Dealing with Reality Together

You have heard me say that crying is not acceptable in this culture, today I couldn’t help it.
I told my students today that something shook me up. I began to cry. I picked up my Bible and told them that when things shake me up I run to the scripture. I told them about Jesus’ last words to Peter in John 21:22 “Follow me”. I told them about how this is my life goal, to follow Jesus with everything I do. I then asked, what is that that we are following? What is the example? I began thumbing through John. Story after story we saw that Jesus cared for those that were on the outside of society. The woman at the well, the blind man, the woman caught in adultery, and many others.
I then asked them to write for 15min answering the question, why do you want to teach special education. I told them that I would also write. After the 15min I asked for 2-3 volunteers to share. All of them wanted to share. I was touched by their responses; I will have to give you some quotes of what was said in my next blog post.
After listening to all their wonderful papers I got up to speak.
I began to read my paper.
When in town I always see people begging for money. They are children who are as young as five years old. Some are teenage boys sitting with their twisted legs and feet under them. Some wander from bus to bus putting out a crippled hand asking for money. Some are blind with a guide leading them perhaps to the next 100 FBU (about 10 cents).
Today I saw a boy, about 8 years old. (This is where I began to cry. The thought of what I was going to share. It was still so real in my thoughts. Lambert raised his hand. He said, “You need to be strong. We need to understand everything you have to. We know it is important for us to hear.” I said, “ok, be strong.” I continued) He was missing his hands and feet. I could tell that this was a birth defect. He was in the arms of a man, about 20. He was carrying him somewhere. His left hand was holding the child on his hip. In his right hand he had a piece of rope. The child was crying as the man hit him repeatedly with a rope. The boy’s cries rang in my ears. I wanted to get out and tell him to stop, to take the boy away. But many things stood in my way. I was in the back of a crowded bus, I don’t speak the language, I don’t know the reason the boy was being beaten, and what would I do with the boy. Where would I take him? Instead I sat on the bus and began to cry. I know that crying isn’t something that happens very often here but I couldn’t help myself. The tears only got worse when I exited the bus. There was nothing I could do for this boy.
I don’t like feeling powerless. Even in the US my eyes fill with tears when I see those with special needs not being cared for in the best way.
I am here at Hope Africa University to do just that, give hope. My 11 students will take the knowledge of care and passion to help to the schools. They will care for those who right now don’t have hope. I am making a difference with my time here because I have faith in my 11 students. They are facing African realities.
After I had finished reading my students thanked me for having faith in them and also for being here.
I then encouraged them to keep following Jesus, caring for people not cared for.