Psalm 119:45

This post is going to be about children. Not the managable kind of school children who know how to walk, talk and take care of their own hygiene. No, this post will be about the chaotic, cronically wet, hyperactive kind of kids, the ones that we've gotten to know in the "Little Treasures Daycare" at Mathare Worship Centre.

Many of you might be familiar with my attitude towards kids under 4 years of age. I find them terrifying. My explaination usually being that "they always cry and you know they want something, but they don't tell you what!", I try to avoid them as much as possible. Well, at least I used to.

You can imagine my reaction the first time we visited the daycare. Having 30 toddlers running around your legs, covered in every bodily fluid known to man while the smaller babies where crying their lungs out, produced only one instinctive reaction in my mind: run.

But this post is not going to be a pessimistic, self-pitying narration of my sufferings in the daycare. Because you see, I've come a long way since that day. Kids are funny that way, I didn't need to spend more than a few hours among them before I saw past the mass of noise, smell, spit and tears, and saw what they really are: God's beautiful creations, each with his or her own personality, gifts and purpose in life.

There is Owen, who only talks when his mom is around, but who holds on to me from the moment I arrive and refuses to let go untill I leave. There is Steve, who with his round, Chinese-like face can melt the coldest corner of my Scandinavian heart, and who copies me when I speak Norwegian. The is Junior, who literally spends his days running on the walls (bam!). There Francis who serves as our guide ("this girl is thirsty, and that guy misses his mom"), and Mathei who weighs about twice what he should. There is Rhoda, who is only four years old, but takes care of her 1 year-old sister in every way: feeds her, carries her, changes her diaper...

God has His ways of following His plans through. When I came to Mathare Worship Centre, I was convinced that I would be more comfortable working among the older kids is class 5 and 6. Untill now I have spent all my time running back and forth between class 2 and the daycare, and I couldn't be happier. It is amazing to see how God is equipping me through this year, busting every barrier that I have put on my own potential. If I had known two months ago that I would spent my time in Kenya working with babies and toddlers, I would seriously have reconcidered coming. God, however, had His own plans for me, and as usually He succeded.
I am forever grateful.