Ice Cream Cones and Holidays

A few weeks ago, I was walking in Gracias after a Pastor’s Conference. We had spent the day offering low-cost Bibles to Pastors who come in once every three months from every rural part of Lempira. After the long day, we decided to get ice cream at the park.

Suddenly I heard a shout—“Kimberly!” and searched until I saw the smile of a young girl from Quelacasque. She and her friends come into town several days a week to sell whatever fruit is currently in season. This day, they were selling bags of lychee fruit. The kids are always happy to see us, because it is basically a guaranteed sale. But this afternoon, as I looked at this little group of girls with their pans of fruit and well-worn change purses hanging on their shoulders, I felt both sad and proud. Proud—because at this age, these wonderful young people know the value of responsibility, hard work, respecting their parents, and contributing to their families. Sad—because at 7, 8, 9, and 10 years old, these children should be just that sometimes. They need the chance to be children.

So we invited them for ice cream. It was the first time they had a actually entered the ice cream shop, and the first time any of them had eaten in a restaurant. They sat and giggled and licked their sprinkled cones, while the pans of fruit sat forgotten by the counter for a few minutes.

This is the spirit in which we celebrate Day of the Child as a ministry. We carefully consider what the best use of our funds will be, and Day of the Child always comes out as a priority. Kids need the chance to be kids, even if it is just for a day. Each year on September 10, the entire country of Honduras stops to celebrate childhood. It’s a day of piñatas and candy and games and fun.

We provide our church partners with the resources that they need to celebrate the children they serve. This year, each church received cakes, candy, treat bags, balloons, soda, and paper products. Each church planned their own party, and we attended as many parties as possible—8! We took songs, face paint, games, and a fun Bible lesson to share with the groups.

For this day, children have the opportunity to forget their responsibilities and enjoy. Thank you to all of the sponsors who support this ministry and enable us to support the emotional growth of the children in our programs. We want each child to feel seen, loved, and valued!

- posted by Kim