Children of God.

African hospitals really are how you picture them. A small room with a couple of beds and if you’re there long enough you can even hear the Mosque call. The doctors come in and all they really know how to do is ask, “How is your child” when your heart is breaking because you don’t want to answer.

Yesterday was a great day learning about a friend’s ministry. Learning and meeting kids who are severely malnourished and seeing how easy it is to love them so outrageously. Sincere conversation turned into an unexpected phone call, that turned into a new kid at Ekisa, which turned into the realization that if they were calling them-then this boy was sick. This boy was so malnourished.

So African hospitals really are how you picture them. Even worse when you have a sick kid in your hands and even worse when you know that there’s nothing you can do except love him.

And feed him. Caroline and I were left with this sweet boy for hours not really knowing what to do. We worked together to lift up his stiff body and I had to stick the syringe in his mouth to feed him the milk that would make him full again. 90 little ML turned into an hour and a half of our hearts breaking as he would cough and moan and we would pray and pray.

But there was this moment. I know he didn’t understand me but that didn’t stop my prayers. I just had to tell him; I just had to whisper in his ear and tell him how much he is loved. I just had to rub his head and tell him it was going to be okay because someone a lot stronger than me and Care was holding him and that he was safe because of that. Caroline had stepped outside for a moment and I just said again into his ear that,

“You are loved child. You are loved by Jesus, and I promise he won’t ever let you go.”

And for a moment, just a small one, he looked up at me and stopped crying. Just a moment, though. But I know it’s because he heard God tell him so. He heard God tell him something that made him stop crying and made him feel okay…if even only just for a second.

Yesterday I woke up and started my day in the word. Knowing I am flawed but learning how to love I went on with my day praying and laughing and learning. But today I woke up knowing how open my heart was cracked. Today I woke up and all I wanted to do was pray for this sweet little boy. Today I know that I am made for more than just living and moving and today I know that I am made to love. Isaac changed my life, yesterday. In just a few hours this 3 years old, 10 pound child, ripped my heart open and showed me who Jesus really was.

Ever since I’ve been here at Ekisa, the Lord has shown me how big He can make my heart for all of His children-but especially children with special needs. But I learned something else yesterday; that we are all children of God. And after meeting Isaac all I ever want to do is sit with sick children and tell them how much they are loved by someone so much bigger and so much braver than myself.

Needless to day, Isaac needs your prayers! After only a day his face if filling out and he is getting full! But he still has a while longer to go so just pray for strength and health and healing. Our God is capable and we just have to trust that His will be done and rest easy in knowing how Sovereign He is. And how lucky are we? Just to be witnesses to miracles like little Isaac. Just to be used by God and for Him to let us see His beautiful creation how we really should. We are all children of God-sometimes some of us just need that little extra reminder. I’m sorry if when I get home you don’t recognize me-because don’t you see, I will never be the same again.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

1 John 3: 1-2

Peace and love and love, my friends.

-Kelsey