Going to the market is always an interesting experience. We walk for about thirty minutes through a typical African village down steep hills on roads that have been washed out by rain storms leaving very uneven ground. I love walking to the market not only because it means I get to see the friends I’ve made with the people who sell me my fruit and veggies but also because of the children we get to see and talk with along the way down. One of the volunteers called our trek to the market “the white persons parade” because the whole way down we have children as well as adults calling out to us and we exchange waves as we walk down the middle of the red dirt path. We also have children running from their houses to come and hold our hands and walk with us for part of the way, once we exchange our names and ask how old they are they are usually on their way back to their home to continue doing whatever they had just left.
This one little girl nearing the end of the thirty minute walk to the market is my favorite. There is so much joy and passion in this little girl that it can sometimes bring tears to my eyes. She stands on a little hill out front of her house which is a very little brick building that is probably only big enough to fit a bed or two. The cooking, bathing and playing all happen out front of their house. Each time we walk past this precious little girls house she comes running to the edge of the hill and frantically waves to us with both hand flailing as much as possible. As we continue to walk past her she runs to the other edge of the hill where her house is and waves until we are out of sight. We love this girl. Joy can be seen all over this beautiful little child. Here’s a picture of her, you can just barely see her because we were quite a ways down the road but she was still waving to us.
On another trip to the market a little while ago we came across two little children playing on a hill. They had an old jerry can with a very, very old rope attached to it and they were running down the hill taking turns pulling each other as fast as they could. Part way down their rope became disconnected from the sled. We tried to help them re attach the rope as they stood stiff as a board watching our every move. They were so afraid of us that they didn’t even say a word. Once we fixed their contraption we said goodbye and continued on our way. I’m sure as soon as we were out of sight those children continued to run up and down that hill having so much fun with the little they had. I think about these children and how they were able to find such fun in items that I would have considered trash and it convicts my heart because I take so much for granted.
I want to be like these children and find such joy in the little things. I want to be able to have fun without needing to spend a penny.
Until the next time we go to the market...
