Night and Day

More times than I can count throughout the day, my thoughts are drawn to the stark contrast between life here and life in America. Whether I am stopped at a "robot" (Zambia's word for "stoplight") and am approached by a child clothed in filthy rags begging on the street, or at the grocery store and notice the difference between my basket full of a large variety of foods and the Zambian woman's next to me containing only 4 loaves of bread, or even trying to make small talk conversation with a Zambian in the slums and realizing how often my American brain wants to bring up the topic of food (what did you have for dinner last night, what is your favorite restaurant, what is your favorite food?).

But one of the most impactful, and devastating ways this hits me is when Rylee interacts with the children we serve here. Watching her play, and share God's love with these kids always strikes a place deep in my heart. I can't see these precious interactions and not think about the way their lives have been COMPLETELY different from one another. Her home has been full of love - she has been treasured and has received pretty much everything she could ever desire...while these children often find themselves in circumstances that would best be described as a living nightmare.

There is a particular child here that Rylee has really become attached to. Her name is Concelia. Rylee and Concelia are both 4 years old, and became fast friends the moment they met. They always embrace when they see each other, and generally end up holding hands and making their way to the playground. 

Almost every time I watch them go off together, I am reminded that like many of the children we come across through our work here, Concelia has walked through a darkness no child deserves -- and her story was discovered at Camp LIFE 2012.

 
'You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed, 

so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.'

Here is her story...

In a sea of a thousand Zambian faces, 2 stood out. Like many children in Zambia, Precious was carrying her younger sister, Concelia, on her back. At the young age of 7 years old, Precious had taken on the role of caretaker for little sister – and it took only a short amount of time to understand why.

Concelia had been so brutally raped at the age of three that she wasn’t able to stand due to the pain. As the story of her horrific young life unfolded, we found that multiple men had taken Concelia and used her for their pleasure – leaving her severely hurt, damaged and wounded in every way imaginable.

When Precious was chosen to attend Camp LIFE, she had no choice but to bring her little sister along. The fear of leaving her at home, by herself, was too much to bear. During the week of Camp LIFE, Precious revealed that the girls are double orphans – their father had already passed on and their mother is mentally ill and her whereabouts are unknown. The two girls were living with their elderly grandmother, who was not able to take care of them.

At only 7-years-old, Precious was carrying a burden no child should. So that she could spend just 5 days experiencing the joy of being a kid, our staff took on the responsibility of caring for Concelia each day. We comforted, held, and played games with her – trying in every moment to lift the darkness that filled her eyes. Even though she couldn’t talk about her pain, we could see it weighing on her each day – she had seen and experienced the terror at an unthinkably early age.

I have met many children with these horrendous backgrounds, but somehow it hurts more deeply reflecting on Concelia's story because of how close in age she is with my own daughter. It hits so much closer to home, because even the mere thought of this being Rylee's story is pushed out immediately. My brain can't even try to put my sweet girl in those shoes. But as I watch them play together, and I imagine how drastically Concelia's life has been changed...and I watch her laughing with Rylee, I can see the Lord's work at transformation in her life. It is a blessing beyond words to witness as the Lord uses Rylee's innocence and unconditional love to restore a childhood that rightly belongs to Concelia. To see two girls run, jump, swing, and slide on the playground at the Tree of Life Children's Village. 

It's easy on some days to think, it's all too much...my heart can't keep breaking like this. But stories of hope and healing (like Concelia's) help to reassure me when the task seems too large. God faithfully reminds me of the story of the man on the beach with the starfish....and as I get to know these kids in deeper ways, I have become so aware of the many starfish in my midst. He is faithful to encourage me with their stories of redemption, and the difference my family is making in each of their lives. Even the things that seem small (like spending an hour at the playground), He uses and multiplies in ways that I may never see. The privilege of bringing that kind of "normal" to children that never dreamed they would experience such simple and carefree joy - not much is better!