What one can learn from a child

Sunday night after getting back from our holiday we went to see the African Children’s Choir who were performing in town (thank you to our parents and J and T for coming with us!). We live across the street from a couple who belong to the church where they performed and found out about an opportunity to host three of the little boys and one of their mentors in our home until Wed morning (today). Two of the boys were from Kenya and one was from Uganda.
We were told out of respect not to ask the children about their family backgrounds as it may bring up painful memories. We were told that the children in the choir come from poor areas, many having lost one or both parents, many living in families where people don't get to eat meals everyday. Without this program they would not have an opportunity for an education. During their short time with us we were amazed at how much we could learn from them about appreciating life and seeing joy and happiness in the little things around us. Despite their hardships in the past I don’t think they ever stopped smiling the whole time they were here and their happiness was infectious. They were just too sweet and cute for words. We were talking to some of the other hosting families and everyone was amazed at how well behaved they were, how they never complain about anything, how they don’t fight with each other at all, and how they say please and thank you for everything!

Here are a few examples of how sweet they were:

-The couple across the street was hosting three of the girls and both days after my husband picked the boys up from the church (where they have school during the day) they would cheer and cheer all the way home saying that they were going to beat the girls back to our street. When they got back and arrived first they jumped up and down with joy. The next day when they lost and the girls beat them back they still jumped up and down with joy and made jokes about why they were delayed.
-They cheered with such excitement when we told them we were putting cold pizza in their lunch.
-They called us “auntie” and “uncle” and once Peter mixed it up and called my husband “auntie” which he thought was hilarious and we all had a good laugh.
-We took them out for ice cream and they all choose the blue bubblegum flavour. They were so happy and so focused on eating it, but somehow it ended up in their hair and all over.
-They love to sing so much they would break into song while eating breakfast.
-After eating at the table they each individually asked “Auntie and Uncle may I please be excused?”. They said that every time they were at the table and wanted to get up. After a car ride they would say “thank you for the ride and God bless”.
-They would remind us of their bed time when eating their late night snack – “auntie don’t forget I have to be in bed in 5 minutes”.

What amazing children! When I was doing their laundry for them last night and pulling it out of the dryer (after they had gone to bed) I was a little concerned about how I was going to figure out what articles of clothing belonged to each child (I wanted to have it all ready to go for them in the morning because they were leaving). Then I saw numbers written in black magic marker on every article of clothing (even socks) and remembered the staff had told us each boy has a number and I was able to sort it that way. I almost started to cry in the laundry room because here are these boys who are such beautiful people and they deserve to have a mother who can be with them while they travel to love them, and who can do a simple thing like sort their laundry and know – yes this is Peter’s shirt, or here are Hudson’s pants. But instead they are here with me trying to sort number 22's socks from number 14 and 12. They are away from their home for 14 months staying with different strangers every 2-3 days only starting to feel comfortable when it is time to move onto the next place. They are doing this because it is their opportunity to break free from the poverty around them. It amazes me and inspires me to see how despite everything, they are so grateful for what they have and remain so joyful.

Their actions have taught me that there is hope. Their strength is inspiring. Africa is not a lost cause when children like these ones have all of the possibilities of the future resting in their hands.

The boys (David their mentor who stayed with us, and from left to right Hudson, Enock and Peter)
This was at the splash pad in Ingersoll which they loved the first night and asked to go back to the second night

Cute little Peter who called my husband "auntie" hehe

Enock and Hudson on the water gun. Hudson loved the water gun so much he held onto it tightly the full two hours we were there the first night and the hour we were there the second night.playing outside

The cute card they left us.

This is a good informative video about the choir:

This is a video of the mentor david talking on City TV in Toronto and the choir performing. They were telling us they also got to perform for President Bush, Bono, Madonna, on Ellen...which is kind of neat.