Issue 48
Kingdom Neighbors

Black Mark: Calling and Listening

【Example 2】

"A belly full of words, but not a word can be said." This is a characteristic shared by the group of children who came all the way from their hometowns to participate in the "Left-behind Children Summer Camp." In the activity room, the tall teacher pointed at the black bruises on his arms and told me, "Ah Hui beat me!" It was really surprising! On the one hand, I cherish the love and patience of the volunteer teachers, but on the other hand, I wonder why the children have so much strength and resentment?

Ah Fai has participated in the summer camp for the second year and is the notorious "King" in the camp. He never talks and always solves everything with his fists! Not only is this little man incredibly strong, he can even punch one after another for half an hour without stopping. What kind of world is in his heart?

Some of the volunteer teachers who come to serve have taken leave at their own expense every year for several consecutive years. The reason is very simple: they care about the children! This tall teacher is a preacher and has been employed by the church to enter the ministry of caring for left-behind children for several years. Tall and mighty, he was willing to endure the beatings of small fists in vain, because what touched the tenderness in his heart was a wonderful love. "I think of Jesus Christ," he said.

On the surface, it seems that the child is hitting the teacher, but in fact, it is the child who is talking. There are so many words that cannot be expressed in one sentence, but so many words that are piled up in my heart. Left-behind children are the product of the disparity between urban and rural areas and the disparity between rich and poor. There are 61 million left-behind children in China. These children live alone or with relatives in remote villages for a long time, separated from their parents who work in the city. They never have the opportunity to talk and express their hidden emotions, which eventually leads to serious interpersonal communication barriers.

On the surface, it seems that the teacher is being beaten, but in fact, it is the teacher who is speaking. "Speak out, child, I'm waiting to hear." The teacher endured the painful beating and said softly to the child: "No matter how the world changes, there is a Heavenly Father who will never leave, waiting to hear His children speak to Him." After venting for more than half an hour, Ah Hui was so tired that he fell asleep leaning on the teacher's shoulder. The teacher said to me: "When he wakes up soon, he will talk."

The "Left-behind Children Summer Camp" co-organized by this factory and voluntary organizations, approximately five to six hundred children of workers from various provinces participate in the five-week free camp every year, hoping to "retain workers." This voluntary organization recruits and trains five to six hundred volunteers every year to "fill children's hearts with love" in the hope of solving social problems and nip them in the bud.

I have never been a warm-hearted animal with a nose full of tears, but I feel sad at this moment. At that moment, I suddenly discovered that the black bruises on my arms were actually an expression of human heartache. Left-behind children symbolize another deeper fact: you and I have more or less experienced the pain of being abandoned in our lives, and there is a "helpless child" hiding in our hearts. This "helpless child" has no choice but to accept the love of Jesus Christ and then give love to other children in need!


Author profile

Chen Lili, the person in charge of a public welfare organization, has a master's degree in psychology, and has been engaged in full-time volunteer training, team leadership building, and services for left-behind children for more than ten years. We are sincerely willing to work together with like-minded people to build a loving home for our children.