impression of the children’s homes was that of colour and joy. We were greeted friendly by the caretakers and everywhere we saw bright coloured flowers, bushes shaped like animals, recycled garden art and the list goes on.
We walked though the different rooms where the children ate, slept and played. It was clear that they needed a lot more hands to help with everyday things like feeding, changing the kids etc, but there was something different about the place. There was a lightness, a peace. Something very gentle that I couldn’t explain.
It wasn’t after two days of spending time with the kids that I realised how wrong my perceptions were. These kids are loved. And the KNOW IT! Afterwards when I thought about our time there I saw how Jesus is walking through the halls and sitting on the edges of their beds. Speaking to them, loving them and how he enjoys being with them. What struck me was the simplicity of it. And I realised that I had been longing for that kind of simplicity with Jesus.
He fights for them when they can’t fight for themselves.
These children experience Jesus outside of the rush and worries that we are so often consumed by. I had been so busy in my mind and heart during this trip and focused so much on what I can do or how I can ‘fight’.
I always wanted to fight for others, but during this trip I was reminded of how much I need fighting for. These orphans can’t really do much for themselves. They also can’t do anything in return for Jesus, but yet he loves them and loves being with them. None of us have the ability to work or deserve Jesus’ love. We have it simply because of who Jesus is. He chooses us in spite of our ‘disabilities’.
Jesus longs to meet with us in simplicity. We get can enjoy his presence free of charge. And he invites us to be a part of his family!
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