Anna (name changed) is a tiny six year old girl. She’s loud. Obnoxious. She’s often scolded for her behavior. She will boss other children around and genuinely defend herself. However, she carries a childlike faith, innocent and sincere. When she is scolded, her eyes show intense sadness. She realizes what she did and apologizes profusely. She doesn’t let her faults guilt her. Because she knows she is forgiven, she regains her enthusiasm for playing and learning. Everyday, she greets me with an ear to ear smile and asks questions. She loves school, loves her teacher, loves me. I am inspired by Anna. She is a living example in my life as a Mission Corps Volunteer. She questions “why?”, she fails, she forgives, she forgets. She starts each day on a new page with a smile on her face. She doesn’t let yesterday bring her down. God sent Anna to me as a reminder to have that childlike faith. From what she shares about home, school is the most stable part of her life – a place where she is allowed to behave like a child. Her positive attitude, despite her situation, reminds me daily to let go of futile, worrisome things and seek out childlike faith.
