HCS 7

Saturday proved to be a day that this trip is all about.

We bussed to the center about mid-morning. Perhaps I should make a few comments about the center. The facility began existence as a re-nutrition center. The purpose then was to bring children from abandonment on the streets and restore their diets and health. It has now blossomed to status as an orphanage. The life at the center is quite frankly these childrens only hope for any kind of future. Were it not for the center, they would be fending for themselves on the streets (or at the dump) of Managua; hungry, sick and alone.

So, back to Saturday; once at the center, we quickly moved to setting the water tank in place. The cement had dried and the platform was ready. It took us only a few moments to set the tank in place and we then gathered our construction team and took pictures.

Earlier on Saturday, the boys and I had had our room meeting. I knew the boys had not had much interaction time with the children during the week as the boys have been working hard doing construction and cleanup jobs. I suggested that they seek out times today to interact with the children.

As the morning progressed, I saw that the boys were acting upon the suggestion and were playing with the children and having a great time.

But, in the back of my mind, I was shielding myself from interaction with the children. Let me explain. Read the blogs from earlier this week when I've commented on the distance my life is from the lives of many daily lives in Nicaragua, the boy riding in the cart with his Dad or the young boy riding his horse along the road. The boy on the cart had his Dad next to him and the boy on the horse had someone who provided him the horse...there was someone else in their lives. Now, move a couple of steps beyond those lives and think of the children of this country who have absolutely no one who gives a rip if they eat, or are sick or live or die. Now you have reached the point that mercilessly grabs your emotions and makes you ask questions like "why them?, why me and what can I do?"

It is extremely powerful to come to Nicaragua (and other places in the world) and experience this. And if you have an ounce of compassion in your soul, it moves you in powerful ways and makes you say, "I NEED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!", however small, I need to make a difference.

So, lunchtime arrived and I observed all the young people from our group interacting with all the center children, eating, playing and talking. As I walked past the lunch table, I saw one little boy sitting on a chair by himself, finishing his lunch, so I sat down next to him.

He didn't speak, he just looked at me with a sullen look and determinedly went about eating his lunch. When I would try to help him with this or that, he was very adamant in wanting to do it all himself. (I would learn later from Chris that orphaned children are many times extremely independent in wanting to do whatever they are able themselves.) He wanted a cookie as he saw the other children eating theirs, but he knew he had to finish his lunch. The one thing he did want me to do was to keep him clean. He doesn't like having messy hands and he would extend them to me to wipe with a napkin.

So, we finished lunch and Hai-Mei (not sure of the spelling, but putting it here phonetically) went about playing in the patio area. He was not rambunctious like the other children. He is not very expressive, either facially or verbally, but most of the time is observing as if he's saying "well, I know I'm not where I used to be and yet I'm not sure if I trust any of you or even think that I like you too awful much."

As we prepared to leave for the movie, I found myself with Hai-Mei in may arms and it appeared that God had destined that Hai-Mei and I would spend the afternoon together. Just before we boarded the bus, I showed him his picture on my camera and for the first time that day, he smiled at me. It was a magic moment and I immediately felt a bond with this little Nicaraguan boy.

During the bus ride, he stood on my lap and intently watched out the window. He is earnestly interested in all the sights and sounds as we rode through the streets of Managua, taking in as much as he could. Who knows if he's ever had a bus ride before?

Our plan for the day was to attend a movie and then go for pizza. For many of these children this was likely the very first time they have ever done anything like this. And we were quite a troup! We were about 40 total and made quite a procession as we piled off the bus at the mall and walked to the theater. By this time, Hai-Mei and I were getting along well and he was getting comfortable with this old guy's shoulder.

We entered the theater and found our seats and Hai-Mei was all about eating some popcorn and drinking his soda. As I watched him, I'm not sure he was really too interested in the movie (we saw Rattatoie in Spanish), but he was definitely enjoying the whole experience as he began to be quite vocal...to the point that Chris asked him to quiet down.

And then, as is so common for two year olds (I hadn't know until now how old he was), he'd had enough popcorn and soda and movie and he fell asleep. He slept peacefully for a while and then began to stir, so I picked him up and held him with his head on my shoulder for the rest of the movie.

But the movie was not the real event that was occurring. Here I was, in Managua, Nicaragua at a movie theater in a mall watching a Disney movie in Spanish with a two year old boy in my arms who's likely never known a day anywhere near like this day in his entire short life!! And it was happening to me and I'm thinking, what can I do? What more can I can do for these children? Yes, there are starving children the world over, but God has opened the door for me to come to Nicaragua and to meet this day with Hai-Mei. And for an oh so short a time, we connected on this Saturday afternoon. And at one point in time he called me "Papa".

We went to Pizza Hut after the movie and had a great time on the playground. Hai-Mei tried the slides a little, but was mostly content to watch the other children play. He and I shared our pizza supper together and once again I observed that he likes to do things himself. I'd cut his pizza into smaller bites, but he wanted to cut it and he wanted to hold his cup.

It was an amazing, awesome afternoon! I knew that too soon it would end, but I know that I will never forget my afternoon with Hai-Mei. As we rode the bus back to the center, I laid my hands on this little Nicaraguan boy and prayed. I prayed for his future and for hope and a life of knowing Jesus and making a difference in his world and his country. I prayed against evil that may try to come his way.

I will see him again on Sunday afternoon, but then I wonder if I will ever see him again?

I've been touched by a little boy from Nicaragua in a powerful way and I thank God for the opportunity we've had!

Be blessed!

Ken