The kiddos Jamaica 2008
A. and Nathanial
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Importance of 20 Minutes
My apologies for not posting.....we have returned from our missions trip to Jamaica but.....in our hearts we are still in Jamaica. Missions has become our lifestyle not a missions trip one week a year. There are so many thoughts and feeling swirling around in my head I've been reluctant to try to capture them with my inadequate words.
I would like to tell you about an amazing young lady named Samantha. Last year when A and I were in Jamaica we spent our mornings with children at Central Basic School in Norwood, Jamaica. On the day we went to Westhaven, the disabled home, we made a stop at another school called Lethe All Ages School. We were to spend about fifteen to twenty minutes touring the campus then head up the mountain to Westhaven. As soon as I stepped off the bus on to the campus and young girl about nine years old walked up to me took hold of my hand and said, "Missy, can I show you my class?" "Of course!" I replied as I followed her to class holding her hand. I squeezed myself in next to her in her little wooden desk and she read to me from her reading book until we were called to return to our buses.... I gave her a hug, boarded the bus and off we went. I've thought of Samantha often and wondered if our paths would cross again. This year I was thrilled because we followed the same Westhaven schedule as we did last year. A quick stop at Lethe then on to the disabled home. When I got off the bus at the school I wondered if I'd have a chance at finding her. I looked around for her but didn't even know where to begin my search without her last name or the name of her class. Then I looked down into a face that was studying me closely, I lifted up my sunglasses and heard the words, "I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!" What a sweet reunion! One girl, at one school, that I had spent maybe twenty minutes with, 365 days ago - was waiting for me to return. We can not begin to imagine the impact we can have on someone's life in such a short amount of time. I didn't explain to her deep theological truths, or listen to everything that was wrong in her life and try to make it right.....I just listened to her read me a story about a cat from her school book. So simple and so important.
Samantha's words are still ministering to me, they have shown me a glimpse of how amazing it will be to one day hear my Savior say, "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!"
I would like to tell you about an amazing young lady named Samantha. Last year when A and I were in Jamaica we spent our mornings with children at Central Basic School in Norwood, Jamaica. On the day we went to Westhaven, the disabled home, we made a stop at another school called Lethe All Ages School. We were to spend about fifteen to twenty minutes touring the campus then head up the mountain to Westhaven. As soon as I stepped off the bus on to the campus and young girl about nine years old walked up to me took hold of my hand and said, "Missy, can I show you my class?" "Of course!" I replied as I followed her to class holding her hand. I squeezed myself in next to her in her little wooden desk and she read to me from her reading book until we were called to return to our buses.... I gave her a hug, boarded the bus and off we went. I've thought of Samantha often and wondered if our paths would cross again. This year I was thrilled because we followed the same Westhaven schedule as we did last year. A quick stop at Lethe then on to the disabled home. When I got off the bus at the school I wondered if I'd have a chance at finding her. I looked around for her but didn't even know where to begin my search without her last name or the name of her class. Then I looked down into a face that was studying me closely, I lifted up my sunglasses and heard the words, "I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!" What a sweet reunion! One girl, at one school, that I had spent maybe twenty minutes with, 365 days ago - was waiting for me to return. We can not begin to imagine the impact we can have on someone's life in such a short amount of time. I didn't explain to her deep theological truths, or listen to everything that was wrong in her life and try to make it right.....I just listened to her read me a story about a cat from her school book. So simple and so important.
Samantha's words are still ministering to me, they have shown me a glimpse of how amazing it will be to one day hear my Savior say, "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!"
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