My little friend Musu, our 6 year old neighbor who lost her right forearm in the blast that heavily damaged their house in Monrovia last August, as well as ours, was crying one afternoon. It was very hard to get her to talk about it but eventually she blubbered out that some other children had refused to play with her. “They say I’m a one arm nobody so I can’t play lappa”.
“Oh no Musu they are so wrong, don’t mind them. Everyone is very important to God. God made you Musu and He loves you very much just the way you are. You are so important to God that He sent his son, Jesus in to the world to die on the cross for you. You are His child.”
Musu believes in Jesus but she still felt deeply hurt that she was called a nobody and wasn’t welcome to play “Lappa” (a kind of mini dodge ball for three where you have to count and stack sandals between dodging the small homemade ball) We immediately adapted the Lappa game and organized another game just for Musu and she did really well.
Later (along with some other war affected children from the area) we gave Musu some early Christmas presents – one was a new doll with both arms intact. Musu calls her very old one armed doll “Survive” and her new doll with the fine dress “Comfort”.
I remember as a boy being focused on toys and being quietly
Musu with Survival, (her one - armed doll)
disappointed about getting gifts such as clothes and school supplies. So I was delighted to see the beams of sheer joy on Musu’s face as she unwrapped her new forest green and salmon orange school uniform and other school supplies. She is back in school now.
Liberian children are so keen to go to school – this is the greatest dream they can imagine come true... to go to school! They study harder than I ever did in school. Restoration has begun. The roof and walls of Musu’s family house has been repaired. Her parents both have jobs created by the International community. Many NGO’s are spending on relief, health and education projects that have succeeded in kick starting the economy. Hope is being restored.
Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. And He took the children in his arms, put His hand on them and blessed them. Mark 10