1/31/20
There is a little girl here who I hope to never forget. Her name is Cesia. She is the 3-year-old daughter of our host that has been cooking for us.
She is a ball of energy. She has been so much fun to play with, is so creative, and so smart.
She matters to me not because of anything she has done, but because I know we matter to her.
Her dad told us that we are the first group she has connected with. Apparently, she has always been a shy, timid little girl who stayed close to her parents’ sides around everyone, including all the teams of missionaries that have come and gone in her short life.
For some reason, our team is different.
For some reason, she is drawn to us. Despite the language barrier, she wants to socialize with us. She wants to show us all the things she is learning. She wants to be with us. She slowly ventures a little bit more out of her comfort zone getting to know these 6 strange American girls who share a living space with her.
I am so glad we didn’t push her away. Truly, I’m thankful for Bethaney who really has a heart for children and has poured more time into this little girl than I could ever muster to give.
I met Cesia on day 1 of being here, but I didn’t know until yesterday that we were a special group to be welcomed so readily into her little world.
And tonight that’s just kind of impacting me to think about. To think about the woman she will grow to become. And to think that she will be a little bit more open to the love of the Lord and the love of people who come to pour love on this community because we have loved her so well.
It reminds me that we never really know the impact we have on the world or in a person’s life. I’m blessed to impact a 3-year-old girl on this journey I’m undertaking. Likewise, I know she is blessed by me and by my team through the love we have shown her.
I’m going to remember her. And I’m going to remember the fact that I didn’t know we were different and made a new kind of impact on an important little life.
And I’m going to carry that lesson forward into the world as I travel for the next 10 months, and hopefully bring it back with me.
And for now, I’ll send this lesson back home to America, to all the people who read this blog. Remember that you never know the impact you have on a person. Always try to shine a light of Christ into the world wherever you are. You may just make a little girl’s day brighter.
