Anytime the Blacks are going down to Nsoko, I try to hitch a ride. It’s an all day event, so we don’t get to go as often as we’d like.
Last week we were able to make a quick trip since Gary had a business meeting. We stopped and bought oranges to give to the children. Because we got there a little bit late, there weren’t many kids around. The kids that were there all ran up to the vehicle as soon as they realized it was us. It’s amazing to see the joy that fills their faces when we come, you’d think it was Christmas and we were bringing bags full of presents instead of fruit. We decided to start handing out oranges since we were only going to be there for an hour.
While Alexis and Emily were handing fruit out to the little kids I notice a face or two hiding inside the ‘building’ (it has a roof, but two of the walls are now made of wired mesh instead of bricks). Being who I am I instantly went inside to see if the kids wanted to come out. Inside was a little girl who wasn’t to sure about the foreigners, and a boy about 7 or 8 years old, who was only wearing the shy expression on his face. Seeing that they probably weren’t going to come out and get an orange I went and grabbed two and brought the oranges to the kids. I bent down and started peeling the orange for the boy and then the one for the little girl.
I did the only thing that I knew how. I showed these two little ones love, without pulling a face or even changing my voice. What else could I do? Most of the kids in Nsoko don’t have much, but this was an extreme. My heart broke… my heart always breaks when we go to Nsoko, but this was much deeper. I felt as if a piece of my heart was taken away and given to the little naked boy.
I’ve learned that each time I go to Nsoko part of my heart will be ripped out… and that’s ok… because that is my cold hard heart… these children are giving me a piece of their own heart, because that is all that they have to give. Their faces a full of smiles, their eyes full of questions, and their heart full of joy and hope. When I am at Nsoko I look the same as these little ones: dirty, sweaty, smiles, laughter, joy, curiosity, and hope.
(I took these pictures during that trip to Nsoko)
