Joy and Smiles

(this is a blog I posted for the Beautiful Gate blog page that I'd like to share here as well)

Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

My family and I have been serving at Beautiful Gate now for 4 months. As I reflect on my time here my mind keeps coming back to the word "joy".

Our day starts with people walking along the road smiling and waving at us. When we drive into Beautiful Gate's campus we are greeted with enthusiasm and a big smile from our maintenance guys. We then walk into the office after a few words with the guys and exchange greetings with the office staff. This is always a time of connecting and smiles. We enjoy a meaningful time of prayer and devotions with the staff and then will stop in to greet the Bo Mme in the baby houses. The Bo Mme are always happy to see you and greet you warmly. A perk to visiting the houses is seeing the smallest babies in their cots looking up at you and smiling!

Throughout the day there is often the sound of laughter coming from the staff offices and baby houses. They also make tea time a priority where we all can come together for a quick break and time again for relationships.

Every time you pass someone or enter a room, a warm greeting happens. The staff will stop what they are doing to look you in the eye and greet you. These times of connecting always brings a smile to my face because they make you feel so loved and valued.

And then there are the children; they bring joy in abundance! Their laughter, their trust, their exploration and play creates joy in our hearts as we interact with them. And of course the hugs bring instant joy and smiles!

The love the staff has for the children brings a smile to my face too! Even the maintenance guys care for them.

The children, staff members and Bo Mme sing and dance with their whole hearts and joy radiates from them! This is always something that makes me smile! If I had it my way, I would request they sing and dance for me everyday!

There are times when the staff and children dance together. Just this week our driver was washing our transport van and was playing music as he worked. The children began to come to the fence to watch him work and before you know it some of them were dancing to the music. One child even came to the driver to dance with him. This is traditional dancing and these children know just how to move....what a joy it is to watch them.

Today we spoke with a local woman who works with at-risk teenage girls. She shared that they all had gone on a special outing and where elated when they saw their own names in print on their place cards. In the United States, place cards with our names on them are not a very exciting thing, but to these young girls, this made them feel so special and loved. True joy.

The joy that these beautiful people have comes from their trust in God and comes from a heart of thanksgiving. (they live the verse above) They are the most thankful people I know. The smallest of gifts are a treasure to them. Many of their lives are very painful and difficult but they continue to have thankful hearts that are full of joy. They express themselves differently than many of us, they show what they feel without reservation. There is so much expression on their faces and in their voices that you begin to feel what they feel.

Maybe we can learn from them? Maybe we can stop being reserved (slow to reveal emotion) and show our thankfulness and joy more often? Maybe we could dance and sing more?

The joy they have is contagious. I pray that we might all experience the goodness of God in the simplest of things and experience true joy! And I pray that the joy that we have will be contagious to those around us.

I am blessed to be serving at a place like Beautiful Gate... where the predominant expression on my face is a smile! :)

Blessings,

Karen Boersema