Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Checkers & Perfume

Bom Dia!

First off, my heart is quite literally overwhelmed with love right now. Coming into this trip I know the gist of what I should expect, but what I didn't really realize is just how much love and joy I would have  for the girls. Despite the language barrier we have been able to connect and bond. Also, I would like to personally thank the person who created Google Translate! Without you I wouldn't have been able have a few meaningful conversations with a couple of meninas!

Yesterday I was watching Luke and Alison's kiddos while Mallory went to the store with them. We needed food (mostly fruit because its is heavenly here. Especially the papayas) and clean towels. Turns out using one towel, for two people, five days in a row, with the heat and humidity isn't that great and begins to smell funky. And by the way, I have never appreciated a clean towel more in my entire seventeen years of existence. Moving on. I had Elliot, Ada, and Leyton Billman up in my room at the base playing checkers and doing a floor puzzle while I cleaned the bathroom and straightened up. It was pretty impressive how much I was able to accomplish while they were playing games! (points for me!)

A couple of the girls came up to my room to take showers. From personal experience I know what its like to live in a big house when everyone needs a shower! It can be a long process so my bathroom was all clean and ready for them!
Thank you, Mrs. Martha for the Checkers! 
While the shower was being used, I played checkers with the other girls. My room usually had at least three girls in it. Thankfully they already knew how to play cause the wifi was acting up and Google translate wasn't available.  I'm not sure how I would explain how to play. haha.
I lost the first two games... So that put a dent in my competitiveness that every Taylor offspring is born with. But I will live.
We sat there on my floor and just laughed. The room had the feel as if we were having a deep conversation but it was just was just a game of checkers.
The last girl in there opened the bathroom door and there was an overwhelming aroma of my perfume.
 I immediately thought of the story at the house in Bethany (Matthew 26:1-16). When the woman anointed Jesus with a very expensive perfume and she was accused of being a criminal for waisting it.
And all though in my case, the story obviously isn't the same this is what was brought to my mind when she opened the door.
She had used like half the bottle (VERY strong perfume) but I looked at her, smiled, and gave her a big hug.
I didn't mind that had she used it. If it made her feel pretty and clean then I'm glad she did.
And on my end I was humbled and realized just how MUCH I have right at my finger tips. These girls don't have much to their name and really have nothing. No happy family, no loving daddy, house, food, love, pure happiness, options for clothes that are clean and fresh out of the dryer (We have to hang our clothes to dry here), even just the necessities in day-to-day life! I take so much for granted. Even just the way I was raised. It is a completely different world here.

I can't even fathom what they have lived through. I can't even begin to understand it.
My heart is burdened with so much love that it aches. Love is a beautiful, yet very hard emotion when one end doesn't understand that it isn't temporary. I pray that they'll begin to realize the unconditional love that is being poured out on them by all of the Shores team members and so many more.
I think it is a slight glimpse of what the Father must feel for us every time we screw up and don't feel worthy of love. Yet every single time his arms are wide open ready to embrace us and re-assure us of just how much love he has.

-Madison

p.s I loved all the muddy footprints left on my once clean bathroom floor. They came in dirty and left clean and I was more than glad to clean it again!

p.s.s Mal and I are keeping our Instagrams pretty updated with pictures so you can go on there to see them!
-littledisonmae
-mntaylor

You can also check out the Shores Of Grace website to find out more about the mission here in Recife.
http://shoresofgrace.org 

1 comment:

  1. Feel like I'm there with you! (wishing I was)

    ReplyDelete