Brenda and Stephanie….of course, the way they pronounce their names is a bit different from what you and I would expect. But even so, these two young girls are no different than any other young friends who enjoy each other, enjoy posing for a camera, and find adults, particularly middle-aged gringos, completely hilarious. Giggling is the same in any language. These two live in conditions we would consider pretty desperate…no running water, no bathroom, no grass in which to play, poor nutrition, no accessible healthcare and certainly no access to good education. Yet they love life because they recognize as do children the world over, that life is an incredible gift. Joy exudes from children if they even have half a chance to let it out. They don't know what life would be like with the resources found in many other places, but to them it really doesn't matter. Jesus blew his disciples' minds when he stopped them from shushing the children who were loving life while he was teaching. He said, "And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Really Jesus? Silly, fun loving, not taking life too seriously? Playing and making noise? Friendships just because?
I have the privilege to travel to many cultures and see many ways of living, but one constant crosses all cultures, and all cultures can easily understand what Jesus was saying. This kingdom of God is going to be a blast for those who come with a simple faith and trust like kids, and be a real difficult transition for those of us who can't.
TeamDuggan 
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