Attitude of Gratitude

Today was mostly a prep day for the incoming medical mission.  We started in the church sorting out suitcases and their contents and prepping health kits to give away.  These kits have shampoo, soap a toothbrush and toothpaste.  There doesn’t ever seem to be a shortage of hands to get some of this busy work done.  The locals will always pitch in a hand or two to help.  So we sorted toiletries together and mangled our conversations in Spanish!  I really think I need to live in a Spanish speaking country for 6 months to become fluent!  

After that project was done, another gal from the mission and I walked over to the feeding center to help the women who feed the 150 kids that come every day at lunch to get a meal.  Some of the kiddos I recognized from last August and some I did not.  Some were shy and some were not.  It struck me how gracefully grateful these children are for the food that is provided to them.  They are grateful to the women who feed them every day and knowing that there will be a lunch waiting for them.  For some of them its the only meal they get that day.  They come in knowing exactly what food is served, nothing new, but no one complains.  No one says I don’t like this, and almost no one wastes food.  It’s an attitude we could all take into our own lives and learn something from it.  

A particular child caught my eye and I went over to say hello.  She was sitting with a very small child helping him eat his lunch.  Occasionally stopping eating to feed him.  Turns out this 10 year old girl was feeding her 1 1/2 year old brother.  They were a little shy to have a conversation but I at least got their ages.  I’ll work on their names next.  She was so sweet and kind to him and was always very concerned to make sure he ate.  I don’t know who they were or where they were from, or how far they had walked to be there but they struck a chord in my heart.  Children have to grow up so much faster here and the harsh reality that they live in is not an easy one. 

We left the feeding center, had lunch and then a few of us headed over to the mayors office for a meeting/update with the city and to share the progress of the special needs school etc.  They donated the land that we are going to be building the church on and it is an exciting time in the development of the mission.  The land is right next to where the new special needs school is.  

Tonight we go to church and tomorrow is another day of planning and prep.  

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me” Matthew 25:35


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