“You are welcome”
After a great night’s sleep we joined friends from
Unchanging Truth Ministries for breakfast, made a quick check of email, hopped
on Boda Bodas and couldn’t get to Chayah early enough. We tried to sneak in the gate, but those
little ones have come to know our shared routine for visiting. They finish a school term and we show up to
play them through their free time.
Church under the carport (garage) roof hadn’t yet
officially started, but the singing had.
We sat in the back row seats, except that seats are ever changing as
people from the neighborhood, arriving throughout the service, are treated to a
plastic chair and others rotate out to the planter edge on either side. The “Bright Stars” did a skit about the judgment
day and Shalom choir lead us in worship.
Pastor Roman, is so very engaging and animated in his teaching, engaging
the children and congregation by name throughout.
We were shocked and so excited to see Chayah’s guard and
our friend, Joel, at the service this morning.
We had planned to visit him in the hospital this afternoon. We heard all the dramatic details of his
Malaria-induced seizure and the older kids carrying his stiff unconscious body
into the van. Janet does not drive at
night, but made an exception during the emergency, picking up his wife, and
being sent away at two clinics. She had
to prepay the doctor and run out to a 24 hour pharmacy to purchase the
medication. He regained consciousness
after 2 long days and after witnessing 3 people in the ward die, he got up and
left. “The third person was in the bed
right next to me, so I decided I was probably next, so I just got up and walked
out of the hospital.” Well, ok then. The children were so relieved to see him at
church this morning and we are so grateful God chose to heal him. I cannot believe I didn’t get a picture with
our walking miracle.
When the service ended, we did our best to get our arms
around every single one of our family. “You
are welcome” was repeated to us over and over accompanied by the slightest
curtsy.
We discussed this week’s plans with Janet and caught up
on things, examined the bundle of wiring that had to be replaced after the
youngest thought hitting live wires from a light fixture in the yard would be
fun. “Fireworks, fireworks!” were
followed by the house filling with smoke and a few hysteric. Somehow Edrine knew to go to the electrical
panel and very calmly started turning things off. Electricians replaced all of the wiring in
the house after it shorted and but I don’t think there was one thing short
about the talking to the 4 youngest received over this fiasco.
We walked next door to a 4-plex that is in the final
stages of building. We looked at it with
Janet trying to imagine something like that for our group. It is difficult to find a landowner who wants
to rent to 19 children…we can’t blame them one bit. They aren’t interested in selling the
property.
We visited on the front porch for a bit, then played our
own version of “headbands” (minus the headband part). Rain poured down outside, so we played Frisbee
inside.
Dann worked with John and Edrine
on some new guitar chords.
Somewhere along the way lunch was served, the rain
stopped and there was more group Frisbee out on the lawn. Some jet lag told us it was time to head back
about 5:30 or so.
It takes so little time to adjust to being back. We’ve met 3 other groups who are staying at
the hotel and serving in the area this week and we enjoy exchanging information,
plans and reports. God works through his
people in so many ways, so many people with huge hearts for children. It’s really so encouraging to know that we walk
with others on this particular journey to serve and protect vulnerable
children.
That’s it for tonight.
We’ll hit the ground running in the morning and praying to make the most
of every day we are here. The end of the
journey always comes too soon.
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