I almost wished for the temperatures to be back to freezing again. Almost. At least when it was freezing, the roads in the little village were ice, not mud.

As my friend and I walked through the village looking for children to invite to our outreach program, there were times when there was nowhere to walk but through the water that flowed down the street. In other places, our shoes sank a little into the mud.

There was hardly anyone on the street — only one little girl, Diana. Diana came often to our programs, but her favorite thing to do was cause a commotion. Sometimes, she disrupted the other children so much that it was too loud to continue.

Last week, though, Diana came to the program and sat quietly, listening intently. Today, she was the only child who wanted to come. My friend and I sang some songs with her and attempted to learn a Bible verse, though that part was difficult because Diana didn’t even know the names of the letters.

Diana soaked up the attention we gave her like a thirsty sponge. She happily sang the songs, even requesting some. She readily answered the questions about who loved her (Jesus) and who had created her (God). And she seemed happy when we accompanied her part of the way back home, offering her a little protection from the village dogs that wandered the streets.

So was it worth the time, for one child?

Some might think not, but I would say yes. This child is neglected. Life at home is a challenge, and she can hardly read, so school is difficult for her, too. Other children push her down on the icy winter road, for no apparent reason. But when we took the time to give Diana all our attention, we were showing her not only that we loved her, but that the God we’re teaching about loves her, too.

Please pray for Diana and for the children in this village to continue coming to the programs, even if it means wading through the mud. 

Laura makes disciples in Romania.