This is the day I have waited for all week. The day I will finally meet my sponsored child Thierry Ridji Macon.
I wait with anticipation, the excitement bubbling up inside me so big I can barely keep it in or stand still. So I pace back and forth hearing he sounds around me feeling as if I’m in some sort of slow motion moving world… waiting and waiting…
Each sponsor is being called by name. I watch as they each go up to meet their child. I stand here for what seems like forever waiting to hear my name called. I search each child’s face hoping one of the faces I see is his.
I am so nervous…I wonder is he nervous?
What will I say? Should I hug him or should I hang back so as not to overwhelm him?
I hear my name being called, the time is finally here! I look up and there he is! My Thierry! His smile is just the same as in his picture, it is huge and warm and his big beautiful brown eyes are looking at me with love.
I am so excited I hug him, I hug the teacher and I hug the interpreter, I just want to hug everyone! I am so happy I can’t contain it, so its hugs all around again and again!
“I am so happy to finally meet you!” I say to him and he replies “I am happy to meet you” (in English by the way). I ask “how are you today?” he replies I am good how are you?” “Do you speak English?” I say. “Yes” he replies.
We continue with a bit of small chit chat and then the interpreter takes over once Thierry has reached the end of his English. I can not believe he has learned English for me. I was so surprised that he had learned enough of my language to speak to me personally for the beginning of our conversation and that brought tears to my eyes at how thoughtful a child he is!
We spent about an hour getting to know each other during which time he gave me a gift. He gave me a single rose and a pair of sandals. I know giving me a pair of sandals was really too much for his family to afford yet he brought them anyway and from the look on his face I knew he was excited to give them to me. When I first saw the sandals they looked really small and I have some pretty big feet. Though I knew those sandals would be to small I also knew that no matter what those sandals had to fit my feet right now in this moment. Right beside me was the boy who gave me those sandals and he was waiting with the look of excited anticipation of seeing his gift to me on my feet and there was no way would I ever let him down by seeing that those sandals did not fit. I said a small prayer in my head and then I began to put on the sandals thinking I would have to squish my feet into them. I took the first sandal and slipped it on my foot…Imagine my surprise when amazingly it fit! The look on his face when I had both those sandals on my feet was worth everything to me…I could see the joy in his eyes as he was seeing me wear his gift, pure joy, there is nothing like it in the world.
Later in the day we played soccer on the beach. He was very good with the soccer ball and told me that he was on a soccer team at school and that his team had won a trophy. He showed me how to kick the ball around a bit and also how to pick up the soccer ball with my foot. I just loved kicking the ball back and forth with him. We did so much today, we swam in the ocean and tried to catch the waves as the rocky bottom of the ocean was stinging my feet but today I did not care and I felt no pain. After our swim we had lunch together and then we listened to his music. American music by the way, He likes Justin Tymberlake and Chris Brown. I loved so much getting a glimpse into his life and knowing what sort of boy he was.
He had the most beautiful kind eyes and the sweetest smile.
He told me he loved me…”Mwen renmen ou” oh the sweetest words… I will never forget how they sounded from him… mwa la ma oo
Today was awesome, no longer was he a picture, he was alive and standing right in front of me.
Sadly it had to come to an end and they came to take him home. It was way to soon I did not want him to leave. The boy I had loved all along was even more to me now. I had no idea I could love him more but I do and I did not want to let him go. It was so hard to let him go, to say goodbye knowing it will be a long time before I will see him again. Now I know him all to much, I have felt his hugs and I have seen his smile in person. I do not want to let him go back into the chaos of the city of Port Au Prince while I go back to my quiet life in America. His world seems so unsafe to me. It was so hard to give him back to God but I had to, his life is here, he does not belong to me, I only got to enjoy him for a short time. I have to trust that God has him and will take care of him.
I was given a huge gift today, It was such a blessing way more than I feel I deserve.
Something I discovered today was that though this boy and his family had barely any money for material things they still wanted to give me something. Though it looked on the outside like they gave me a pair of sandals, what I was given was way more than a pair of sandals. I can never begin to have the words to explain what was given me today but what I do know was that it was love and it was hope, it was a selfless giving that I never have ever really ever gave of my own self. They gave me something when it looked as if there was nothing to give but yet they had so very much to give.
As I go back to my life a part of me has been left behind, behind with a boy, behind in the country of Haiti, living a life so different than mine, so far away, yet always he will be so very close.
Thank you God for this special gift you gave me today. Please watch over Thierry and always let him know he is loved.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Wow!! Thierry is a precious young man! That is so sweet that he gave you a rose and sandals!! I’m so glad that the sandals fit, too!! Thanks so much for sharing this. I loved reading your story!!
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Thank you and also thank you for reading 🙂
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I could not stop smiling as I read about your meeting with Thierry, so very special, so wonderful.
There is indeed evil in our world and much suffering but moments like yours and Thierrys outweigh everything else and we can say with assurance … What a wonderful World, I think I will need to Post something Special in remembrance of your joining heart to heart with Thierry. Yes perhaps T there will be a feeling of loss for awhile but you both have some wonderful memories to treasure and sandals fit for a Queen, given in Love, with words of Love, how very rich you both are and soon there will be another letter!.
Christian Love from both of us – Anne
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Thank you Anne, I am sorry it took me so long to reply back. Since coming home I have been a bit overwhelmed with getting back into the swing of things and not been keeping up with my blog very well. Meeting Thierry was just absolutely awesome and I am still floating on a cloud after meeting him. He is such a sweet boy!
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Thanks for sharing your story. It was exciting to read about your meeting, the gifts and hugs. What a wonderful experience. God bless
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I love this 🙂 Just found the post now. I’d love to see a photo of those sandals too though, haha! I’m sooo glad that God answered your prayer about making them fit.
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I would very much like to meet my sponsored children, but the leaving would be so hard.
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Hiya, I am so glad I stumbled on your blog, reading this post was wonderful. I sponsor a missionary who works for Gospel for Asia and I’d love to meet her however due to safety reasons, I have been told it’s impossible. One day..hopefully..Blessings
Nicky
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Thank you for stopping by and commenting on my blog. I hope you get to meet your missionary friend some day too! blessings to you!
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Thnks a lot Terri ,ive reaally appreciated what you have done for me . Thierry ridji Macon
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Thierry is it really you? I am excited to hear from you! I hope you are doing well and I still pray for you daily and think about you often wondering how you are and what you are doing now. I see on your google account that you are living in Canada now, that is exciting! If you ever come back on my blog again please let me know what you are doing now and how you are. I also want you to know that being your sponsor was one of the biggest blessings in my life. You are special and you are loved so very much, God bless you.
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This is great! We’d love for you to add your story to StoryShelter! https://www.storyshelter.com/question/sweet-dreams
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Those precious hours spent with our sponsored children are like no other! Sounds like you had a really incredible day. I find it really interesting how each country introduces the kids to sponsors a bit differently.
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Yes they are so so very precious and it was so hard to leave him once I met him. Thank you for coming by!
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i really like those pics
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