It was the smiles that lay across their faces, wide like a clear morning sunrises upon an ocean. It was the laughter that poured forth from their lips, like beautiful birds joining together in melodious song. It was the way they stood shy and yet still proud. They, like us, are Gods children. They, like us, just wanted a little attention, someone they could share time with. They, like us, wanted to love and be loved.
In a forth grade level classroom in Sigishora with some poorer children, we were able to bring the gospel. Now, Terry the clown might not appeal to North American 13 year olds, but he was very relevant today. Today he even captured the hearts of grown women, of professional teachers… and of us. Joy resided in that small classroom, it swept through quickly like a mighty wind, everyone felt it, everyone was touched by it.
Their voices were off key and they mis-pronounced words … yet that seemed to make it even more beautiful. The way they said “Happy New Yer.” They sang and spoke in boldness, they received gifts with humbleness, they gave cheerfulness. We sat in their seats, they stood in the front. They were ready when we came, straight in two lines wearing hats that read “Ho, Ho, Ho” and standing in front of a chalk board that read “Welcome.” We were received with open arms.
After our presentation of songs, balloons and chocolate, the teachers invited us to have tea with them in their lounge. It was a small rectangular shaped room just wide enough for a table surrounded with chairs. The table had a clothe that was probably not usually there and every few chairs had bowls of biscuits and pretzels. “I am embarrassed at how small this room is, I am sorry we did not have more to offer,” the principle of the school had translated to us. “Embarrassed” we replied? “We feel like royalty.”
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