wonder//week18

Meet Joy. At the simple age of 3 she doesn’t have much to say. Or maybe I just don’t understand her mumblings. The darling toddler demands to be in my arms every Thursday during Bible study. She doesn’t really personify her namesake but occasionally I can sneak a smile out of her. Joy lives with 16 other foster brothers and sisters in a shack that resembles the log cabins I used to build with my brother. With so many other children and just one precious mama to take of them all, I wonder who holds Joy when Thursday has come and gone.

Meet Sisifo. This 2 year old comes running when he hears me call his name every Wednesday afternoon. I won’t leave until I’ve tracked him down. At 1 year old he wanders the streets of the most dangerous neighborhood in the township alone. When the sun sets, Silvertown is the last place to be. Yet little the little boy plays unwatched in the streets. I wonder if anyone worries about Sisifo.

Meet Cameron. Quiet and gentle, the 1st grader always seems to find my hand when I visit Magnolia Primary. He seems to be an oddball amongst his peers. Rarely do I see him joined by other little boys. I don’t know why. Cameron doesn’t have much to say to me. But his smile when he looks up at me says it all. He feels safe. I wonder if there are any other times that Cameron feels safe.

Meet Yonda. What an advantageous 4 year old she is! She is the most beautiful girl you’ll ever meet. She is the beloved daughter of my best friend Andiswe. Yonda is certainly loved & adored. She is a bright little girl. We teach each other our languages but I must say she is learning much faster than I. But she is born in a home with no money for education, let alone food some days. I wonder if Yonda’s bright mind will ever be given a chance.

These are just a few of the stories of the dear children my heart has attached to. There are so many stories to be told. And some days I am so overwhelmed by the silence. As a follower of Jesus, I am reminded that Jesus loves all these children and will look out for them. But he has also given us the task to look after such children.

But I still wonder, who will tell their stories?