There is excitement in the air as the students file into the "boutique" and count their paper tickets. They've worked hard all month long to earn tickets for good behavior. Some little trouble makers don't have any, while other students have worked hard to earn 30+ tickets. The big day has finally arrived. They are allowed to use their tickets as "money" to "purchase" prizes in the special school store.
Their eyes open wide as they stare at all the wonderful things in the store: pencils, erasers, toothbrushes, books, toy cars, markers, balls, jump ropes, flip flops, clothing, hair clips, and rice. The prices range from 1 ticket for a small notebook all the way up to 200 tickets for a huge box of rice.
One by one, they are called to come up and decide if they would like to save their tickets until next month's store or spend them now. Santia, a first grader, has 31 tickets. She had the most out of all the students in her class. She worked hard every single day this month to earn those tickets, and she radiated with pride each time she was awarded one. The teachers explain to her that with 31 tickets she is able to purchase any of the small prizes, flip-flops for 20 tickets or clothing for 25 tickets. She slowly and carefully examines all of the beautiful things. She walks over to the table and looks at the two small packages of rice: 30 tickets. She turns around and looks at a tiny pair of flip flops much too small for her own feet. She studies them for a while and then moves on to the clothing. Again, she chooses to look at clothing much too small for her own body. She must have a younger sibling. After several minutes, she leaves the flip flops and clothing and walks back to the rice. Without saying a word, she picks up the rice and hands her tickets to a teacher. Her entire month's worth of tickets is on rice. Rice. Today she is able to take pride in helping to provide food for her family. This weekend they will eat. But she's only a child. My heart breaks because I know that today was neither the first nor the last time that she will sacrifice normal childhood things in order to eat.
Biolan has saved his tickets all month long. Everyday he has sat up straight in class. He has listened to his teachers, and he has followed school rules. He has been counting down for this moment all week. He has over 20 tickets to spend in the store. This is the same small boy that collects pieces of trash and bottle caps. Certainly he will want to buy himself something nice. I see him sitting off to the side. As I squat down, I ask him, "What did you buy with your tickets today, Biolan?" His eyes light up and a smile spreads across his face. I see in his hands a pencil, a wooden toy car, and a jump rope. He grabs the jump rope and proudly displays it for me to see. "I bought this for my sister!!" he says with pride and excitement in his voice. I hold back tears. I feel completely wrecked inside. The boy with nothing just spent the majority of his tickets on a jump rope to give to his sister.
I saw Jesus in those children today. In fact, I see Jesus everyday in Jubilee. There is an obvious clash of kingdoms going on all around me everyday, but Jesus is most evident.
Watching the precious children of Jubilee brings Matthew 18 to mind. He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Seeing these children selflessly give to others even when they have nothing of their own is one of the reasons why Jesus told us to become like children. I'm realizing daily that my students are teaching me as much as I am teaching them. I am teaching them science and language. They are teaching me about the Kingdom of God.
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