A Crumbling Building and Joy all Around

If there was one word I had to use to describe this missions trip, it would be transforming. Every night I would go to bed exhausted but in the morning I would wonder what the day would bring. On Thursday we started the day with touring the reformation school/church. While touring the school rooms and church service area, I couldn't help but wonder how hundreds of hungry for Jesus children could fit in such small rooms. When we were going through the school rooms I couldn't  help but think that back home we complain about our small desks and here, they have a six inch wide piece of wood to write on. Walking through this crumbling building, reminded me how fortunate I am to live in America where we don't have to worry about the roof leaking in a small rain shower or a wall crumbling down on us.
A few hours later we would be splitting into two teams: one to go to Mother Teresa's and the other to go to Gertrude's. Unfortunately, the other team was unable to visit Mother Teresa's so we all went to Gertrude's. At Gertrude's, I first went to a room with many younger children and babies. Instantly, a little girl caught my eye and she threw her arms up into the air, smiling at me to hold her. I picked her up and asked her what her name was but she didn't respond, she just observed. She looked at my cross necklace, the other children wanting to be held, and everywhere else her head could turn. Although I didn't know her, she rested her head on my shoulder and I could only think of how beautiful a child and how precious she was. We then went outside to play on the swing set and listen to Austin and Jacob play some worship songs for the other kids. When she saw the swing set she pointed to it right away so I went over and started pushing her. Sometimes when I pushed her extra hard, a laugh would bubble out of her and a smile spread across her precious face. As I pushed her I saw Ari and Jas talking to a girl in a wheel chair that was always smiling, and the boys from our team holding kids and kicking a soccer ball with them. All around me the kids who lived at Gertrude's were smiling and laughing! When Austin and Jacob played Beautiful Things by Gungor, I remembered one of the lines in the chorus: you make beautiful things out of dust. Listening to those words and looking around seeing all the kids being surrounded in love brought tears in my eyes. It was transforming in how God brought a home for these kids who lived in dust and turned it into something beautiful! Everyone on the team was serving and playing with the kids who needed love. I saw joy all around me!

                                    changed forever,

                                                                Ellianna Bates