Back in mid-February I met an 8-year-old girl named Nonhlanhla. We didn't really talk very much over the first two weeks after I met her, though I saw her 2-3 times a week over the next couple of weeks. It turns out that she was hit by a car and was hospitalized after having a skin graft on her left leg. One day in late February she shared with me a little more about a few of the other kids that I have been talking too. Over the next few visits we started talking more and more...maybe some of that has to do with the fact that I began to bring a camera with me and allowed the kids to play around with it too. But there was also the time that they were changing the dressing on her leg, and she was in tears and noone was there visiting with her, so I let her hold my hand as I sat with her. But, on Friday March 2nd I thought I was saying good-bye to her because she was going to be discharged on the 3rd, and our team was heading to Jeffrey's Bay from March 3-10.

However, at my next hospital visit, on March 13, I was surprised to see Nonhlanhla was still there. I'm not quite sure why (by an earthly standpoint), but for some reason the hospital had not discharged her. I spent the longest time I had in that ward to date. I was there from 11-4 in the same ward. Thankfully I never had problems being there in non-visiting hours. There are some big advantages to being a white North American. Anyways, in the 10 days I had missed most of the children I got to know well had been discharged. But not Nonhlanhla. We were hanging out for a while when she asked about my tattoo. I have Forgiven across my right wrist. I went into my usual explanation I use with kids, and how if she punched me, and then apoligized, I would say I forgive you. That would mean she was forgiven. I  used that to lead into talking about the Bible. After a little while I asked her who Jesus was, and she laughed that kid "I'm shy" laugh and wouldn't say anything. Kind of like she didn't want to be wrong.

But we kept talking. Starting out with simple things such as Jesus was God's Son, He was perfect, etc. She was looking through my Bible randomly and asking different questions. We looked through parts of Genesis (creation), Exodus (Moses and the Burning Bush), and Matthew (Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man, Do Not Judge Others, Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy). We talked about a guy who our team prayed for and his thumb grew back. I shared how I don't understand that. In my mind I can't, but that I have to trust it. And how with God we aren't going to understand a lot, but we can trust it. That you don't have to know everything to follow God, and that you will learn over time. Take the things you know and go from there.

We also talked about prayer and how you can outwarldy talk to God and you can also do it just in your head. God knows what you are thinking. After a little while I asked her if she wanted to pray and she said yes. I mentioned that she could pray herself, but she chose to pray repeating me, so I led her in a simple prayer, asking God to help her and show more of Himself to her, saying that she doesn't understand very much right now but that she wants to trust Him.

Later in the afternoon, after we just hung out for a while, I asked her what we had talked about earlier in the day. She replied, "Jesus."When I asked her what we need to do to get to heaven, she replied, "Follow Him." And I asked her again if that was something she wanted to do and she immediately said yes.

The following day I went to Kalafong Nonhlanhla was getting some of her stitches/staples out of her leg. I sat by her and let her lean on my as she held my hand, but this time went pretty well. Her leg was healing more and more.

Now let me remind you, Nonhlanhla was supposed to be discharged on March 3. On March 13 she made the decision that she wanted to follow Jesus. On this day, March 14, Nonhlanhla was discharged to go home. God is amazing isn't He?!?!? We were able to talk for a few minutes and I asked her if she had thought more about the things we talked about. She said she had and that she wanted to follow Him. I also had the pleasure of giving her a piggy back through the hospital, out to the street in front, and drop her off in a taxi for the ride home. What a way to say goodbye!

It was great to see God at work in this childs life, and to see the "coincidences" in this situation.

As a side note...I've been actively following Christ for about 3 years now, and this relationship marked a personal milestone in my walk with God. It was the first time I have been directly involved in "leading" a person through their acceptance of Christ. I am the type of person who enjoys more behind-the-scenes service than standing out in front of a crowd, and the hospital ministry allowed me to have a more personalized ministry. It's so nice to finally have that first "out of the way"......as God has already placed me in the path of a second child making the choice to follow Him. So to close this entry, I just want to repeat something I said 2 paragraphs ago...God is amazing isn't He?!?!?