A boy named Talent

I'm meeting so many wonderful children here in Zimbabwe. A few weeks ago I went with Auntie Feli to an impoverished area on the outskirts of Bulawayo. Auntie Feli helps sponsor a little girl there and she wanted me to come and meet these precious children. A special lady named Auntie Jane has really helped these kids by helping them to stay in their community even though they are all orphans. The grandparents and widows of the community have taken these kids under their wings to provide for them so they don't have to be separated from their friends and neighbors. We arrived in the afternoon to 30 expectant children excited about their Christmas party! It's very customary for the children to sing songs once you arrive and that's what they did :)

Something about this particular area and kids party really tugged on my heart. The majority of these children have HIV Aids. They have hardly anything, not even clean clothes. This party was a MAJOR blessing for them. It would be the only Christmas meal they would get (chicken and rice) and the only Christmas gifts they would get. Thinking about it breaks my heart. The kids even prepared a drama skit for us. This skit really informed me of the reality of their lives. The skit was about a young couple with a young teenage daughter. They dramatized about the young daughter being sold by her parents to a man that ended up abusing her and having HIV Aids. I was crying by the end of it because it hit me that THIS is what so many of the children here deal with.

I also met an 11 yr old boy named Talent. Something about this young boy just really spoke to my spirit. His smile was contagious and I could tell that there was something different about him. I asked Auntie Jane to tell me more about him and I found out that he was born with polio, that he's an only child that lives with his elderly grandparents, and that he also has some mental handicap issues. In my heart I knew I was meant to help sponsor Talent. At first Talent was a bit unsure about the attention I was giving him. I'm sure he was thinking "Who is this strange American woman that keeps taking pictures of me?" lol!! He warmed up to me and by the end when I was leaving he gave me a huge hug goodbye, he was SO happy! He couldn't wait to go home and show his grandparents all the goodies he got at the party.

All of the kids were very excited and happy and blessed that day. But I left even more blessed because I went and I met these wonderful children who had so much love to offer. I can't wait to go back again and again to visit with these kids and to see Talent again.

Praying you have a blessed New Year!

-Shannon

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