Unless you become like a child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven

The first time I really heard God speak to me was with the verse: Luke 18:16.

I was being stubborn and sitting in my university chapel where I told God that I refused to leave until He spoke to me. He spoke to other people...or so they told me...:).... and thus I decided that God loved me just as much and so He should also speak to me.

So I sat my little bum down in front of the alter in St. Jeromes and waited. And just closed my eyes and said Im not leaving until you speak to me.

Well - what happened when i closed my eyes was that i saw words in my mind's eye...that were floating into my ear: Luke 18:16.

I had no idea what verse that was and so i looked it up in the bible sitting next to me:

Unless you become like a child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

And so I start today's blog with this, because it is so apparent during me first 3 days here at iKhaya that God is teaching me again....

What it is like to be a child again and to love like a child.

I see this love everywhere.

I see it in Wendy

I see it in the staff

I see it in the volunteers

And so much so in the orphans that are so sweet and little darlings.

I didn't realize that I had forgotten what that purity and innocent love felt like until I arrived here. There was a rowdy bunch of lovely people who welcomed me with wide smiles and even bigger hugs and their love just flowed. I thought to myself...WOW. There is nothing to worry about here...this is going to an amazing experience.

So here I am in iKhaya LikaBaba....staying in the little volunteer house filled with young adults ranging from 18-22 years old... and wow, i had forgotten how awesome it is to be around light hearted young adults just starting out and have so much passion and love in their hearts.

It reminded me of how overly bubbly and happy I was all the time when I was back in university

Then there are the beautiful children...that truly...when they take a hold of your hand and start walking with you...or ask you to play or pick them up....you think to yourself...How beautiful are these children.

It tears a little bit at your heart to think that anyone could abandon them. And you think to yourself...why is it a that I have been so blessed, yet these children were left alone with no one and nothing.

I'm so thankful and honored to even be here and see how hard everyone works here. From the staff, to Wendy to the volunteers that are here from international places, to the local volunteers who come in multiple times a week out of their busy schedule to help out.

There is so much paper work in order to get the children properly registered and court hearings. There is so much behind the scenes that you never really realize goes on when you sit on the other side of the world.

I am truly blessed to be apart of this experience and to have this opportunity.

It opens your eyes. It makes you realize that there is so much more out there than what we are used to in our usual routine. Especially when you come from a culture where you are taught to live to work your life away instead of just enjoying the small things.