The last week here started with a bang! Several of us went to a town four or five hours away. We took both colleagues and nationals. We went to have a play trip. I went for another purpose also.
Three years ago or so, my friend Mark encouraged me to sponsor a Compassion kid. I did. When I looked for one I wanted one from this country and that shared my birthday. I found Ali. He turns twelve this month. He is a cute kid. I’ll put some pictures of him on the side.
Thursday, exactly one week from my leave, I went to see him and his family. They live about thirty minutes from the town we were in. Dempsey, a Compassion worker, went with me. I also took my friend Tarakegn along. We went and visited the project. Ali showed up just behind us. He was dressed in a green suit and toted some flowers along with him. He was pretty shy. I began to greet him and ask him some questions in his own language. I think he was a bit shocked by that.
For a while he and I sat with the others as they told us about the work of Compassion in this country. It was good to hear what happens with the money I send there every month. I got to meet the people that work with Ali. Then came my favorite part.
We left the project and drove down this small dirt road deeper into the town. Eventually we stopped. We were at his house. A crowd of people was gathered in the front yard. I greeted several of them as we entered the gate and approached the house. I met Ali’s parents, Misbah and Zemzem. I met his brothers – Tyudean, Sadaam, and Rayad. Ty is six. Sadaam is 3. Rayad is 9 months old. According to Dempsey this family is a little better off than the typical family. They had a nice house – it is two rooms and probably 10 people live in it. They have no electricity. They have a cow and few sheep. They must own some chickens because a few kept coming in the house and running around our feet as we talked. Yet they own no land to farm on. Better off than most means Misbah (32 years old) is able to bring home 250kg a year of the grain he grows for other people. Zemzem (24-27 years old) sells onions in the local market. Two days a week she brings home equivalency of a dollar or two. They are well off in comparison to many people that live in this country.
Ali is a good student who likes to play football (soccer). It was so good to see them. Dempsey told me the typical house visit lasts less than an hour. We were there two or three. It was so cool to be able to talk to them some and only use the translators when I needed. We shared for a while together. They brought us each a piece of bread and a cup of hot tea. Compassion projects here choose 20% of their people from the partner church. The other 80% is outside the church. Ali and his family are of the 80%. They are a Muslim family.
I asked Ali to tell me about his typical day. He wakes at 7 and gets ready for school. From 8-12 he goes to school. The Compassion kids go to a school on the church compound that runs Compassion. He comes home for lunch at 12 and changes out of his school uniform. After lunch until 6 he takes care of the animals his family owns. He comes home at six to help take care of his three younger brothers. He studies by the light of a lantern from 9-11 before going to bed. I asked him if he would sing me his favorite song. He stood and smiled. He sang us a song about Jesus. Pretty amazing this little Muslim boy can pick any song he wants, and he picks one about Jesus.
Then I asked Misbah, Ali’s father, to do the same. He wakes at 6. He feeds the animals, eats, cleans up, and heads out to plow the field. He works the field until 1. In the afternoon he helps care for the kids so that Zemzem can sell her onions at the market. At six he puts the animals in their place for the night. They eat dinner and talk together before going to bed at 11.
I told Misbah that I am a man who believes in God. I pray to God and I want to pray for his family. I told him that I believe God answers our prayers and I asked him what I could pray for. He is such a humble man. Dempsey told me as soon as some one asks this most will start saying they need a new house, or new clothes, or a cow. Misbah said, “I want my kids to be able to get a good education and be healthy.” Repeatedly, he said he wanted his kids to be happy, and healthy, and educated. Eventually he did mention it would be nice to have electricity so the kids could study easier. Then he told us about Tyudean.
About a month ago he hurt his leg. The doctor gave them some cream for it. His leg healed, but something happened to his body. This six year old will on occasion have the entire left side of his body go paralyzed. They don’t know what is wrong with him and don’t know how to fix it. The paralysis also messes with his eyes and his vision. Ali teared up as Misbah told us about Tyudean.
I told Misbah I was impressed by how much he loved his children. I asked if I could tell him a story. I told him the story of Abraham. I told him how God answered Abraham’s prayers and gave him Ishmael and Isaac. I told him how much Abraham loved his children, but how he loved God even more. I told him that if we would continue to be faithful to God he would bless us. I told him God loved him and his children and wanted to bless them very much.
Their family is beautiful. Misbah amazed me when he asked me a question. He said, “How are Mark and Jason?” “Who?” I asked. “You wrote about them in one of your letters.” (I’ll be honest; I have sent very few letters in the last three years. That will change!!) I realized he was asking about my two best friends. I told him they were well. I told him I would send some pictures of them and my family. Then I remembered I had some. I knelt down on the dirt floor beside Misbah. I made sure Zemzem and the boys could see as I showed them pictures on my palm pilot. I showed them Mark and his new wife. I showed the Jason and Christy. I showed them Amy and Chris. I showed them my family. They had the biggest smiles on their face as we talked about the people I love.
My prayer is that Ali and his family will come to be followers of the way. Misbah has five brothers all living in the same village with him. Zemzem has three brothers and two sisters – they too all live in Kuyira. They could be responsible for leading an entire village to faith. I pray a miracle will heal Tyudean. I pray God will win Ali and eventually his father, and mother, and brothers, and all of their family.
What a great beginning to my final week!!
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Occasional Meanderings of a man Pursuing the Pursuer
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