Laundry Love and Language Breakthroughs!

My awesome new tattoo put on by a 4 year old at Laundry Love.

The past two months, I have had the privilege to help with a ministry called Laundry Love in a city near Fayetteville.  I didn't really know what I was going to the first time a friend asked if I wanted to join, but now after going for 2 months in a row, I hope that I get to serve and help as often as I can.

Here is what it is all about.  "For those living below the poverty line, washing clothes presents both a logistical problem and a financial hardship. From a conversation with a local homeless friend who conveyed this basic need, the Laundry Love Project™ (LLP) was birthed.  Laundry Love Projects partner with local laundromats in cleaning the clothes of those living in shelters, motels, cars, garages and on the streets. It is our mission to take laundromats and convert them into hubs of relief, granting reprieve to those living in oppressive poverty."

What I appreciate about Laundry Love is that they value consistency.  Many families are regular each month, so you get to know the same people and hopefully build relationships with them.  During the evening volunteers all have different roles including helping with the actual laundry part, serving dinner, floating around and talking to people, and then of course the one that I bee line for, playing and investing in their kiddos!

This past week I was able to play with a brother and sister, J and M, for the majority of the time who as I talked with them and played games realized that they have never heard of Jesus.  I fumbled around trying to share a little realizing that my words to the college students I share with might not make sense to a 6 and 10 year old, but more than anything it just caused me to pray for them.  These kids were PRECIOUS as I learned that the 6 year old boy wants to grow up to be a ninja named Ivan, and the 10 year old girl wants to be a police woman even though her parents want her to be a doctor.  She said she couldn't handle the surgeries like she sees on TV.  I love the genuine honesty of kids.

Another little girl, S, I was able to play with a little last month, and again this month.  She is 4, and last night I was blown away by how the Lord can work through language barriers!!!  I was talking to her for a little bit, and then finally realized that the whole time I was speaking in English and she was speaking in Spanish!!!!  I took a lot of Spanish growing up and spent 2 summers in Spain.  Moving to Italy for 2 years confused my remembrance of what words are Spanish and which ones are Italian, so when I try to speak Spanish, usually it comes out a mixture of both.  My comprehension of Spanish is still there, though, especially at a 4 year old level.  Apparently S's language was the opposite of mine where she understands English, but feels more comfortable speaking Spanish.  So how CRAZY, that there we were, having a full out conversation, but in 2 complete different languages, yet still fully understanding one another!!!  I feel like my limited vocabulary does not fully explain how cool of an experience that was!

Please be praying with me for M and J, and for S.  (Sorry I'm not putting names for their own privacy.)  Due to the nature of Laundry Love, I'm not sure of their standard of living.  S asked at the end if she could take a box of crayons because she didn't have any at home.  Pray for their home life to be safe.  That they would be provided for.  Pray for their families.  Pray that these sweet kids and their families would know Jesus and the hope that comes in Him.  Pray I would even be able to get to know their mom's and families.  I met both, but the language barrier did come more into play with them, but pray that relationships will still be able to be made as the Lord is bigger than language.

So if you have a Laundry Love type ministry around you, I challenge you to check it out and see how the Lord will work in and through you!