The sound of whistles filled the room from the lollipops I gave the children. I saw how inexpensive they were at the grocery store and decided why not? Every kid loves candy. There were even enough lollipops for all the orphans with teeth to have seconds!
I woke up to the sound of children laughing. It wasn’t what I expected to hear in an orphanage in a developing country. I thought they would be sad because they lacked so much, but instead, their spirits were full of joy.
They weren’t dwelling on what they didn’t have. Instead, they embraced what they did: friends, a caring community, and staff who looked after them. For a moment, we visitors had the privilege of stepping into their world and showing them they mattered.
Connecting with Kids
We brought crafts for the kids to make with us. Even the teenagers enjoyed this. I brought supplies for a lamb craft where children could make a cutout of a lamb and glue cotton balls on it. I enjoyed working with individual children who needed help.
When I wasn’t crafting with children, I tickled the little kids to make them laugh and threw a beach ball around with them. I also played uno with the teenage girls who were as fun as any American teenager. Some of the teenagers spoke English, so I asked them what they liked. One girl liked singing, so she sang me a song.
One night I was observing the babies and their caregivers when two of the teenage girls approached me. One of them gave me a card with beautiful writing in her language. She wasn’t able to communicate to me what it said. I thanked her in her language.
Later I asked someone who translated it to me. She wrote my name on the front and her name on the back. Inside she wrote the beatitudes Mathew 5:3-12 along with “You love us. God bless you.” I was incredibly blessed by her card.
Giving From What We Have
In some places, buying necessities is a struggle. The teenage girls at the orphanage I visited shared one washcloth among them all—gross! There simply wasn’t enough money for each girl to have her own. So, we bought them each a new, individual washcloth. A native woman explained to them the value of using their own washcloth.
The Fulfillment of Giving
Giving those simple gifts—washcloths and lollipops—felt incredibly fulfilling. Not just to meet their needs, but to bring them joy. God calls us to bless others with what we have. In turn, we experience true fulfillment.
The orphanage experience made me reflect on how we seek fulfillment in the United States. Even those earning minimum wage make more than most people worldwide. Yet, we often spend our earnings on expensive things—sometimes to impress others or to chase a fleeting sense of happiness. We keep buying, thinking it will fulfill us, but it never does. Only God can do that.
Like the orphans who focused on what they had rather than what they lacked, I find joy when I seek God in my struggles. He gives me peace when I pray, when I pour my heart into journaling, and when I worship through painting, drawing, and writing.
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” – James 4:3
When I desire something just out of reach, I have to ask myself: Is this for the benefit of others, or just for me?
What Can You Give?
If you have abundance, is there something you can give to someone in need? You don’t have to travel to another country—you might have a neighbor in need right now.
What cause are you passionate about? What can you do about it?
How has God met your spiritual needs?