A Lesson on Love

Last night I had the pleasure of helping the older boys get ready for bed. Ben requested that I "take me a bath" Which I responded with say, "Please give me a bath.” Ben is three and has a beautiful big smile and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Ben was abandoned in a field. A boy was out collecting grass for his families’ cattle and heard him crying under a thick bush, totally naked. The boy ran for his father, who hacked away at the bush and rescued Ben. He has been at cradle of love ever since. He is one of the three older boys who can speak both English and Swahili. I desire to learn Swahili so that I can be a part of their secret language. I know I've said it before but I love bath "time" and getting to snuggle with them before bed is the best. Ben was in a sweet mood after his bath so he sat on my lap. I whispered in his ear - Christy napenda Beni (Christy loves Beni) Then I said Mungu napenda Beni (God Loves Beni) he turned to me and said say it again so I repeated in his ear Mungu napenda Beni. He then began to what I thought was repeat to me- Mungu napenda Ben but instead he said Mungu napenda Christina. It was awesome. I could hear my heart literally leap inside my chest.


It's official I've fallen in Love with Yasini. I've taken so many photos of him that I feel like the paparazzi. Yasini arrived at Cradle of Love when he was one week old after his mother died of AIDs. He is now a happy and beautiful one and a half year old. He has the biggest lips and loves to give kisses. Last week I went down a little after 9am to help with breakfast and straight away I saw Yasini. He must have noticed me at the exact same time because he was pointing/reaching for me. I came over gave him a big kiss on the cheek and sat next to him and his sweet Nanny Neema (Grace) who was feeding him. When I did she said, "Christy, he loves you very much. I can tell." I told her not as much as I loved him. It made my day. When I look at him even when he doesn't want to listen to me or gets upset when I put him down or take away a toy that he shouldn't have I can still tell that he knows that I love him, that he is Loved. It's comforting knowing that he knows that. I'm sure sometimes he forgets or doesn't understand like when he gets upset when I reprimand him (but biting even if it's a joke is not okay, and I don't care how good the baby's bottle tastes it's not for you) It got me thinking and I bet God feels the same way. I bet he gets so excited when we acknowledge that we know He loves us and us Him even when we don't understand the circumstances of our live or when we feel that He is reprimanding us by not giving us what we want. I hate to see Yasini upset, but I would hate even more for him to grow up not knowing that he is Loved and that the boundaries and rules that are in place are to protect him. I was reading Oswald the other day and he says - faith never knows where it is being lead, but it knows and Loves the one who is leading.

Mungu napenda yeye

~ Christy