Leader

A few nights each week, after the workers have left and the sun has started to set, I go running around the perimeter of the mission compound. It’s a short track, but 5 to 10 laps gives me enough time to relax, digest the day, and get a little exercise in the process. Normally running is a time of solitude for me. But last week, my time of solitude quickly turned into a game when 3 little kids joined me for my jog.

The three little ones were sitting outside waiting for their mothers to finish the day’s work when they smiled at me passing by. The oldest one, who’d seen me running before began to run beside me, so I asked him if he wanted to race. He said yes and ran along side me, but we never set a finish line so the race continued for half a lap.

Soon his little sister and brother (maybe 6 and 5 years old) followed his example, and began running behind us. We must have looked pretty funny, the four of us running along in a line like little ducks. I laugh now just thinking about it—a 23 year old, a 10 year old and 2 kindergarten aged kids.

Since I had their full attention, I decided to make a game of it, and told the oldest boy “Ou lide. Nou swiv ou.” I think that means, “You leader. We follow you.” It must have been close enough because he started running in front. After a bit we picked another leader and went on like this. Of course I led them over logs and around a swing-set and under tree branches, but the little ones just ran straight and hard, as if they were finishing some army exercise.

In fact it reminded me of a running drill we did in high school. I think it’s called an Indian run. Anyway a whole team runs in a line and the last person runs to the front of the line, when she’s there, the new last person runs to the front, when she’s there the new last person does the same until you’ve finished running the assigned distance.

Anyway, the kids stuck with me for a good ten or fifteen minutes until their mothers came out. I don’t know if they felt like they had to keep playing or if they really were having fun. But as they left I told them, “Thanks for running with me,” and they got the biggest cutest smiles on their faces. Doing Indian running drills with Haitian kids may be one of my favorite little gifts God’s given me. :)

(I wrote this a while back, but haven't had a chance to publish it until tonight)