Small Transformation

He was the very first person I saw when we arrived to our house about six weeks ago after our furlough to the United States. He was waiting outside our gate when we pulled up in the dark, his smile glowing. 

You might remember his story. We met him about a year ago. His family situation is a mess and he lives on the streets. His name is Bombakebe, which means "no problem". 

Our first big question upon arriving back to Burkina Faso was, "What do we do about Bombakebe?" 

It's funny. We never really came up with a plan. We just kept doing the next thing. 

First we bought him so new clothes and personal hygiene supplies in the market. When he kept losing the stuff we bought, we gave him a trunk to keep on our property next door, and he could keep all his stuff inside. He sleeps over there and uses the faucet to wash his clothes and fill up his bucket to take a bath. 

Next we told him he could raise some chickens if he would build them a fence and feed them every day. So he spent a whole day working with our day guard to build a chicken coop. That was the first full day he spent off the streets. 

Next, we started feeding him two meals a day. He really started to spend more time with us! Maybe it was the food...or maybe it was the fact that we give it to him with a hug and a smile and always a prayer. 

Soon he started coming to church with us and to exercise with us when we walk in the evenings. He even went out to a village party with us to celebrate women's day. 

The next thing we know, he is spending every morning on the terrace - either coloring in his coloring book, building bridges with Kinex toys, or working with Suzanne on writing his letters and numbers. He has a chest of drawers on the terrace now where he can keep his clothes because they still turn up missing sometimes. 

Every Monday he visits his case manager at Action Social just to chat with him and see how he is doing. "I hardly recognize the kid!" the social worker said. "He's clean, he looks me in the eye when he greets me, and he is beginning to learn the difference between right and wrong." 

Last Thursday at kids club, we retold and reinacted the story of the Good Samaritan. When Bombakebe volunteered to participate, everyone expected him to be one of the robbers. They were shocked when Charlotte chose him to be the Good Samaritan, and let me just say, he made an excellent one. 

On one very hot afternoon this week, we decided to have a water fight in the yard. Well actually, Geoffrey and Micah and Bombakebe decided to fill up water balloons, hide, and then call me outside for a surprise attack that quickly escalated into a full blown water fight complete with buckets. Bombakebe ran around screaming and dumping water on everyone like he was having the time of his life. He was, and so was I as I realized that he might be feeling like a part of a family for the very first time. 

After all this progress, we had to leave for Ouagadougou for the week, after talking with the social worker, we agreed that the best thing to do would be to bring Bombakebe with us, so we did. It was his first time out of the village, first time to see bridges and big buildings, first time to use a toilet, take a shower (not using a bucket), eat ice cream, and sleep in air conditioning. "He's going to think he died and went to the North Pole," Geoffrey said. 

There was a lady in Ouaga who we know, and we introduced her to Bombakebe and told her just a little of his story. "He's going to be a great pastor one day," was her response. I wonder if she has the gift of prophecy; that's how I'm taking it no matter what. Why else would she say something like that? That gives us hope and makes us not want to give up on him, even when he acts crazy, messes with other kids, gets into our stuff, and disobeys every word we say. Love is hard and messy sometimes, but it's also more beautiful when it's messy and hard like that. 

I put Bombakebe to bed tonight. I told him a bedtime story, the story of Jonah, and then he proceeded to tell me a ridiculous story about two whales, two crocodiles, two fish, and some leeches that I'm pretty sure he was making up as he went along. We sang a few lines of some songs we know about Jesus, and then I say good night in the same way that Charlotte used to say to me when I was learning French and living her family in Ouaga. "Dors dors bien avec notre ami Jesus." Sleep well with our friend Jesus. At first he laughed and said, "But I'm sleeping with you!" Which is technically true since my cot is situated right next to his. "When I say that, Bombakebe, it means that Jesus will be with you and protect you throughout the night." So I said it again, "Dors dors bien avec notre ami Jesus." 

"Amen," he replied and fell fast asleep. 

There truly has been a transformation in our Bombakebe. A small one, but a transformation none the less. One step at a time. One meal, one coloring page, one bedtime story at a time. 

Just a few weeks ago, we were asking what to do about Bombakebe. We never set up a plan of action. We just did the next thing. I think that's what I'm learning right now: When you don't know what to do, just do the next thing. And before you know it, you will start to see a small transformation.