Princess Jumalabi

A child's laughter is sweet music to the ear - like angels singing, a joy to listen.



This is one of the joys of my heart. This is a 10-year-old girl from Thailand who came to America 3 months ago as a refugee. This is a girl whose extreme bravery and courage shone through like rays from the sun, despite her lack of English. This is a girl who still easily trusts and easily laughs, despite her past experiences. There is so much I can learn from her. This is Princess Jumalabi.



As part of Campus Crusade for Christ's winter conference, I got to participate in a very special day of outreach. We partnered with my wonderful church and rented out the outdoor ice-skating rink in downtown Greensboro. We then buddied up with refugee children and taught them to ice-skate. It was probably one of the funniest, most tiring, and most enjoyable experiences I have ever had.






Even though many of the children had trouble communicating with us, smiles and laughter were all that were needed. As my friend Leeann pointed out, joy was radiating from this little rink in a way that can't be described. My little buddy probably had no idea what I was saying to her as I tried to show her how to skate, but I'm sure she knew she was doing well when I cheered for her. Even when she fell, our combined laughter had to let her know that it was alright. I caught her 99% of the time, but I am human and not the absolute best at skating myself. Despite my faults, her trust in me was evident in her insistence on skating faster and faster (although her balance and control was severely lacking). She would skate ahead of me, without looking back, and immediately reach for my arm the moment she started to fall. In just 2 short hours, she could skate pretty much on her own.



I felt like a proud parent as I watched her. It's crazy how much you can grow to love someone that you can't even talk to. I warmed her cold hands and tried to communicate through smiles and clapping that she was an amazing little girl that was loved. Even a little girl from my church offered Jumalabi her gloves in one of the most beautiful displays of love I have ever seen.



This is how God must feel. This is how He feels when we trust in Him follow wherever He leads. This is how He feels when we are truly filled with joy. This is how He feels when we give sacrificially to one another in love. He must take such great joy in being our proud Father. The sparkling eyes and beaming smiles I saw all around that ice rink reflected the love of the One who has done everything for us.

Chris' buddy was Usi, Jumalabi's brother. I think the Spiderman hat is what attracted him. :) Here are a few pictures.