27 days ago, we drove slowly up a mountain in Swaziland.
27 days ago, I got out the van and knew that this place was going to be one of the best months yet.
27 days ago, I was sitting in a chapel on a bench waiting.
27 days ago, I heard “Janelle, your buddy will be Ayanda”.
He walked up to me without looking, yet had this exciting grin on his face. He sat down, looked away, and propped his back up against my arm. I tried to say hi to him and get him to look at me but he laughed and tried his hardest not to. As soon as he leaned up against me I knew that he would forever be in my heart.
The first couple of days were tough. Every time I came near him he would run away (jokingly of course). He would run, bop people on the head, and laugh. He didn’t talk much and was very distant. Charmain (our host) gave us all letters about our buddies to get more information.
“He likes to play cards, memorize bible verses, and he knows Psalm 27 by heart.” That’s it. That’s what I was going to do with him.
That first Thursday he was swinging on the monkey bars and playing. I walked up to him with my camera around my neck, and started the conversation.
“So you like to play cards, huh?” I said.
“Who told you that?” He replied right back with a laugh.
“A friend, and you like to memorize bible verses?”
“Did you talk to Fahj?” He questioned, so curious on how I was figuring out all these facts about him. He also liked that I knew things about him and that I wanted to know more.
He saw my camera around my neck, ran up and leaned up against my body right between my camera and me. He started taking pictures, of random things. People running and playing, the landscape, the dogs walking across the way, and really up close pictures of me.
When he was done playing with it he ran and jumped on the monkey bars, and that’s when I popped out the last question, “Ayanda, what is your favorite Bible verse?”
He responded “Psalm 27”
“I heard that you know it by heart can you tell me it?”
He spoke fast. “The Lord is my light and my salvation –
whom shall I fear.
The Lord is the stronghold of my life –
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh,
me adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.” (vs.1-4) and he gave the biggest chuckle after.
I was in complete amazement and in awe. I didn’t know how a little boy could know so much. I asked him to me why it’s his favorite verse. I told him I would love to learn with him.
He responded with, “I read that chapter every night before bed when I pray. Anytime I get upset during the day or afraid I just look up to the clouds.”
Man, I am so blessed, I thought. God gave me an amazing blessing this month.
”Ayanda, I want you to know that I’ll read it every night while I’m here so that I can learn it too.”
The expression on his face you can tell that he was starting to warm up. That he was obviously starting to trust and feel more comfortable with me.
For the next couple of weeks our friendship began to grow. Ayanda loved to take pictures and videos. We spent time talking about the Lord, memorizing bible verses, and praying for the ones around us and each other. When his feelings were hurt we talked about it and he tried not to shut down. If mine were hurt, we talked and he tried to fix what he was doing to not hurt it. We played in my hammock, he did about 50 flips a day in it, had huge tickle wars, and play cards till there no tomorrow.
Ayanda really taught me something this month. He showed me what it really means to rely on God. This boy doesn’t have much. He doesn’t have mom to hug when he needs comforting, a dad to talk to about life lessons with, toys that he can call his own, clothes that aren’t run down or have holes in it, and his brother to play to play with.
What Ayanda does have is the Father’s never failing, unending love. He turns to the Lord when he feels alone or scared to know that yes “the Lord is HIS light and HIS salvation.” He carries the joy and the smile that is contagious that you know the Holy Spirit dwells within him. Even though he has had evildoers, abandonment, and wars against him he chose to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to dwell with Him.
He has aunties that cook his meal and take care of him. He has an older brother and sister (in Christ), Fahj and Wendy, that care for him as is he was theirs.
Leaving this month behind has been the hardest thing I had to do yet on the race. Holding him in my arms till the last second was hard.
By the end of the last day I was hiding my face. I was turning away from him. Lord, I don’t want to be another buddy on his finger that left him behind. Tears kept coming.
“Janelle, why are you crying?” Ayanda asks me. I am lost for words because I don’t want to leave him.
I respond with an “I’m not.” Hugged him one last time and smiled. We promised to write each other and to let that not be the end of our story.
