Eshet Chayil

Eshet Chayil: Hebrew word for "woman of valour". 

Today I witnessed 20 mothers waiting outside of Mother Theresa's: Home for Sick and Dying Babies. Some held their children on their hip. Others covered their skeletal babies with blankets to protect them from the beating sun. Upon entry, they sat in the waiting room while nuns and strangers alike fed, clothed and played with their children. A sea of cribs stood throughout the compound, some holding toddlers bearing IV drips. 

Despite the somber circumstances, both the trusting parents and nuns created an environment of jubilee and organized chaos. As soon as we walked into the room, little girls toddled and squealed in delight, holding their arms up to us. Nuns dressed in billowing white and blue dresses handed you a bowl of sticky, vanilla porridge to feed to any of the crying babies. These women of God are not to be messed with. They have a structure that is perfectly formulated to ensure each children is fed and clean. As they sternly yet patiently watched over each of us feeding the big-eyed kids, I felt such respect and admiration for these women. They radiate Jesus. The difficulty of running an organization where hundreds of kids come and go each day, while ensuring new volunteers are correctly doing their job is unimaginable. Instead of frustrated sighs and sharp tongues, they nodded and said "God Bless You.", often paired with big smiles and laughter. These are women of valour. The women who know that the Kingdom of God isn't brought about by moving mountains and grand gestures, but with each spoonful of porridge fed to God's hungry children. 

-Sarah Nelson