Would you tell your story? -By Bobby McLaughlin
Would you tell your story?
That was the question posed to me by Matt, the executive director of Adventure Soccer during my recent trip to eSwatini (Swaziland).
“To care for each other and be outward minded” is one of their messages - however, the target audience is not what you might anticipate.
It goes without saying that I was most honored to share my story with these orphans. In my short time with these kids I received far more than I could ever imagine, so if I could give them something in return through my story I wasn’t going to miss the chance.
We gathered in a circle on the grass on the orphanage property in Mbabane. It was story time. Having interacted with them on a visit earlier on this trip, I was hoping to make the next deeper bind through this story.
Connecting with kids has for whatever reason been one of my strengths, and this trip was no different. Except it was different in every way.
Through soccer clinics, orphan visits and mutual friendly exchanges with passerby’s, over 500 Swaziland children looked into my eyes. Oh what their eyes have witnessed in their short time on this planet we share together. The pain, the suffering, the anguish.....but I’m pierced to the depths of my soul by what I saw in so many of their eyes: joy, hope, kindness.
Kidney donors I continue to meet share many similarities: joy, hope, kindness, and this outward focus of caring for others.
My kidney community, growing into my kidney family, is made up of ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ who continue to sprinkle good seeds everywhere.
As I stood before these kids, I felt the love, support and encouragement of my kidney family back home. I felt connected to all the donors in so many states across this country I live in. It was my turn, on another continent, to sprinkle some seeds. That love, support and encouragement I felt are the same qualities I hope these kids feel when they reflect on this new friend they have in the USA.
They cringed when they saw my scar and heard me describe how my surgeon removed my kidney and prepared it to go into Devon’s body, ready to help him get on with his life with his kids and wife.
Some of them were in awe of how people can do something like this for someone else; they questions they asked, the comments they shared - it was clear: they had been impacted..... and that’s it right there. That’s what all of this is for me....share our joy, hope, kindness and make intentional our efforts to care for others.
I was deeply touched by this experience and will be forever grateful and humbled to have been able to share my story. My story isn’t about me, it’s just a vessel to spread more joy and care for others.
Prior to this trip I made a Spotify playlist with some of my favorites, specifically for this trip. So when one of my favorites ‘You’re Gonna Be Ok’ (Jenn Johnson) was playing in our van on our way back to our base, it simply was too much take as I saw the billboard which read:
“Be inspired. Make a difference.”
The seven other members of this outreach trip won’t know it until they read it here, but I was in tears on our way back to our base camp after visiting the orphanage. The experience of this day was overwhelming.
Friends, strangers, orphans, kidney donors....all connected, continents apart, as one people seeking to share joy, hope, kindness and an outward focus to help each other. Yes will be my answer every time I’m invited to share my story, for it’s just another opportunity to sprinkle more seeds.
♻️💚 🇸🇿