Asemahle

When you're holding a child in Sweet Home, you're not thinking to yourself, "Gee, do they have HIV?" "I wonder if they just coughed a little TB in my face." You're thinking, "This is a child who wants to be held and loved." You're living out Mark 10:16, "And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them."

One day when we were in Sweet Home, I was holding a little girl named, Asemahle. She and I just kept looking and smiling each other. I could tell she was taking in all of features on my face as the kids in Sweet Home typically do. They're naturally curious about the way our skin looks or our eye color. The look of amazement I would get from kids when I would take my sunglasses off tended to be one of both shock and awe at the same time. It was like I unveiled a new toy to them or something.

Asemahle did the same thing. As she was taking in what my eyes looked like, I looked at her's. I noticed that they had a yellowish tinge to them. Thinking about where I was, I knew she probably had jaundice. Like I said before, you don't think, "This kid is sick. I shouldn't hold them." You think, "This kid is sick. I need to hold them."

It was then that Asemahle put her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arms even tighter around me. She stayed like that for a long time. It was then that Mark 10:16 came to me. So, I listened to those words. As I held her, I gently rubbed her back and just prayed for her.

I didn't see Asemahle after that day, but spending a couple of hours with her that morning became one of the defining moments for me on this trip. It reminded me of what it means to be fully present with someone and how simple it can be to take on a posture of loving obedience.

With Asemahle in Sweet Home