Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Julai


Julai was undoubtedly one of my favorite kids at Kedesh. When we first got off the bus, he and several others came to meet us at the drop-off spot to lead us to Kedesh. He was the one who greeted me, asking if I was Jacob. At first I was wondering how the heck he could have known my name, and then he said they were from Kedesh. I just hadn't expected to see them right when we got off the bus, but I shouldn't have been surprised.

So Julai and I played several games of their version of checkers. It's played a little different than our form of checkers and there's a lot of strategy to it. I probably only won about half of our games. It was a fun time.

Did I mention this kid was amazing? He could basically learn a thing once and then repeat it and perform it like a master. He was the best chef at the boys' home. He had a decent grasp of basic English. He was practically a master welder. I saw him stitching up a soccer ball one time. He also was picking worms out of one of the guy's feet, looking every bit the professional doctor. There didn't seem to be anything that he could not do, if he set his mind to it. He was also very mature and extremely polite. And a little shy, as you can tell by his not looking at the camera... ever.

I've started giving these little snipets, partly for my own benefit, as a way to reflect on the memories and keep them fresh in my mind and treasure them, but also to give people a further glimpse into my life in Africa and the people there. So if you feel inclined to pray for people in these places, you have names and faces and personalities to consider.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I already said this once, but Jake, you are an inspiration to me. Simply by pulling out these memories and reminding us/the world about what Africa was really like. The question I tend to get is, was it fun? ...I find it hard to answer with a yes. Fun doesn't describe Mozambique, although I did enjoyed it. It's hard to find the words to express fully... and... I agree that Julai definitely left the biggest impression on us Utahns as well. It's a shame though, he was just a little too big to fit in our suitcases!! signed.*