As a team we’ve been reading 1 Peter. Right in the first chapter is the thought, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.”
As usual, this has been a year of trials. Room issues, building issues, and for David, one of the team leaders, a severe back injury just before leaving the USA that has changed his life dramatically. On a typical day in past years, he would be bouncing from one class to another, checking how things are going, shooting pictures, interacting with students. Instead, his walking is limited to the bare minimum.
Remember our program assistant who at the end of last week said we were “nice guests” to put up with the way we were being pushed around the campus? The young woman with an MBA from England who is our left and right hand for any need that might arise? A mere text on my phone gets air conditioning turned on, lunch delivered, copies made, video projectors serviced – in short, my wish is K’s command.
She spends a LOT of time with our team. She’s seen us in all circumstances these almost three weeks now and she has had lots of time to observe our reactions.
Yesterday, because my husband isn’t moving much, he returned to the main hall where K hangs out when we’re not making her run all over town. As soon as he sat down, she came and plopped down across the table from him.
“Do you believe in God?” she asked him.
“What do you mean by that?” he replied.
“I mean, do you believe he ex…he exists?” she asked, stumbling a little over the word.
“Why do you ask?” he pushed back.
“Because I really want to believe in someone who can show me the right way to go.”
The conversation continued for more than an hour and ranged from Genesis to Jesus. A hungry heart looking for answers who has rubbed shoulders with people who didn’t complain when they got pushed around. And a man who can’t walk much but has time to sit and listen and answer all her questions.
Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? There’s nothing random about what’s happening over here. K is just one of many who are searching. Today N was asking about scripture, J wanted to know more about the HS, and another K asked his teacher if they could visit a church on their field trip. They did, by the way, at the end of their time together.
The discussions are going deeper every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment