Welp… Howdy-doo neighbors. Sure has been a while since I’ve blogged, so if I seem a little lengthy forgive me. Hmmm… where to start? I’m currently sitting inside the Guangzhou airport trying to put words to a week that some might claim is indescribable. The past while has been filled with all sorts of hootenannies. Constructing. Educating. Feeding. Swimming. Working and playing. A lot of good things have come from this trip. I have seen the base of a house built all the way to the top of the first floor. I have watched children learn math, English, and character traits (I say watched because, though I tried my best to teach, it was by no outstanding-ness of mine that the children learnt a single thing). I traveled to trash-mountain and happy landing to help a man dying of stage four cancer spend what could likely be his last few days on earth delivering rice, spam, and ketchup to children stained by filth inside and out. I have brought the orphans down to by the water’s side and helped some struggle to stay afloat and marveled at others diving from high ledges for funsies. I have labored in building a soccer field and I have played soccer on a dirt field to spread community with others.
There are a lot of “I have’s” in that last paragraph, but this trip ain’t about what I have; it’s about what the children have. Some may say next to nothing. I will say more than most. Love is a strong thing. A thing that brings grown men to their knees and helps small men stand tall. In our everyday life we deceive ourselves for love. We put love in things not worth keeping, because we put love in perishables. Perishables ain’t worth keepin’; just read Ecclesiastes and you’ll see what I mean. With that being said, put love in that which is not perishable. First and foremost, the soul. Beyond that, our relationships to each other. Do that proper more and more each day and life will turn out all right. If I learned (or am still learning) something about love this trip it is this: love is forward. It is moving from an origin outwards. Love can’t go backwards. Every moment we have in life is a moment where love can be shown. When we don’t show love, that absence or vacant memory can’t be filled by us. When we do show love, what we pour out of ourselves to others is theirs now, and we can’t take it away from them, though we might wish to. Where is this origin of love? God. Plain and simple. Where do you learn about Him? The Bible. Plain and simple. Where do you see Him? Where do I see Him? In the faces of children who have no mother and no father but smile and give and laugh and cling and love like it’s all they know to do. Plain and simple.
I reckon I’d ‘ortsta conclude now. This trip has been amazing. I could go on but I know y’all are reading others blogs as well and I don’t wanna bog y’all down too much. I have had a great time on this trip and will carry the memories of it to my grave. Shout out to my brothers Tyrone, Andre, and Jude, and to my sisters Maria and Ira. Take care everybody.
-Sincerely
Will Jarrell-
There are a lot of “I have’s” in that last paragraph, but this trip ain’t about what I have; it’s about what the children have. Some may say next to nothing. I will say more than most. Love is a strong thing. A thing that brings grown men to their knees and helps small men stand tall. In our everyday life we deceive ourselves for love. We put love in things not worth keeping, because we put love in perishables. Perishables ain’t worth keepin’; just read Ecclesiastes and you’ll see what I mean. With that being said, put love in that which is not perishable. First and foremost, the soul. Beyond that, our relationships to each other. Do that proper more and more each day and life will turn out all right. If I learned (or am still learning) something about love this trip it is this: love is forward. It is moving from an origin outwards. Love can’t go backwards. Every moment we have in life is a moment where love can be shown. When we don’t show love, that absence or vacant memory can’t be filled by us. When we do show love, what we pour out of ourselves to others is theirs now, and we can’t take it away from them, though we might wish to. Where is this origin of love? God. Plain and simple. Where do you learn about Him? The Bible. Plain and simple. Where do you see Him? Where do I see Him? In the faces of children who have no mother and no father but smile and give and laugh and cling and love like it’s all they know to do. Plain and simple.
I reckon I’d ‘ortsta conclude now. This trip has been amazing. I could go on but I know y’all are reading others blogs as well and I don’t wanna bog y’all down too much. I have had a great time on this trip and will carry the memories of it to my grave. Shout out to my brothers Tyrone, Andre, and Jude, and to my sisters Maria and Ira. Take care everybody.
-Sincerely
Will Jarrell-