Today we changed things up a bit and went to a children’s hospital.
Last year we had gone to a children’s cancer center but due to the recent earthquakes everyone had been moved to the hospital across the street. We came loaded with puppets to put on a show for the kids. We didn’t wait until we got to the hospital to bust out the puppets though. We gave everyone on the street and in cars behind us an improv puppet show on the way to the hospital. It’s funny how the most, simple, stupid, ordinary things– like a couple of puppets hitting each other in the face– can bring a smile to people’s faces.
After a few hours in the car, and a momentary stop at the market to pick up groceries, we arrived at the hospital.
We walked into an open sitting area with benches full of kids and parents– all eyes glued to the TV, watching the World Cup– and began to unpack puppets. One of the hospital employees came by with a broom– and much to everyone’s disappointment– shut off the TV. Of course they would never show that they weren’t happy about the game being shut off, but I knew if I was disappointed we didn’t get to watch the game, they were even more so. You see, soccer to them is like football, basketball, and baseball all together is to Americans– and the World Cup is as important as the Super Bowl, World Series, and the Olympics all put together.
After we had the full attention of the crowd we began our show.
We each grabbed a puppet and acted out the story of Jesus calming the storm we had told earlier in the week at Santa Barbara. The kids absolutely loved it, and after we were done we passed out some crafts for them to do.
A couple of us grabbed puppets to go play with the kids individually. There was one boy in a wheelchair, he was pretty chubby, who could not control himself when we bothered him with the puppets. He laughed and laughed until he was out of breath, and then he would suck in some air and laugh some more. The puppets were a huge hit all around.
After we packed up the puppets, another missions team showed up. All they did was hand out some stuffed animals, take pictures, and leave. They didn’t even take the time to play with the kids and the stuffed animals they had just given them– in fact, they left so quick they didn’t even take the bag they brought the stuffed animals in with them. It was a sickening to be honest. Here are these sick and dying children who need love, a reason to laugh again, something to make them forget the pain for a little while. They didn’t need stuffed animals or toys. But this team didn’t see that. They didn’t take the time to sit and build a relationship with these kids– they didn’t even try.
That’s just one of the things wrong with this world.
People think stuff can fix things. They see poverty and think money is the answer. They see hunger and think a meal will make it go away. They see a room full of hopeless sick children and they think toys are the answer. Well they’re all wrong– Jesus is the answer. The great problems in the world are not physical poverty, or sickness, or hunger– they’re spiritual poverty, and sickness, and hunger. Jesus is the only solution to those problems– nothing more, nothing less.
After we left the hospital the guys and the girls split up and went our separate ways.
The girls went to get manicures and do other girly stuff. Us guys went and worked on the property some. It was good to have some time with just us guys and I’m sure it was equally enjoyable for the girls. But after our day was done we began to prepare ourselves for our last day in Nicaragua.