Yamah

This is Yamah.

Yamah is in my small group for CDP at Danny Feeney (formerly, Gold Child Orphanage). She is a smart, but shy, six year old who loves to color and make funny faces. She usually doesn't say much, but her big brown eyes and huge smile are killer!

This week in CDP, we are finishing up our lessons on The Fruits of the Spirit. Because we are finished, the kids get to keep their copy books. I thought it would be cool to write little notes to each of the kids...some surprise encouragement...in the back of their copy books. Today I passed out the copy books and told the kids that they each had a special message inside. The kids flipped though quickly, and noticed the brightly colored page towards the back. They weren't too excited because none of them can read, but they enjoyed my doodles. I started the kids on their color sheet for today and went around and asked each child if they found their special message. I read each child their note, but most of them were already distracted before I could finish.

Somehow I didn't get to Yamah...probably because she likes to sit backwards on the bench and uses the seat as her table. After 'study class' finished, I went and sat outside. Yamah came over with her copy book, and I realized I didn't read her her note. I asked Yamah if she read it, knowing that she couldn't, and then asked if I should read it to her. She nodded yes.

I cannot tell you how much fun it was to sit there, amongst the chaos of 35+ other children running around, and watch the face of precious Yamah change. She lit up! It was a special moment...like nobody else even existed. She looked down shyly, and let her beautiful smile slip. I asked her if she agreed with what I said, and she could only smile. I said, "it's true! You are special and beautiful and God loves you so much!" She let her smile slip again, and it was priceless. I knew that it had been a long time, if ever, that she had heard those words, and that she really believed them. She went in for a hug, and then just stood there for a minute holding my hand.

Moments like that, with Yamah, are what it's all about!