After two weeks in Ecuador I finally got to serve the needy. I visited my first orphanage. Saturday morning, Curtis and Michelle Gee squeezed me into their car with their four kids and we drove out to the tiny town of Chuquipata. They go every Saturday, bringing with them a Bible story in Spanish, a craft project, balls and frisbees, playdoh, some music, a snack, and an inexhaustible supply of hugs.
About sixteen children came out and sat at a picnic table, ages ranging from one and a half to twelve years old. Michelle read them a Bible story in Spanish and then we helped them make butterflies with coffee filters and clothespins. All but the very youngest really got down to work and actually took time to decorate their butterfly. One of the children wanted me to do one so I started drawing blue hearts with swirls and dots on mine. Then everyone wanted a second butterfly with “corazones azules.” “Tia! Tia!” they would call. ("Auntie.") When the craft was done, everyone moved out onto a concrete play area, and the balls, frisbees and music came out. The music seemed out of place—it was basically Christian pop from the U.S., simply translated to Spanish. I felt a little put-off by it, like we were imposing our culture on them.
It was impossible to remain indifferent. How could you not fall in love?
I met a sweet little five year-old named Sara; and her little sister Alexandra. As I held adorable two month-old Esther, I watched the entire Gee family completely lose themselves in play with these kids. It was a beautiful sight, especially when the kids hugged and got hugged by Curtis, a rare father figure in their lives. Soon the balls were collected and the playdough came out. The music was still blaring, and I could recognize the tune. “Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord.” I sat across from a ten year-old boy, who was seriously pounding away at his play-doh. Softly first, then louder, the boy began singing along to the song. “Santo, Santo, Santo…” he sang zestily. He was singing “...Holy, holy, holy, I want to see You.”
Well...maybe I was wrong about the music.
-Trudenski
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2 comments:
Hi Trudinski and company!
I'm enjoying your posts very much.
My sister and family have been with Wycliffe for well over twenty years. She has taught songwriting courses for the language helpers so that they will have songs that better fit their own cultures. The songs that we sing were a good start for her when she began being able to translate into the language of their village. Some songs lend themselves to our tunes in other languages, but many don't without changes. How wonderful to hear the little ones singing gospel music in their own language even if the tunes came from the US!
How are your children doing in this different setting? Are they learning some Spanish? This is an awesome opportunity for them, though the younger ones may not remember a lot of it.
Keep the news coming!
Thanks for sharing about the little boy singing while doing his playdoo. It touched my heart.
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