I’ve struggled with putting this trip and its meaning in my
life into words. This is partly because
of the joy and love that fills me each time I think of the boys at Dar El Awlad
and our time there with them, and perhaps, partly because I wasn’t quite ready
to leave! Nonetheless, reflecting on
this trip has brought me to some good places.
There was the main hall where I watched hesitant boys quickly transform
into exuberant participants in our daily song and lesson times, where we spent
an hour a day prodding them to practice their Math and English, and where we
told Bible stories each day to impressionable ears. I can still hear the excitement in the voice
of the boys who recognized those of our team who had returned, the sound of
countless footsteps and balls chaotically sharing the enclosed basketball
court, the excitement and happiness they expressed each day, and the heartfelt
prayers of each boy who prayed over a team member as we left. There were many special side conversations
and interactions with the older and younger boys alike that left me with
emotions and reactions on every side of the spectrum.
In light of this, it seems quite natural to me, and maybe
even most appropriate, that I can’t quite pin down what this trip means for
me. The impact of the Bible stories and
devotions we shared, our team travelling there to show these boys the love of
God, and the influence that our time at Dar El Awlad will have on the boys
their simply cannot be quantified. But
neither can that time and its impact on me.
I don’t know what the future holds for the beautiful young lives
there. I don’t know what’s in store for
that city, country, or region, and I don’t know what parts of our time there
will be the most formative in their future.
I do know that I find Christ in new and powerful ways in serving and
loving these boys, and this continues to transform how I interact with my
world. What I do know is that for two weeks
they experienced Christ in me and I, in them, and that is immeasurable.
~Trevor Brown
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