During our bus ride to the island from the airport in the Philippines, we stopped at a rest stop frequented by tourists. Out of the corner of our eyes we saw some children reaching their little hands through the holes of a fence with big eyes that begged for attention. Moving closer we found two chickens and a make shift 3 walled shelter about the size of a bathroom and the height of 3 feet positioned under a tree.
Their clothes were tattered and I kept looking for parents to come and protect them from the strange foreigners. They didn't speak a bit of English and so we pulled Sherlyn (our team leader and a Filipina herself) into the conversation and she shared the Gospel with them. They prayed with Sherlyn and their smiles may have been a bit brighter. Sherlyn explained to us that they don't have parents and they are living off of begging from the tourists at the rest stop. There were 9 kids and the oldest didn't look 11.
That hurts. But it should. And so ask yourself if your heart hurts at the thought of 9 kids fending for themselves... with no parents to give them hugs, reassure them that the monster under the bed is not bigger than daddy, tuck them in at night, make sure they shower, have clean clothes, read to them, teach them, affirm them... the list could go on and on. Does it hurt your heart?
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