Excerpts from Tommy’s March newsletter
TEMA, Ghana (BNc)- Peace is a second grader who came to us last year in May. She was orphaned, and the first thing I noticed about this child was how skinny she had become from lack of food. Then I noticed that she looked so sad. Then I saw that she never had anything to say.
Most of the kids here get over that sadness and quickly become the happy children they should be, but Peace did not change. I had my interns and groups really try to spend time with her, and it helped some, but Peace still had times of deep sadness after they were gone.
Lately, however, through a lot of prayer and love, I have watched Peace open up. We now have an art program, and she really enjoys it. Peace is really good at art. She now laughs and talks, and right before my eyes she has come out of that sad world she lived in. Peace is a happy little second grader with a talent in art.
Junior is a twin. His name is Gideon and his twin brother’s name is Gideon as well — so they are Senior and Junior. Junior has, since his arrival as an orphan in 2005, been a quiet and reserved boy.
Little by little, with the help of different people who have shown love by taking time with him, he has come out of his shell. I saw him smile for the first time about a year after he came to us, but he still hardly ever speaks — and certainly never in public. Last Friday night during one of our worship and study times I was teaching the children some of the things we can do in worship.
We were singing the song, “God Is So Good” over and over, and after each time someone would raise his or her hands and tell something that they see that shows God is good. About the third time we finished singing, to my astonishment, Junior raised his hand. I called on him even though there were many hands in the air. He said that God is so good because He had given him a family and so many blessings.
Again, right before my eyes, I watched Junior take a big step forward. I told him afterwards how much I loved what he had said and I thanked him for sharing with the rest of us. Junior left with a huge smile on his face that has not left his face all week!
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