Today we got to give out the shoes that we collected before we left for Swaziland. We came in to the carepoint with 4 or 5 large suitcases just packed with shoes. All together we had over 300 pairs of shoes. We waited till about 2, until the school children came to give the shoes out. I went on a house visit, but when I came back the team was in the middle of giving and it looked like chaos. I didn’t know where to start but I ended up jumping into one of the shelters to start matching shoes with their new owners. It was crazy, the Swazis had no clue what size they had or what would best fit them, but it was a blessing to give them the new shoes.
The memory that stuck with me was with the go go, (grandma) that needed a new pair of shoes. She came in, whispered size 6, and then I came back with a few shoes that she might like. When we finally found the right shoe it was amazing. I got the opportunity to kneel down and take off her old shoes, untie the new ones, and put her feet into the new shoes. Their feet weren’t the best smelling, but at that moment was the moment where I could feel the joy and love that was greater than anything I had experienced thus far in Swaziland. We locked eyes when her new shoes were on and she whispered in the same voice, “ God bless you”, then she left. The next kid came in and I helped him, but I will never forget that go go and that experience.
-Chris K
Chris that made me cry. I guess it just goes to show that heart connections can be made with very little speech sometimes. I'm proud of you and I bet she remembers you as you remember her. God bless your continued efforts to serve God and love others one step at a time.
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