glimpses of reality

Some days it seems impossible to process all the differences between my life here in South Africa and what my life was like in America. In the past week I have drove up and down the dirt road to our school many times. Tonight I passed lots of people carrying firewood back to the villages that they will use to cook their food or maybe keep warm in the cool winter night. Last week I stopped on the road 2 times to give some children bread. The first time I paused to give out bread to about 6 little children playing outside of their home. They were kids about 2-4 years old playing next to the road without an adult in sight. Later the same day I stopped by the trash pile by the side the road were 2 boys were digging through the trash. When I pulled over and rolled down the window and began to speak they immediately started practicing their english by saying "fine, fine" knowing that I was going to say, "Hello, how are you?". :) I asked if they wanted some bread and one of them jumped off the trash pile, clutched the bread in his arms like a prize, and ran away with his friend with a huge smile shouting "siyabonga" which means "thank you". I also spent countless hours this week going through the clothes that our children keep at our boarding school. Most of the clothes were something no one at home would even bother putting out at a yard sale but yet it is all these children have and they are thankful for them. I wish I had some profound words to share about these experiences but honestly, maybe it would be silly to try to make lesson out of these glimpses of reality. Paul said, "When God's people are in need, be ready to help them." (Romans 12:13) and I pray that we can each find a way to do this wherever we live.