We spend time at different orphanages ... I remember being poked in my backside, and looking down, here was a little kid with a wide chocolate smile offering me two pieces of chocolate he won in one of our games.
When I visit Emmanuel orphanage; often two young teenage girls will pull me aside, sit me down and massage my back while another brings me hot coffee. (Spoon, sugar and cream included.)
It's nice being spoiled.
In the name of love I even endure the kiss of death (as I call them.) Kisses, generally from little girls with running noses, hugging me and insisting on kissing me ... on my lips!
At night, when I finish speaking to the kids in an orphanage, I generally get hugs from the kids as they leave to go off to bed. Tight hugs, not token hugs ... and always a "thank you."
Up and down rickety wooden stairs and old tire stairs, there are always one or two kids trying to help me and keep me from tripping and falling. (Unfortunately with them helping me, I'm more apt to trip.)
Tribo Jesus Orphanage has a lot of kids that hate cold showers and baths in general. The orphanage has no hot water, so we drag in hot water and provide weekly hot showers. Often, in the process, my feet get wet so I have to change shoes and take my wet socks off. Last night at the orphanage one of the13 year old boys volunteered to help the old man take off his shoes and change socks and then he asked me if I would like to have my feet massaged.
"Massaged?" I asked. "Si," (yes) he replied, "well ... O.K."
So he started massaging my very white and cold, wet feet. I sat there remembering years back when I had my first foot massage in Singapore, not by a loving kid but by a professional foot massager. This massage was free too.
I'm both amazed and grateful for the variety of ways in which these kids express their respect and love to this old man. Oddly enough, and as old as I am, they don't call me grandpa ... it's still von.
