A Matter of Time

The beauty of the Mustard Seed Community here at Jacob’s Ladder is like a breath of air to someone who has forgotten to breathe for a few minutes.  Having just completed midterm examinations, many of us were somewhat worn out going into Mission. But upon arriving at Jacob’s Ladder Monday afternoon, every care was swiftly carried away by the simple beauty of this place.

While the flowers and trees were strange to us, especially for a North Dakotan like me, this place felt immediately like home.  As we unpacked our bags, Michael, one of the children here, rushed to greet us with hugs and the assurance that there would be a “Paaartyy.”  Though Tuesday has been filled with more shovels than balloons, Michael has been right so far; there has been plenty of laughs, conversation, and singing.

Father Garvin Augustine, the director for Mustard Seed, informed us that Mustard Seed is, for many of these children, “their home forever. It is our job to make it a wonderful home.”  While we have put ourselves to work cutting rebar, tying joints, and mixing concrete to build a walkway for the children, our primary “job” is to spend meaningful time with those who live here. 

Most of the children simply want to know they are loved.  I experienced this with one of the residents while I was on my way to the work site.  I was intending to get “straight to work” but David caught my attention… and then (with surprising strength) my arm! I could not help but spend the next ten minutes hearing all about his friends, his accordion, and all that is important to him here at Mustard Seed.  For those ten minutes David spent with me, I smiled so much that I think my cheeks began to ache! 

What amazes me most is that I knew, with great certainty, that David loved me. But David did not need clear words to communicate this; for him, it was simply a matter of spending time.