Wandering Around Electronic City

Picture a small house that does not have a yard but a road that comes within two feet of the front door, maybe 500 square feet. It is a pale yellow in color and very dusty. It is a typical looking India style, or Spanish style home. It has a flat roof and is very square in its structure. You would think that maybe a small family lives in this home, or just a young couple starting out. And if you did you would be very, very wrong.

After taking off your shoes, you walk into the home and as soon as you walk through the door there are two metal picnic tables very close together. You can tell they are suppose to be white because there are still blotches of the paint here and there, but for the most part they are now just plain metal.

Then you realize they are so close together because right behind them are three bunk beds pressed together. These bunk beds are also metal with no safety rails of any kind and again were probably another color at some point in time, but now just plain metal looking. Your eyes look at the mattresses and you try not to look shocked, but you almost cannot help it because of how dirty and worn out they are. They look as if someone put three pieces of cardboard together then put cloth over them.

The walls are yellow and there are still decorations up from Christmas, probably to give the room some added color. The walls are pretty clean, but the paint is peeling and in need of a new coat. On the wall hangs a piece of black chalk paper that has been used so many times that a small whole has worn into it because of so much erasing. There are a few posters up with verses and also a picture with a flower scene and a Bible verse also wrapped within it.

I was then escorted into a room on the right, which was one bedroom, and in this room were 5 more bunk-beds, and they were crammed together in twos to make sure that there was enough room in the bedroom for all the beds, and again they looked exactly like the others in the living space.

From there they showed me the parent’s quarters, which was another room off the right and in this small room was their bed, the refrigerator, because the kitchen was too small, two plastic chairs and a small television with some shelving surrounding it. Off their bedroom was the only bathroom for all 16 people in this 500 square foot house. It was a traditional Indian bathroom, which means there is a porcelain foot pad that is flat on the floor and in between the foot pads is the toilet that is also flat on the ground and porcelain, as it is all one complete piece.

Their kitchen was small and a typical Indian kitchen that has a burner, not an oven, some cabinet space and cement flooring. As usual the main dish for the entire family was rice.

I was given the privilege of meeting all the orphans that this wonderful couple, who had two children of their own, were taking care of. They would come home from school and then fill buckets with water outside and then go to the side of the house and wash, as they have no inside means of washing their bodies. It was all done outside. These beautiful children ranged in ages from 6 to 14 and were so fun to be around. They immediately pray upon entering the home and they were all smiling and when they introduced themselves to me they started by saying, “Praise God.” How many of our children do that? What would happen if they did in our U.S. culture?

Before leaving, they sang me a few English Christian songs they learned, and it was wonderful. They sang them with all their hearts and enjoyed doing it. They were all very well behaved and well mannered. I will never forget that orphanage. I was asked to close our worship, singing in prayer, to which I was deeply honored.

One last reason I will not forget it is because of what I got to see upon leaving. There was a lot of brush around the place and I asked if there were the worries of snakes being around here in the brush or in the big rock quarry that was across from their house. They said there were snakes, to which I shivered, and that they have to watch and the children have to be careful when playing. As we started to drive away, a very big snake, probably 6 feet in length crossed the street in front of us. We were no more then 20 yards from the house. I think for my benefit they said it was one of those non-poisonous snakes, but it sure looked like a cobra to me. For my own comfort I took their word for it and locked my door.

I will forever be impacted by their faces and the parents that took on such a position, as it is a tremendous sacrifice. This time I was the one taught and not the one teaching. It is not about having stuff, but someone that loves you, and more importantly knowing that God loves you. A lesson we all need to be taught again and again.

My love to you all.

Matthew 19:13-14, “Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”