Yesterday I was given, many, incredible reminders of why this place is here. Please enjoy…..
The missionaries eat dinner in a building known as the Piatt. It is situated about 30 feet from a small fence dividing the compound into two sections, the orphans and school side and the missionary’s side. The kids do like to hang out right around the doorway through the fence. There are benches there and a very large mango tree that provides the perfect amount of shade for an afternoon snooze.
Walking out from dinner Thursday evening, Obediah runs up and grabs my hand.
…Obediah, depending upon when you are reading this, is the little boy in the picture at the top of the blog. He is also the same little boy who had a cast on his arm, and there are so many incredible Obediah stories…
Well, he runs up with a big giggly smile, happy little skip in his step, grabs my hand, looks me straight in the eye, and says "Scott, sit with me". Then he guides me to a spot he had already picked out; a good spot too. Close enough to the action to watch everyone else play under the big mango tree, and the perfect amount of grass to lounge around on.
This gave me a very big smile and one that I needed very much. It was something he seemed to have planned days, weeks in advance; but really in a child’s mind perhaps just the moment he saw me.
Now the bad part…..I couldn't just then. I had to find another boy, Thomas, to test him for malaria. So, I tell Obediah this and ask him if he wants to help me find Thomas…..and I got a big giant head nod for an answer.
He was…SO…determined to find Thomas. We looked everywhere and we were asking everyone, and then suddenly there he was. I literally picked Thomas up, ran him to the clinic, also because he had chores to do, and ran back out to find Obediah. I didn’t have to go very far. He was……just standing there not really playing and not really watching some other kids play because he had one eye on the clinic door.
Since these tests take a while, I suggested a closer spot to where we now were to maximize our time together. He says, “no….there”, pointed and guided me back to the previous spot. So, I sit down and he waits until I am ready for him to sit on my lap and most likely just take a little snoozer; but at that moment Lance unlocked the playground…which is situated on the opposite side of the cafeteria from where we were but you could hear the cheers of the other children and the whoosh from the breeze created as they all ran past. Ahhhhh……you could see the torment in his eyes....playground, or sit in Scott's lap….playground….lap….playground……Scott who?
So, it is Playground 1, Scott 0; and I expect that margin to increase….a lot. After a few minutes of teaching some other kids (Aaron, Ester, and Sunday) how to throw a frisbee….with marginal success…..the four of us joined Obediah and the others at the playground. So, I took a spot close enough to the action but far enough away…..Sunday sat in my lap. Obediah apparently had enough of the playground and took a spot at one side…since Sunday was not willing to give up hers…..while Aaron took the other side. Then five or six others proceeded to attempt to braid my hair…..with marginal success……until the bell rang signifying wash up for bed time.
1 comment:
Such a great story! And what a refreshing blessing from the Lord! I am glad He gave it to you today.
Post a Comment