Simple power

The row of small faces watched Linda intently, the dark brown eyes only leaving her to catch the translation of her story. Behind them, several adults with babies listened as well. I tried to take them all in as I translated, letting them know the story was for them as well.

At the end of the row sat Abigail and Carolyn, also intent on the story of a man who disobeyed God and got eaten by a large fish. Pretty impacting.

When Linda got out the paper and showed them how to make a simple origami whale, the children eagerly took the sheets of light blue paper. Soon the mothers with babies came forward, apparently wanting to make one for their child. Amusingly, the men were not far behind, wanting to make one themselves. A gruff 60-year-old had to come closer to see how the folds were to be made.

The dirt floor became a seat and the wooden bench a table. Markers came out, and the whales were decorated with scary large teeth (by the men) and flowers (by the little girls).

As we mounted the canoe to begin our trip back to the base, Abigail was full of questions about the story: why did Jonah hide from God?, who threw him in the water?, Were the people of Ninevah bad? and on and on.

I hoped that the story had thus impacted the others present. There is nothing so simple, and so powerful as telling God's stories.