Little Girl With the Sticker

I don't know how old she was. I don't even remember her name. And I haven't seen her since that day six (or was it seven?) years ago. Probably won't see her ever again.

I do remember her shy smile, her tangled-almost-matted hair, and the sticker on the middle of her forehead.

I remember how she tagged after me, borrowed my camera, sat beside me, squeezed behind me to throw little arms around my neck, begged to have her picture taken, asked me to sit in the shade with her and take pictures.

I said, "Later."

Because I was fifteen years old and my "best" friend, G, had a bigger following of girls at the school in Belize and I wanted to be with G and I wanted to have all the girls follow me like she did and I didn't have that much time for one little girl who just wanted to sit in the shade and take pictures.

At least I did invite her to play with us.

She did for a little bit but the other kids pushed her back and she went away and sat in the shade and watched. We played all kinds of games and she watched. I fell and wrenched my knee hard but I got up and kept playing because you know, that's who I was.

And then I said goodbye and she gave me a hug and went and sat in the shade and watched me go away. And I didn't come back because on the goodbye day I'd finally gotten to work with the guy I had a crush on and no, they didn't really need me on the job, but I sure wasn't going to leave, just to say goodbye to just one little girl who wanted to sit in the shade and take pictures.

"That little girl with the sticker?" said G later, "I think she's kinda left out. I think they pick on her a bit."

And I didn't say much but a bit of guilt pricked at my stomach and maybe my knee ached a bit more. Maybe it still aches a bit.

So whenever that knee hurts I remember the little girl in the shade--so much like the bigger little girl who she wanted to sit with--and I remember to make time to sit with the little girls and the little boys and the bigger girls and boys who are still little inside. To make time to take pictures and give hugs and jump rope and twirl them around in the air, to lock eyes with them and tell them I love you. And so does He. To make time to make a big deal about a sentence or a crayon scribble or a math problem done badly beautifully.

And someday if I ever find that little girl again, I'll squeeze her tight and hand her my camera. And we'll just sit in the shade and take pictures. Maybe all day.

What Inspires Me

Different things inspire all of us. Perhaps if you know me or if you've read some of my previous posts you've learned that my goal is to be a missionary...wherever I end up in the world. So in pictures and words, here are just a few things that inspire me.

Playing on the "blob" at summer camp in the U.S. It's amazing how Christian summer camps impact the kids who come to them. I've experienced it myself and this summer I hope to be a part of that experience for someone else! Camp can show God to kids like almost nothing else can!


Unloading trucks for a medical clinic in the U.S. Maybe I'm not a nurse (yet), but pointing out lines on an eye chart is pretty simple. And you never know when you might get the opportunity to witness to the people you're serving--or to your fellow staff members!


Schoolgirls in Belize. Need I say I love kids, no matter what country they're from? :) Sharing God's love...being the hands and feet and arms of Jesus...that's what really matters!


The city in Lima, Peru. "People live in those things?!" Yes they do...not all of those buildings have roofs and I don't think a single one is what many of you would think of as an "acceptable" house. How many of those people have ever had the chance to hear the gospel?


Birds-eye view of "jungly" area in Belize. Flying over the jungle is amazing--you can hardly see a sign of people anywhere, yet they're down there! Someone has to find them and give them the good news of salvation in Jesus.


Heading under the canopy on a Peruvian river, en route to a jungle village. Peru is where I received my call to missions, and it still holds a special place in my heart.

So many people in this world! Do we really want Jesus to return soon? Really?
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Matt. 24:14) It's not impossible...we have Jesus' power to see us through! Nothing is impossible with God, no matter what country you're in.

That's what inspires me. What about you?