“Aunty, when are you going to come so that we can climb the mountain?” Abdul says as we finish extra curricular evening lessons with the students. The large mountain behind our school offers the perfect location for an adventurous hike. It has been a while since we last hiked the mountain. Many of the new students have yet to get the opportunity.
We promised that tomorrow we would come back and go hiking, but little did we know nature had other plans. As we arrived the next day, so did the rain. Still within the tail end of the rainy season it is to be expected. We could go in the rain, but that would be too risky, it’s possible some of the younger ones could slip. We switched to doing crafts, with the determination to hike tomorrow.
The next day as we arrived Abdul and all the children came rushing to our motorcycle jumping ready to hike, today was the day. Storm clouds were looming, and a light rain was falling but that was not going to stop us this time. The children were running back and forth waiting for us to give the final word before they sprinted off towards the mountain. To them, the mountain was a challenge needed to be conquered. Who knows what kind of sights and sounds awaited them as they explored new territory?
With a few adults accompanying them, I decided to stay back with the children too small to hike. As I watched the others climb higher, slowly out of sight, I realized that many of these children never received such an opportunity. What seems like a normal aspect of my childhood life is something extraordinary to them. Because of many challenging life situations, they have neglected to experience much of what it means to be a child.
As they came running back down the mountain out of breath and laughing, I was happy that we decided that these children now have the opportunity, even if just for an hour to be children again.
Moments like these make me thankful to God and to the many generous people who give to House of Peace Ministries to make these moments even possible. In 2021, generous donations allowed us to open up Peace Nursery and Primary School - a school specifically for Fulani families and their children who are subjected to severe persecution due to their faith. If you wish to learn more about our work, or sign-up to our newsletter, please visit: www.houseofpeaceministries.com
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