It's a community with a little girl named Sophia and her baby sister, Nairobi. Their mom, Hilda, is beautiful and patient. She brought Sophia to us three days after Sophia burnt her arm on a hot cooking pot. The shy little girl, cried as we cleaned it and bandaged it. But as the days passed, and we came to check on it, she grew in her trust for us. Each time, Hilda welcomed us into their one room home, with a bed, and a table. She offered me food and opened the window, so some of the scorching heat would leave. Sophia showed me her little doll, then sat quietly under the bed, sneakily eating Colgate toothpaste. Hilda asked me if it is normal to sweat so much, as beads cover her forehead. Sophia’s arm has healed rapidly in just 7 days.
In a community such as this, in spite of utter poverty, there is still joy. The kids still play. The parents still show love to their children. People still worship God. The little girls gather with us every week to paint their nails. The little boys come running to play baseball or soccer.
This community looks to US to teach THEM. But this is a community from which I have much to learn.