Kid Prayers (by Thom)

I know I haven't written a lot since we arrived in the US last month. Part of it has been business, part has been negligence, and part has been my-fingers-are-frozen-solid-and-I-can't-type. We got on the plane in Mali and it was 95 degrees that day. The next day we arrived in Detroit, MI and it was 5 above. It only got worse from there over the next few weeks. We're slowly adapting, though.
This evening I had the privilege of sharing the story of how we came to adopt Miriam and Hannah and how the Lord really pulled Hannah through a rough start. I love to share that story - it might be my favorite thing about being back in the US. Tonight we were at the Gallion, OH C&MA church where we had a wonderful time and made many new friends. After the evening service where I spoke we had a meal together in the fellowship hall. There was a 5-year old child from another West African country there who is in the US anticipating surgery for a problem that keeps her from walking. I was trying to speak to the little girl in French with a little Bambara thrown in when Miriam came over. Miri walked up, grabbed my hand and grabbed the hand of the little girl and announced, "I want to pray for Jennifer*". I was stunned. Miri had never said anything like this before. She loves to pray at supper time and calls us on it if we forget, but she's never asked to pray elsewhere and we've never included her before in prayers for others. Still, her tender heart was showing so I prayer for the girl, pausing each line so Miri could repeat, and afterwards Miriam was satisfied and ran off to play again (leaving me on the verge of tears - of joy). She's only 2 and a half years old, but as a dad, I'm so excited to see her interest in these things!

*name changed for the story.