“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:13-14)
Foot washing. There’s something powerful about the act of washing someone’s feet. It is an incredible expression of love and humility.
On our last night at Abba House, after a delicious meal of Mexican food, we gathered together with the Abba House kids and New Life/FCC guys. Jacque shared about how Jesus washed His disciples’ feet at the Last Supper. And then she asked the New Life/FCC guys if we could wash their feet.
Many of the men were moved to tears as we washed their feet and prayed over them. The Abba House girls were all watching and some of them were also crying as they saw this unforgettable scene.
What happened next was beautiful. As Marisa was about to wash Jacque’s feet, Tom and Boy stepped in and took over. Jacque has become a mother to these young men who have not experienced a mother’s love before. She has poured into them and encouraged them and loved on them. Now they wanted to bless her by washing her feet. Tom and Boy wept as they washed her feet and Jacque wept as her feet were washed. And many more of us were crying as we witnessed this act of humility and love.
The foot washing didn’t end there. Our entire team was soon seated in chairs, having our feet washed by the men whose feet we had just washed. We had dried the men’s feet with towels, but they dried our feet with the shirts that they wore. I watched this beautiful scene with tears in my eyes until it was my turn to have my feet washed. Lek (my English student) was sitting in front of me, ready to wash my feet. As he was about to start, 10-year old Laa (the only boy at Abba House and also one of my English students) came and joined him and they began to wash my feet together. It was amazing to see this young boy following the example of these men. And as if that wasn’t enough, I also felt Gift’s little arms wrapped around me from behind my chair. By this time, the tears were definitely flowing…
When they finished, I hugged Lek and then turned to hug Laa. I honestly did not expect Laa to be so sad to see us leave. But Laa just wept in my arms as I hugged him for a long time.
The foot washing continued as some of the girls washed our feet, we washed some of their feet, and they washed each other’s feet. I think that most people in the room were crying by this time. There was lots of hugging and praying and words of encouragement being spoken. Many of the guys and a few of the girls got up to share with us about how we had impacted their lives and how they were going to miss us.
I sat with the girls from my English class and laughed and cried together with them. We enjoyed ice-cream sundaes together, a slide show that Marisa had compiled, and even a special rap performance by Tom!
At the end of the night, Abbie and I walked our English class girls back to their room. I said good night to Sophia and Sih and hugged and kissed them goodbye. And then I walked over to Gift’s room to do the same to her. As I was leaving her room and going down the stairs, Gift came to the door and called out my name. I turned around. “I love you,” she told me. Her last words to me.
Our last night at Abba House was sad but it was beautiful. We couldn’t have had a better night. God’s presence was so real in that room.
Abba House, you captured our hearts. We didn’t want to leave you. We will not forget you. You are missed. We love you.
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