Love The Lord With All Your ... Chest

Karen writes . . .

I teach the kids Bible at the center, once a week in every class. I love it. Sango is a new language to me but I hope a few of my more notable mistakes have at least made the kids laugh with me! I realized half way through one week that I was telling them to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your strength, and all your chest (or ears depending on intonation!). Apparently âme is a French word! I also learned one story to memorization until I realized I was saying that the Good Samaritan took the injured man and kept him in jail, instead of an inn!

Friday, I was talking with some kids at recess. When I got here I was almost terrified by 500 nameless kids I couldn’t speak to all trying to touch my hair and arm. Now that they have names and what they say makes sense, I can’t help but be thankful for the privilege of knowing and being with them. I was leaning against the white wall, and I began to hear a woman’s frantic voice over the kids but I didn’t pay attention. Then I realized the voice was calling my name. I looked back to see Madam Zokoe looking at me. I thought she was just greeting me and I waved and smiled and turned back to the boy I was talking to. But she continued to call out and I couldn’t hear her over the kids. Finally the boy I was talking to, who is continually getting me out of scrapes, said, “Karen! She’s telling you not to lean on the wall! Don’t lean on the wall.” How embarrassing!

Laura and I enjoy sitting with the widows sometimes while we’re at the center when they’re cooking the porridge for the kids. They remind me of grandmotherly ladies you read about in books when they say, “Eat another fritter child, eat another! You’ve haven’t grown enough yet child!” I might have been an adult when I left the States, but if they continue to fill me up with delicious fried bread, I’m fine with being called a child!