Life is just normal...

Last Monday I went to visit the Day Center In Bender and some months ago the following story we received from the leader of the project about a small boy that started to come to their Day Center:

Maxim Kamburov is six years old. He used to spend all day every day in the streets. He was always wearing the same clothes, and asking strangers, “Mister, do you have a candy?” or, “Lady, do you have an apple or a piece of bread?”.     

Maxim’s parents are alcoholics. They live in poverty and don’t care for their son properly. Other boys bully Maxim because he is small.

One day, Maxim asked a lady from our church for a piece of bread. She brought him to our day centre and we fed him a hot meal. He ate quickly and more than children usually eat; we could see and understand that he hadn’t eaten properly in a very long time.

Now Maxim comes to the day centre every day. Often he is waiting for us in the morning when we arrive (his parents haven’t registered him at kindergarten) and doesn’t want to leave at the end of the day when it’s time for us to go home. He is sad at the weekends as he has nothing to do or to eat for these two days. Maxim says he loves the centre because it’s warm, people love him, and nobody shouts at him. If children from the day centre see Maxim getting bullied they defend and protect their little friend.

One day, Maxim came to the centre with a broken bicycle which someone had given to him. We fixed it for him and in that moment, he was the happiest child in the world.

I was impressed about the above story and felt sorry for Maximum but I was happy that through the Day Center, Maxim now has food and experiences Gods Love for him.

So on Monday, while we were discussing with the brother who is overseeing the Day Centre, Maxim came in. He had a big smile on his face and when I asked Maxim: how is life? He replied: normal...

I asked him after that, what he had done until now? and he answered: I slept, my parents were not at home, I walked on the street and than I came here...

Mhh, not sure if this is normal for a 6 year old boy to spend his time like this but this made me also think about what I think in my life is normal but might not be so normal....