The next year we moved to a house on the other side of the village. This amazing dwelling had two bedrooms, a beautiful sandy beach out the back door, and RUNNING WATER. Luxury.
Something that came with the house was neighbor children. They just showed up, day after day, and played with our children and ate cookies and taught my kids bad words and acted out all the disturbing stuff they witnessed at home and asked questions and taught me Oji-Cree words and listened to Bible story tapes.
One of these was Bambam, about whom I've written before. Bambam had an older brother named James who also came over an awful lot and, despite some unfortunate episodes, was easier to get along with than his little brother.
Our years in Weagamow taught us, among many other things, that it's really about faithfulness rather than results. Paul, especially, poured his heart and soul into his students and when we met a bunch of them four years after we left, going to high school in the city, found them a sullen and cynical group, seemingly bent on wasting their amazing potential.
We never kept in touch with the younger children who would come over to play, but I had no reason to believe their lives turned out any different.
Then, to my complete surprise, a handful of former students "friended" me on Facebook. And how refreshing to find that they have grown up into nice, responsible people.
Most surprising of all was a request from James, who remembered playing with Matt at our house.
Of course I became his friend, and then I discovered that he was an enthusiastic follower of Jesus and involved in some sort of evangelistic ministry. He posts updates like this: The heart of a wise man fears The Lord and keeps His word in his heart. Lord, that is my desire, my will, my passion. Make me for you
Or this: GOD'S PLAN HAS NO DELAY... GOD'S PLAN IS ALWAYS ON TIME...
I am realistic enough to know this has been God's work and not mine. Yet no cup of water--or oatmeal cookie--given in Jesus' name is wasted.
Yesterday James's update made me laugh, and it made me nostalgic for Weagamow:
IT'S 2 AM HERE IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO AND I AM CRAVING FOR SOME FRIED BANNOCK DIPPED IN MOOSE FAT WITH SOME MOOSE NOSE AND I THINK I COULD SQUEEZE IN SOME BEAVER TAIL... AHHH LOL... I ALSO WANT OUTSIDE TEA ALONG WITH MY PEANUT BUTTER JAR CUP.... LOL... REAL REZZED OUT INDIAN IN DA CITY!!!
Quote of the Day:"We're the Mennonites! You know who the Mennonites are? They're the cooks!"
--James, playing with Matt on the top bunk, back in 1992 or so
LoL that's so cool!
ReplyDeleteSis Rebecca says: How wonderful for you to know that all that suffering was not for naught!! Yeah!! Thank you for telling us that story. And how incredibly inspiring and encouraging for those of us who plod on in ministry day after day with little to no results to show for it!
ReplyDeleteI spent two weeks there back in 1969 babysitting missionary children while the parents went to a conference. And our years working with natives brings back many memories. Returning after 27 years, it was the children that had come to Sunday school that came to see us and tell us how much that meant to them. After that I was convinced we only plant the seeds, and pray, the rest is up to God.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! Praise the Lord!
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