What beauty it is to see first hand the lost who are found, the hurting who are restored, the hopeless ones who are now smiling with the light of Jesus. With the stories of beauty there are still those in the ashes of hopelessness. Those whom we plead will one day know the sweet love of Jesus and be transformed. It's hard when those in the ashes have names and every time they go to rise towards hope, someone else is pushing them face first back into the reality of hopelessness.
Thus is the story of a girl named "Nee Nee" (*name changed). Nee Nee comes to Bible study rarely. I couldn't predict how she choses to show up when she does if I tried. When I first met Nee Nee I thought she was strange and didn't know how to engage her. I was cautious of her reasons for coming to Bible study and kept a protective eye over where she was at all times. Nee Nee is never alone when she comes, always there are 4 to 6 very small kids with her. Nee Nee is very quiet and when I saw her the second time I sat by her and tried to have a conversation with her. Her answers are in the form of shy whispers and her presence, so meek and tender, can not compete with the other 20+ children yelling over her for my attention. Nee Nee left early with the young children every time she came and usually only stuck around until snack time. If crafts or colors came before snack time, she and the other children would always be hesitant to take a color sheet and if they did, they would never color.
During times of songs or stories, I would notice a sweet smile but nothing more. I would later learn that Nee Nee is in the ashes of hopelessness. Her mother and sister are prostitutes in another city. When they become pregnant they give the children to Nee Nee to watch. At one point Nee Nee has taken care of 11 children and I am unaware of her condition now or her work load at this time. I haven't seen Nee Nee since I've come back from our time in the States. Nee Nee was married to a man at the age of 9, only to be left by her husband over a year later. I look at my oldest son who will be 9 in a matter of months and think upon his innocence. He is nowhere close to being ready to face marriage. In his innocence, he knows where babies come from but not how they exactly get there. I can't imagine him having the experiences of all that goes into marriage at 9 years old much less being divorced over a year later. (This, like all child marriage is not recognized by the laws in the country and are unofficial unions within culture) A girl at Bible study told me that last winter or one prior (I didn't understand which winter) Nee Nee did something to upset her mother and she was put outside in the snow with no slippers or coat for two hours. Unfortunately Nee Nee is one name that could fit into many other stories just like hers. There are huge amounts of brokeness around me and around your neighborhoods but we have to make the time to sit beside the socially awkward, the quiet ones who remain unseen in large groups, the ones who catch our eyes because something is off. Just because I know Nee Nee's story doesn't mean I automatically know the answer for her, but the one I call Father does and I am lifting Nee Nee to Him and I ask that you will also lift Nee Nee to God with me.
