Joël

I feel like telling a story even though it's not yet finished. In fact, I have a feeling it's only the beginning, but it's a beginning worth sharing. 

Joël touched my heart from the moment I met him. He didn't smile much, but I guess I wouldn't either if I was in his condition. At thirteen years old, he was crippled because he busted one knee when he fell off his bike two years ago. He had to stop going to school, used a bent stick for a cane, and had little hope for things to ever be different. 

There was something deep inside of him though. Something that I couldn't see but wanted to find. He had a stength and a gentleness about him, and I wanted to do what I could to help him. 

That started a long strand of phone conversations, meeting arrangements, travel organization, doctor visits, X-rays, scans, and a biopsy here in Burkina Faso. When they determined there was nothing left to be done except amputate the leg (which is almost worse than a death sentence in this culture), that started another round of trains-Atlantic communication and paperwork. Next thing I knew, Joël was on his way to the United States of America to receive life-altering medical care through Ray of Hope - a medical ministry that provides kids in underdeveloped nations with the chance to receive world class medical care. 

Through that whole process, I saw God provide in miraculous ways time and time again. His family is one of the most supportive and caring families I have met, and they truly love their son - a miracle in and of itself that I don't want to take for granted. In addition, God granted us the paperwork for his passport and visa (that would normally take three months to process) in only two weeks. The city where Joël will be living in the U.S. is the same city where my parents are moving, so they will get to be a part of his experience and I will get to see him when I come home for Christmas! Another miracle: the medical team fully intends on saving his leg and doing intensive physical therapy to regain full muscle strength and motion. And perhaps the greatest miracle of all: I found that something deep inside that I knew was buried within Joël. 

Hope. 

And a smile that makes my heart melt. 

I will always remember the first time I saw him smile. He didn't smile at all during my first encounter with him, but after that smile broke the eyes, he s lied every time I looked at him and called him by name. 

Now Joël is happily living with an amazing host family in the United States while he is receiving his medical care for the next year. He is eating hamburgers and M&Ms, playing with water balloons, going fishing, and watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. He keeps a picture of his family by his bedside that he kisses before going to sleep every night. 

Whenever I see Joël's parents, I show them the most recent pictures from Joël and give them the most recent stories. And they smile and laugh and praise God every time. 

And that's just the beginning. Joël's story doesn't end here; it doesn't even end a year from now when he returns to Burkina Faso after successful medical treatments. Even that will only be a new beginning! Who knows how many people will hear Joel's story and be changed. Who knows how many villages will hear his testimony and be touched. Who knows how far the news will spread. Who knows where Joël's legs will take him and where his feet will go once unhindered and freed. Who knows what Joël will be when he grows up and what else God will do with his life. Indeed this story is still in the very beginning stage. 

And really, what story is ever over? What story is ever fully complete? None of us have arrived to our final destination, and as long as there is breath in our lungs, there are still lines left to be written and adventures left to be had. People yet to be met. Struggles yet to be fought. Victories yet to be won. The story is never over just yet. There is always hope to be uncovered and a smile to be found. There is always a testimony to be realized and then shared. The story is never over just yet.