I mentioned Poli and Antonnyo, "our African kids" in my first post about Africa. What I knew was that I couldn't wait to meet them and that I hoped to spend at least one day with them while staying in their home village. What I didn't know was the incredible way in which God would honor that desire.
It was Wednesday morning under the hot Togo sun, and my gaze constantly drifted to the lone clock on the wall of the pavilion that served as the church/school/makeshift dental office. I was not wishing away my time with the 60 patients who eagerly awaited their turn in a dental chair, meanwhile congregating outside under the woven straw canopy. Nor was I counting down the time until I could rinse the sweat that was pooling underneath my scrubs or guzzle my next bottled water. I was simply counting the hours, minutes, and seconds until 12:00 noon, when I would finally get to meet our beloved kids. Bruno, our gracious host and principal of the school, had arranged for us to meet during the kids' lunch break/recess. All morning long, I had listened to their singing, chanting, and squeals from across the school yard, where they were actively learning in their open-air classrooms.
Finally, the clock inched towards noon and I bolted from my station next to the dental chair (after cleaning up my last patient, of course :) and grabbed my camera, JJ, and a few small gifts I'd brought for the kids. We walked out into the red dirt-covered school yard and watched as 180 school kids piled out into a line to receive their lunch, their only guaranteed meal of the day. All of a sudden, the most beautiful little girl walked shyly towards us. "Is that HER?!" I whispered knowingly to JJ, having only seen her in photographs and on a video from 2 years ago. Poli stopped right in front of me and shyly looked at the ground, not making a move until I knelt down beside her and held my arms out to hug her. (Physical affection is not common in her culture, and parents rarely hug their children.) Trailing closely behind her was the most beautiful little boy, our sweet Antonnyo!
They accompanied us into Bruno's office, where we had a few sweet moments of telling them how special they are, praying with them, and giving them a few simple gifts. They accepted our gifts of sunglasses, jumpropes, and a hat/hairbow with shy grins and their best "tank you" in English. (Although it was tempting to shower these kids with gifts like we might in America, we also didn't want to introduce our culture of materialism into their world of simplicity.)
All too soon, it was time for them to go back to class, so we said our goodbyes. In my heart, I secretly longed for more time with either of them, just one more day... My prayer was answered the following day when we checked all 180 school kids' teeth in clinic! But even then, we only saw our kids for a brief moment...and I prayed for just one more day.
...I shouldn't have been surprised the following afternoon when we learned that Poli wanted to come over to the house to spend more time with us! We spent the entire afternoon together, playing games, listening to African songs, and learning traditional dances. Though we didn't speak the same language, words were hardly needed as we laughed, played, and danced together. Poli ended up staying the entire evening, sharing a meal with us, and falling asleep in my lap on the couch. For a child who likely spends most nights on a dirt floor, being rocked to sleep and having a soft place to lay her head was a rare comfort.
The next morning, Poli joined us for church - an indescribable experience. Suffice it to say, those people know how to WORSHIP. Our senses came alive as we took in the vibrant colors of the Sunday-best garments, heart pounding to the beat of the drums, and dancing in worship for 3 hours. That's right, THREE hours! No one was checking their watch to see when the sermon would end or when it was time for lunch. Hands and voices were raised in the most pure and passionate worship I've ever experienced in my life.
After church, it was time to say our goodbyes to this precious girl who has stolen our hearts... it was agony. Arms wrapped around my neck and tears streaming down her face as she was pried away from my arms...Poli did NOT want to let go....and neither did I. I had no choice but to walk away quickly so that she wouldn't see the tears welling up in my own eyes. I solemnly walked the mile back to our place to finish packing for the trip home. I layed on my bed with a flood of emotions washing over me...grateful for the past 24 hours I had spent with Poli but devastated by the painful way we had to say goodbye. How is it possible to love someone so much within such a short time together?? I dared not think about the likelihood that I may never see her again...
But God, in His kindness, granted me just one more day with Poli yet again. As we prepared to head to the airport, I was informed that Poli was coming with us!!! She had been crying since we parted ways after church and wanted to come send us off in the "big city." Having only been to the capital city once before (on a school field trip), this was a huge treat for her.
Eyes glued to the window of our van, her hand clutching mine, Poli was wide-eyed and quiet the whole way to Lome, the capital city. Our final hours together were spent in Lome walking through the market hand in hand, searching for the perfect matching bracelets, and ordering off a menu at Poli's first visit to a restaurant (first time, EVER). Our goodbyes at the airport were much sweeter than the previous goodbye, though still incredibly difficult. My last memory of my sweet girl now is of waving and blowing kisses as she watched me walk into the airport. But now every time I wear our bracelet or look at her picture, I am right there in Togo again, savoring every memory.
