God has answered many prayers of mine throughout this journey and many of them made me wonder how sincere my prayers were. The most recent example took place Monday morning. A prayer I've prayed consistently throughout this trip is just that God would give me His heart and help me to see everything through His eyes. During our discipleship time this morning, it was laid on my heart yet again, so I took time to pray for it. Later that afternoon, close to time to leave Ithemba, God showed me He is developing that in me.

I was sitting on the stage and talking with Lusanda when a woman comes in with many kids and walks harshly to the front where we were. I just knew something was wrong , I felt the atmosphere change almost immediately. The woman began speaking in Xhosa to some of the children and they all were going back in forth with what sounded like an argument building. I had no idea what was going on until Lusanda asked BrI, my teammate, if she had seen Thando's hat. It was a lot of noise and arguing over a hat. After a few minutes the yelling back and forth died down and the woman turned to her son, Thando, whose hat was the one missing, and just slapped him across the face. I understand that for some parents this would be a way to punish their child but she slapped him with intensity and for no reason at all. Thando immediately started crying and grabbed his face as he followed his mom out. The other kids just began playing like nothing had happened at all. This is "normal" for the children to see, that does not settle with me at all. The women at Ithemba were even taken back by what happened, sure they know it happens but the mother was so open about hitting her child in front of everyone. They began talking about it among themselves and said they were going to talk to her and tell her that if she is going to abuse her child that she is not welcome to do it here and she doesn't need to come back. Something does need to be said to the mother but if that is what is said Thando, an innocent child, will not be coming back.

The whole situation just broke my heart. If the mother was willing to slap her child that hard in front of many people, what happens when she gets mad and no one else is around to witness what happens? I know I can't worry about the what if's but at the same time I already know the answer. It's the sad reality for so many of the kids at Ithemba and throughout the township. The parents beat them and take out all of their anger and problems on the child. Thando is just one of many children trapped in a situation with no way out. He gets love at Ithemba from the ladies and my team but goes home to the same situation. It's just not right. It's not right at all. This is just one child's story, I know of so many more. But it is so much more than their story, it is their life, it is their hurt and pain, it is their horrible reality and it sucks more than words could ever explain. I'm beginning to see that this is what God sees and feels. I cried for Thando and the other children but how much more weeping takes place in heaven as God looks down on His beloved child faced to endure this injustice? My heart breaks for Thando and the many other children at Ithemba in similar situations but God's heart is constantly broken for all in similar situations. I was able to catch a small glimpse of that and it hurts, a lot. Did I sincerely mean that I wanted His heart and eyes? Of course I did, but I didn't realize how much it would hurt.

I'm realizing it's important to hurt though, it's important to see things from God's perspective. I never want to become complacent to the point that the injustice in our world doesn't break my heart and doesn't cause me to fall to my knees.  All I can do is love on these kids and pray for them and just hope that they catch a glimpse of God's love and hope in that. I'm just begging that you all join my team in praying for these children. They see so much hurt and experience so much pain daily. They need hope, they need love, they just need God.

Just pray that God will become more and more real to them daily, that despite their situations that God will be shining through. Pray for safety for them as they do leave Ithemba and go back to their scary home situations. Pray for Thando and Victor, two of many whose abuse is obvious. Pray for justice to somehow prevail. God is the only answer for these children. I just want to see Him move in their lives.  Don't allow yourself to become complacent with your everyday life. This is one story of a boy in Africa who sees injustice all around him. However, there are many similar stories and stories far worse around you. Make sure your eyes are open to see it and more than that, do something about it. We could sit around and ask questions about why God allows things like this to happen but the better question to ask is what are we doing about it? Are we on our knees asking for God's mercy and justice? Are we doing our best to show them Christ love and hope? Are we even taking time out to notice those that Christ himself spent all of His time with- the broken, hurting, confused, and outcasts? I'm convinced that we can always do more. We can love more, pray more, and help more. And when we have nothing left to give, Christ will continue to pour out of us for His children. So let us not become weary in doing good, let us wake up to the injustice surrounding us, and let us do something about it. The time is now, what are we going to do?