New Experiences

“Amanda Ma’am! Amanda Ma’am!”

This was the overwhelming sound coming from Shishya on Wednesday morning when we arrived.

Whenever I’d ask Amanda about Shishya or “the boys” over the past year or so that I’ve known her, a big smile lights up her face. I love that smile. Shishya is a place that I knew she held dear, one that I tried to imagine as best I could, but like anything, our best attempts of imagination pale in comparison to the reality.

I don’t know what I expected, really. I’d heard a lot about the people and the place, but when Amanda first took me on a tour of the campus when we got here I was, to be honest, completely overwhelmed. It all seemed like a blur. I was trying my best to grasp what I was experiencing, but failing to do so. I wanted to pinch myself along the way, and crammed in as many names of the 50 people I just met (all of whom seemed to blend into a mix of the sounds “pra,” “ash,” and “avi”).

The first thing that stood out was how the community here is like a big family. It’s beautiful, really. Surrounded by a culture inundated by millions of false gods, brutal deception, and profound darkness, Shishya sits as a beacon of God’s peace, love, and hope. It was such a blessing to see the staff and the boys’ excitement when they saw Amanda. I saw how loved and accepted she was into this family, and it hit me… I’m an outsider.

And I am. It’s true. I have been welcomed here with open arms, but, like any relationship, the initial stages are ones of semi-awkward feeling each other out. Can I trust this person? Should I trust this person? I have felt that from the boys here, and it's certainly natural. New volunteers come and go with the seasons and new faces continually abound. I realized I want (and need) to work hard to gain their trust.

We’ve only been here six days, though, and I already feel accepted. I'm not quite part of the family yet, but I’m definitely growing in relationship with them. I look forward to the day when I’m not a stranger but a welcomed brother.

When we dreamt about this trip back in Birmingham I felt anxious about what I’d be doing here. Amanda has so much history in this place and finding things to do will be pretty easy, but what will my role be? Well, within a few days I found myself side by side with the boys during the wheat harvest, playing cricket and soccer on the fields, and I even got to teach on Sunday morning during church!

One tangible project I’m excited to be jumping into and hopefully providing some assistance in is a building expansion they desperately need for the small boys’ house. There are currently 16 boys, age 3 – 10, crammed into a tiny area and they’ve asked me to help design a good solution. I'm so grateful for this season so far and can’t wait to see what else is in store for us!