Anna is filled with joy and brings joy to everyone around her. She loves to laugh, clap her hands, sing and dance and make funny faces. There were so many times this past month when I was homesick, frustrated with culture shock, or just feeling in a funk, that I would find Anna and the Lord would use her to restore my joy. Even holding her and having her fall asleep in my arms changed my heart and taught me that life is too short to let silly things steal your joy.
Anna is such a good learner and very bright! She catches on to things very quickly. I taught her how to sing “this little light of mine” and how to make fishy noises and pretend her hands were fins on her cheeks. Misty taught her how to use her lips as a trumpet and Abigail (I think) taught her how to put her finger up to her lips and say “shhh!” I realized at the end of the month how impressionable children are. We have such a responsibility to leave the right impressions on them. They are like sponges and they will soak up whatever you pour out. Be careful to pour out nothing but goodness and love on them!
It took a solid week for Anna to warm up to me. I would little by little try and win her heart with singing and smiling, but the thing that got her was chocolate! One taste and we were Best Buds for Life! Over the course of the month her mother’s trust increased and by the end of the month whenever she was busy or Anna was bored she would bring her right to me, plop her in my arms and go about her business. By the end of the month whenever I would come back to the compound or wake up in the morning, the cooks would say to Anna, “look Anna, it’s your Rafiki!” which means: friend. And that’s just what she is to me, my dearest African friend.
I pray great blessings over Anna that she may grow up to be a beautiful, healthy, intelligent, mighty woman of God!
