Shiva... Dancing between Childhood and Adulthood

November 29, 2009
Shiva. He’s turning 16 in January, and is every bit as much of a teenage boy as any teenage boy you’ll meet in the US. He’s the oldest of the boys and at times seems years older as he tries his best to spring into manhood. But most days, he’s in that awkward stage of too old to be a boy and too young to be a man! It can be rather humorous (though I make sure not to laugh around him!) watching him delicately balance the desire to be treated like an adult with the eagerness to jump into the games of the younger boys!

He’s from Gorkha, the place of my one and only roadtrip up to this point! His eyes sparkle when he thinks of home in the fields of rice patties, the jungle, and the beauty of the land. A darkness settles over his face when he thinks of his childhood there, though. From around 1995 to 2005 Nepal was in a civil war between the Maoists and the Government, to make things very simple! Gorkha was one of the most dangerous places to live, as it was a constant battle zone. He was touched by the brutality of the darkness when the Maoists attacked his grandfather, cutting off one ear, gouging out one eye and then leaving him to die. He was then flown to an army hospital, and lived through all that. I don’t imagine many kids see worse things than that...

A little while after seeing the brutality of the civil war he came to live at Krishna’s home. After being raised in a Hindu family, he came to see the light of Jesus shining here and became a Christian soon after arriving! He was baptized and has grown in the church since arriving, and now helps lead worship on the guitar. He’s also involved with the youth group here, which is pretty much just what your typical American youth group is, minus all the bells and whistles!

He’s a pretty bright kid, but like most 15 year old boys, studying is not one of his top priorities! He’s recently discovered that girls aren’t just the clothes-washing, food-cooking humans he once thought they were. This has been a new battle for Pastor Krishna, as the oldest children are just reaching “that age.” I figure there are not many things more difficult for a parent than raising kids through their teenage years, and then you multiply that by 15, and I imagine life can be stressful! But the rule for the kids is that they’re not allowed to fall in love until after finishing high school. I think it’s a great rule ;).

So besides girls as a distraction, Shiva also LOVES to play soccer. Whether in sandals, barefoot, or in his new tennis shoes, he darts around the field with the strength and agility of someone who grew up in the jungle! He also enjoys a good game of badminton (a very popular sport here!) and devours the newspaper each morning. However, I am convinced that his favorite sport is scaring me, and when I walk outside at night, I often slow down and listen closely, because one time too many Shiva’s popped out from behind a dark corner or behind the parked car quietly whispering “sister!” Unfortunately, Raju’s learning to do the same, which doesn’t have quite the same effect as it’s rather humorous to hear someone say “SISTER!” in a high pitched 6 year old voice from knee level!

Shiva reminds me of how much I enjoy working with kids who are teenagers. Most of the time anyway. There are still the times when he’s picking on the other kids and acting like a child and I want to pummel him, but usually it’s all good! I know that God’s using his past and present to shape and incredible future for him! And I know he’ll bring light wherever God leads him!