the prayer.

I didn't hear my cell buzz to inform me I had a new text message. It wasn't until I was grabbing the phone on my way out of the apartment several hours later that I noticed the smiley face speech bubble bouncing on the home screen. It was from my teammate, reading, 
"Sam, please call me as soon as you get this. You have to know what happened today."

My heart paused a brief moment, but wasted no time in picking up a beat. 

See, yesterday I wasn't with my teammate, Marilyn. She was graciously doing some English review with the girls at the rescue home while on the other side of the city, I stood waiting with my lawyer in an immigration office packed with sweaty bodies. Standing room only. And like everyone around us, we quietly hoped there wouldn't be any complications with the process.   

Marilyn said the girls asked about me. I looked down at my nervously shuffling feet and couldn't help but let a big, toothy smile take over. Did you know, they have been so tender lately? They wanted to know why I wasn't there, so Marilyn filled them in on my important meeting.

The quick response of one of the girls rocked me. She lifted her voice and said, "We need to pray for her.". 

Then, grabbing the hands of those in the room, led the group in a simple prayer. 

Friend, I wish you had been with me this past year. 

I wish you had been apart of the little moments:

-The ones where we talked about going to the sweetest, most trustworthy of fathers.  And how I struggled because I didn't think they understood.

-The time I told them how my mom always, always prays for them. 

It's hard to describe what was written on their faces when they looked up at me in silence. Confusion? Awe?  

-And the days that my own prayers for them became tearful and I battled against discouragement.

But on this day, that changed. They were choosing to pray. 

And they were praying for me. 

Maybe you were there. Because you've been praying with me over these past months, haven't you? 

Thank you, friend.