Saturday morning, 2/26/11, our first water truck stop was at Jeremy's Wharf in City Soleil. Some of the team was working the water hose and moving buckets, while the rest of us were playing with and holding the children.
While my teammate, Phyllis, was holding a little boy about 2 years old, a little girl about 8 or 9 years old began to hit and pinch the little boy. We were telling her not to do this but she kept on. I tried to put my arm around her and hug her but she would not let me. She backed away with an angry look on her face. A little bit later, a little boy wanted me to pick him up, which I gladly did. The little girl began hitting and pinching the little boy I was holding now, and also again the little boy Phyllis was still holding. Once again, I tried to love her up and she would have none of it. I had Fanfan come over and talk to her to tell her not to hit and pinch. Fanfan told her to behave, and he told me he thought she wanted love. I told him we had been trying to hold on to her and give her love, and it wasn't working. Fanfan tried too, and he also failed, so he saw what we were up against. In a little while, I put down the little boy I was holding and began playing with some of the other children, and lost track of the little girl who was being naughty.
When the water truck ran out of water, it was time for us to leave. I began walking towards the tap tap. All of a sudden someone came from behind me and put their hand into my left hand as I was walking. I looked down and it was that little girl, and she was looking up at me! I was blown away by this. I picked her up and kissed her on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around me and giggled. I hugged and kissed her a couple more times and she continued to giggle and hang on. Another girl about her age came over to me and was trying to pull her down from me. But she just shoed her friend away and hung on to me. I kissed her a couple more times and she was loving it. Finally I had to go so I set her down and said orevwa. She skipped away happy and content.
I kept thinking about that little girl the rest of the day trying to figure out what had happened. It finally dawned on me. That little girl was longing for the love and attention that the smaller children get. We can just pick them up and hold them. She was bigger and older and felt she was too big to be picked up and held, but that is exactly what she longed for. She longed for it enough to come after me before I left. She longed for it enough to not care if her friends tried to pull her down. I was there to give her what she longed for so desperately. Father God, thank You for letting me give her what she was longing for today.
While my teammate, Phyllis, was holding a little boy about 2 years old, a little girl about 8 or 9 years old began to hit and pinch the little boy. We were telling her not to do this but she kept on. I tried to put my arm around her and hug her but she would not let me. She backed away with an angry look on her face. A little bit later, a little boy wanted me to pick him up, which I gladly did. The little girl began hitting and pinching the little boy I was holding now, and also again the little boy Phyllis was still holding. Once again, I tried to love her up and she would have none of it. I had Fanfan come over and talk to her to tell her not to hit and pinch. Fanfan told her to behave, and he told me he thought she wanted love. I told him we had been trying to hold on to her and give her love, and it wasn't working. Fanfan tried too, and he also failed, so he saw what we were up against. In a little while, I put down the little boy I was holding and began playing with some of the other children, and lost track of the little girl who was being naughty.
When the water truck ran out of water, it was time for us to leave. I began walking towards the tap tap. All of a sudden someone came from behind me and put their hand into my left hand as I was walking. I looked down and it was that little girl, and she was looking up at me! I was blown away by this. I picked her up and kissed her on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around me and giggled. I hugged and kissed her a couple more times and she continued to giggle and hang on. Another girl about her age came over to me and was trying to pull her down from me. But she just shoed her friend away and hung on to me. I kissed her a couple more times and she was loving it. Finally I had to go so I set her down and said orevwa. She skipped away happy and content.
I kept thinking about that little girl the rest of the day trying to figure out what had happened. It finally dawned on me. That little girl was longing for the love and attention that the smaller children get. We can just pick them up and hold them. She was bigger and older and felt she was too big to be picked up and held, but that is exactly what she longed for. She longed for it enough to come after me before I left. She longed for it enough to not care if her friends tried to pull her down. I was there to give her what she longed for so desperately. Father God, thank You for letting me give her what she was longing for today.
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