Sometimes we are called to plant a seed - invest our time, resources, and prayers - and trust that it will flourish, though we may not be so lucky to see it. Many times, we sponsor a child, support a missionary, invest in a charitable cause, and never get to see the outcomes firsthand. But other times, God allows us to have a glimpse of the beauty that blossoms from the seeds we scatter. I feel so lucky to have witnessed the lives of these children who I am invested in. I am thankful for the times that God grants us just one more day...
One more,
-L
It was Wednesday morning under the hot Togo sun, and my gaze constantly drifted to the lone clock on the wall of the pavilion that served as the church/school/makeshift dental office. I was not wishing away my time with the 60 patients who eagerly awaited their turn in a dental chair, meanwhile congregating outside under the woven straw canopy. Nor was I counting down the time until I could rinse the sweat that was pooling underneath my scrubs or guzzle my next bottled water. I was simply counting the hours, minutes, and seconds until 12:00 noon, when I would finally get to meet our beloved kids. Bruno, our gracious host and principal of the school, had arranged for us to meet during the kids' lunch break/recess. All morning long, I had listened to their singing, chanting, and squeals from across the school yard, where they were actively learning in their open-air classrooms.
Finally, the clock inched towards noon and I bolted from my station next to the dental chair (after cleaning up my last patient, of course :) and grabbed my camera, JJ, and a few small gifts I'd brought for the kids. We walked out into the red dirt-covered school yard and watched as 180 school kids piled out into a line to receive their lunch, their only guaranteed meal of the day. All of a sudden, the most beautiful little girl walked shyly towards us. "Is that HER?!" I whispered knowingly to JJ, having only seen her in photographs and on a video from 2 years ago. Poli stopped right in front of me and shyly looked at the ground, not making a move until I knelt down beside her and held my arms out to hug her. (Physical affection is not common in her culture, and parents rarely hug their children.) Trailing closely behind her was the most beautiful little boy, our sweet Antonnyo!
They accompanied us into Bruno's office, where we had a few sweet moments of telling them how special they are, praying with them, and giving them a few simple gifts. They accepted our gifts of sunglasses, jumpropes, and a hat/hairbow with shy grins and their best "tank you" in English. (Although it was tempting to shower these kids with gifts like we might in America, we also didn't want to introduce our culture of materialism into their world of simplicity.)
All too soon, it was time for them to go back to class, so we said our goodbyes. In my heart, I secretly longed for more time with either of them, just one more day... My prayer was answered the following day when we checked all 180 school kids' teeth in clinic! But even then, we only saw our kids for a brief moment...and I prayed for just one more day.
The next morning, Poli joined us for church - an indescribable experience. Suffice it to say, those people know how to WORSHIP. Our senses came alive as we took in the vibrant colors of the Sunday-best garments, heart pounding to the beat of the drums, and dancing in worship for 3 hours. That's right, THREE hours! No one was checking their watch to see when the sermon would end or when it was time for lunch. Hands and voices were raised in the most pure and passionate worship I've ever experienced in my life.
After church, it was time to say our goodbyes to this precious girl who has stolen our hearts... it was agony. Arms wrapped around my neck and tears streaming down her face as she was pried away from my arms...Poli did NOT want to let go....and neither did I. I had no choice but to walk away quickly so that she wouldn't see the tears welling up in my own eyes. I solemnly walked the mile back to our place to finish packing for the trip home. I layed on my bed with a flood of emotions washing over me...grateful for the past 24 hours I had spent with Poli but devastated by the painful way we had to say goodbye. How is it possible to love someone so much within such a short time together?? I dared not think about the likelihood that I may never see her again...
But God, in His kindness, granted me just one more day with Poli yet again. As we prepared to head to the airport, I was informed that Poli was coming with us!!! She had been crying since we parted ways after church and wanted to come send us off in the "big city." Having only been to the capital city once before (on a school field trip), this was a huge treat for her.
Eyes glued to the window of our van, her hand clutching mine, Poli was wide-eyed and quiet the whole way to Lome, the capital city. Our final hours together were spent in Lome walking through the market hand in hand, searching for the perfect matching bracelets, and ordering off a menu at Poli's first visit to a restaurant (first time, EVER). Our goodbyes at the airport were much sweeter than the previous goodbye, though still incredibly difficult. My last memory of my sweet girl now is of waving and blowing kisses as she watched me walk into the airport. But now every time I wear our bracelet or look at her picture, I am right there in Togo again, savoring every memory.
Sometimes we are called to plant a seed - invest our time, resources, and prayers - and trust that it will flourish, though we may not be so lucky to see it. Many times, we sponsor a child, support a missionary, invest in a charitable cause, and never get to see the outcomes firsthand. But other times, God allows us to have a glimpse of the beauty that blossoms from the seeds we scatter. I feel so lucky to have witnessed the lives of these children who I am invested in. I am thankful for the times that God grants us just one more day...
One more,
-L
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