Hi everyone,
Esther blogging here, and praise the Lord for everything He is doing at Shepherd’s Field! Today was dedicated to the numerous chores bestowed upon us – sounds boring, right? But even in performing the tiresome and unpleasant jobs, I felt the will of God working through each one of us.
We started the day off by washing the lawn chairs and tables behind the inn. They had been covered by various substances left behind by babies and spiders and mud-splattered by the crazy thunderstorm the night before. All in all, those chairs and tables did not look pretty. So, we got down and started soaking, scrubbing and spraying everything down. Kathy and I worked up a frenzy – such a frenzy that we were cut by the plastic several times. The boys, on the other hand, had a great time making up songs about suds with Disney tunes (crazy, I know).
It was hot, but after we finally finished washing all the chairs and tables, most of them looked sparkling new. I felt great joy in knowing that the babies and ayis could now sit and eat at clean tables. Well, at least for a week or so …
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| Strong and able men carrying the tables back … |
The lawn chairs were dirty, but nothing could’ve prepared us for the bathroom in the House of Blessings. “Us” consisted of Mary, Nathalie, Kathy, and me – the boys had been assigned to clean the gym, and the other girls had left to clean the House of Peace. We were informed we were cleaning the bathroom for the first time this year, and the results were apparent as soon as we entered the steamy room. Hair, dirt, and dust were mixed in chunks of black grime which caked every corner … I didn’t even know where to begin. Even after we emptied all the cleaning products we were provided, the bathroom was still nowhere close to clean.
I was saddened by the fact that the children were living in such dirty conditions, but the Lord was still able to encourage us with His perfect timing. Right before we started to clean the bathroom, one of the ayi’s recognized Mary from her previous trips to SFCV. The ayi had been the caretaker of Malachi, who was adopted by a couple from the U.S.A. She immediately asked Mary if Malachi was doing well. Mary began to tell the ayi about all the new things Malachi was learning, and we could all see how much the ayi missed him. She even started to cry after Mary was done (which started a waterworks festival, of course), and we were touched by how much she cared for Malachi. With this occurrence, God was able to reassure us that these children are in good hands.
Well, the bathroom was still dirty, so we visited Walmart and picked up nine carts of supplies for round two. Yup, nine carts…
Actually, only some of the supplies were for cleaning. We also picked up a whole of bunch of other stuff, and when we returned to SFCV, we moved everything – including the things we brought from New York – to the administration building. It was amazing to see all the donations we’d gotten laid out on the huge table.
We even bought some things for Stevie and gave her a greatly needed bath!
In fact, Stevie enjoyed the bath so much that she began to fall asleep …
In conclusion, this day has reminded me of Matthew 9:37: “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.’” There is so much to be done here at SFCV, yet not enough hands to do it all. But praise God because He is a God who provides and works through us. Though I was unable to play with the children today, I still have made a difference in their lives. The bathroom was not favorable, but it is a place of daily use. We were able to create a better environment for the precious children, and that brings great joy to my heart. Our God is truly an amazing God.
Support us supporting babies,
Esther
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