A Cup of Chai

At Shanti Dan, there is a small 9 year old child about half the size of my brother, whom just turned 5. His name is Laltu. He has a heart murmur and recently his fever has escalated significantly. As I sit in the school where i teach and also where the children live, I wonder, how many of these malnourished children nursed back to health really do make it? What is their motivation for life? Laltu is my best student- He is quite the comic relief in an average day of shapes and colors. I look forward to daily seeing him. Two days ago though, his fever forced him to his bed and absent from class. This morning, I walked into his room to check on him and he was just sitting… lifeless, almost. Sister tried to tell me that he is a naughty boy because “he does not drink his milk or take his medicine” and she says that she hopes his parents come tomorrow for their scheduled visit because she will dismiss him. All day, her words continued to ring in my mind.. “he can just go.. You see him.. He is just naughty.” Now please understand the complexity of this situation and do not begin to have ill or sour feelings towards the sisters of charity (as their beautiful work has healed and rescued many out of poverty and oppression) but know that just as anything you do day in and day out becomes stale–she too has seen many of the complications of poverty and sometimes the hopelessness that follows. I then sit next to him and begin to hand feed him his warm glass of milk realizing that this is no issue of defiance or rebellion but simply a matter of him being legitimately ill and weak. As he finished his glass, I held him for a few minutes. The noticeable shift in his emotion causes me to think that this situation, if not promptly handled, could progressively lead to something severe. Never in my life have i felt so much love and pleading for someones life as i did in this moment. I felt like this child was literally dying in my arms and i could do absolutely nothing about it. Talk about an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. It was in this moment that I felt all I could do was pray on this child’s behalf. I sat there and battled in my mind the possible solutions I could do to alleviate his pain. It is weird to describe as Im sure it is weird for you to read and understand fully what i was feeling today. My mind is boggled and overwhelmed at the crazy implications this country possesses. I’m not quite sure if i will leave feeling like I’ve accomlished anything; however, i know and have seen the faces of the people dying from preventable diseases and i am sure that i can not leave here unchanged. Confused yet empowered, i look forward to the moments that lie ahead. I am thankful for situations that bring change. I believe change is the evidence of the spirit of God residing in our hearts. Please pray for Laltu.