I always like it when I hop on the public transport and see a familiar face on board. Sure, I enjoy the ride in silence and the breathtaking views as much as everyone else in the cab, but it’s nice to have someone to talk to early in the morning. Girlie was one of our house parents this past year and was really a blessing to our ministry. I say “was” because she just recently left the home to marry her long time boyfriend, who also does a ton with our children’s home and other ministries. They were married a little over a week ago and are currently in the process of settling into their home.
Girlie was such an addition to our ministry because she was a constant servant and the kids were all so attached to her. She joined us on Sunday at church and all the toddlers just ran to her and took their seats in her lap as if nothing had changed. In fact, the ride this morning may have been the first time I’ve seen her without at least two toddlers clinging on to her. I guess when you live with these kids 24/7, a bond is formed that is really hard to break, even with separation. There were times when I would pass Girlie and I knew she had to be exhausted, but she would always greet me with a big smile and ask me which kid I wanted.
When I first arrived, Girlie barely spoke to me. Part of it was the language barrier, but the other part was the shyness that is in this culture. It got to be a hysterical guessing game when we would start a conversation that would lead to a version of charades to try to figure out which word she was trying to translate. Before too long, Girlie would start the conversation with me and give me an update on each of the kids. As our ride continued, so did our conversation. She told me a little about married life, how Ronel (her new husband) was doing, and then she would ask me about each of the kids. I could tell she missed it out there and may have even been a little jealous that I was headed there. But when we changed the subject back to marriage and Ronel, she perked back up again.
Girlie doesn’t come from a family that’s anywhere close to wealthy, but as I thought about her service and the way the kids love her, I couldn’t help but see how wealthy she actually was. Despite the long hours of dealing with infants and toddlers, Girlie always had such a joyful countenance. If I’m being honest, there are days when 20 minutes with those kids will change my mood. I’m sure she felt the exhaustion and frustration every now and then, but she was always so pleasant to be around. It’s easy to see that God always provides for our needs, but I can also see that our home lost an awful lot when Girlie left.
