pairs

does anyone remember the game pairs?? well yesterday afternoon i tried to become an expert at this game, but i truely failed! the little ten year old girl who i was playing with on the other hand, was an expert. princess disney pairs was the game that she loved and was very good at. however hard i tried to win, i couldnt!! my memory isnt so good. we played and played and counted how many pairs we had got each. she could also already count to six in english - and can now count up to ten! and she could sign her name; 'Belivda' was so neatly written on the bottom of all the pictures she coloured in ... and taped up on the wall over her bed.

tomorrow i doubt she will feel like colouring or playing pairs; she is having surgery today on her jaw and a tumour is being removed from her mandible - her jaw is locked shut...the joint at the back of her mouth has ceased up and she can hardly open her mouth; can u imagine how difficult it is to eat? talk? smile? laugh?

but Belivda in a few days will be able to play pairs once again, will be able to colour with the hope of a future - a future without the impending malnutrition and associated death. she can carry on learning to count, learning how to write and her infecious half lopsided smile will be a full mouth of white teeth, glistening out from her open mouth. as i sat on her bed, with her snuggled up into my side, and her mamma looking on (tucking into a bag of nuts); the significance of it all was sinking in.

it is a privilege to be here and I thank God daily for bringing me here to love on his little ones, like precious Belivda. He is bringing hope and healing to the lost and hurting; changing lives and futures beyond recognition, filling them with His unending love.
there is BIG stuff going on on this ship. Big stuff that would happen without me being here, but it is a joy to watch it happen so close to hand, in front of me,
surrounding me and humbly by the touch of my hand.