Kimmy

We first met Kimmy almost two years ago.  She was 2 years old and we would see her pressing her chubby little face up against the glass door of der Garten with a big toothless grin.  Whenever we went to the door to say hi to her, she ran away.  Over time, she got braver and would say, "Hi" to us and eventually she came into der Garten.  We were appalled that she was walking the streets alone and we soon learned that her parents were hanging out at the bar just 3 doors down from us.  Day & night.  Night & day.  Three years later, they are still there, from the middle of the day till night.  Her daddy is a big man with a perpetual frown on his face.  He is kind of mean looking.  The mom is thin and would be very beautiful if it wasn't for her dyed bright red hair.

So we fell in love with Kimmy.  She is so cute and has always been chubby.  We let her come into der Garten whenever she came around and she would chatter away to Bre in her grown up Deutsch voice and Bre always said she talked like a 5 year old instead of a 2 year old.  For my part, I gave her hugs and kisses and smiles and she loved to sit on my lap.  She found it hilarious that I didn't know how to speak Deutsch and would laugh at me in a very confused way.  When she saw me coming up the street she would run to me with arms outstreched and give me the biggest hug.  Then I would pass by her dad sitting at the outdoor table of the bar and he would not look at me  and I would wonder what he was thinking.

This went on for almost 2 years. Her coming into der Garten and coloring, eating or just chatting away.  She always talks to me as if I can understand her and most of the time I pretend that I can.  Kimmy has a 16 year old sister and one day the sister came into der Garten to see if Thilo could coach her in English.  He chatted with her for almost an hour and I observed her looking around der Garten at our walls that say (in Deutsch) - "Whenever 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst - Jesus" and "Maranatha!  Come Lord Jesus".  I don't know if it was these messages on the wall or something Thilo may have said but she never returned and from that day on Kimmy was no longer allowed to come into der Garten.  We were heart-broken.

She started school and we would see her with her new backpack walking home from school and a big grin on her face.  Whenever I saw her I would say, "Ich vermissen dich!"   (I miss you!)  She continued to hug me but would tell me in her serious voice that she couldn't come into der Garten.

Perhaps six months went by and one day she came in!  BreAnna, Thilo and I were bubbling over with joy.  At the beginning she just come in for 10 minutes maybe and then leave.  One day when she was in some teenagers began banging on our windows and causing trouble.  I ignored them until some of our other neighbor kids came running to tell me that one of them had hit her and so I went out with Kimmy to confront them.  As I was walking across the street to the park where they were standing defiantly, I decided to just love them.  Startle them with love because I knew they expected my anger.  Our friend Peggy was just then walking up the street with a beautiful red rose and I asked her if I could give it to them.  I tried to hand it to them and said, "Jesus liebt dich", (Jesus loves you).  But they wouldn't take the rose and just continued to stare defiantly at me.  I took Kimmy & Cora's hands and walked back to der Garten and then noticed that Kimmy's dad and another man were watching this whole interaction. 

Ten minutes later, Kimmy's dad came into der Garten and asked if I was confronting the teenagers.  (I had to get Bre to help speak to him because I had no idea what he was saying).  Bre told him that they were banging on our window and causing trouble.  Then Kimmy's dad told us that one of them was accused of touching little girls inappropriately.   It was then I realized that he was on our side!  That he was glad I had confronted those bullies and from then on Kimmy has had full freedom to come into der Garten!  In fact her mom brought her to us the other night and said, "We'll pick you up at 9:30pm".  (Fine with us!)  And Kimmy's dad came in the other night to get her and SMILED at me and said "Chow" when he left.  (We are breaking through).

So......I'm writing this whole background story to tell this one amazing part.  Kimmy and some other kids were playing Uno with me just  a week ago and I noticed that gunk was coming out of Kimmy's eye and she kept wiping it.  Later in the evening she said, "My eye hurts!"  It looked just like pink eye.  So, I got her a cool cloth to put on it and then asked her if I could pray for it and she nodded her head yes.  In my simple German I asked Jesus to touch her eye and heal it.  She sat on my lap while we were doing our evening worship and then she wanted to lay down where we have a fluffy rug and pillows.  Bre went and sat next to her and she also told Bre that her eye hurt and said, "Kim prayed for it but it STILL hurts!"  Bre said, "Did you pray for it Kimmy?"  She said, "I don't know how to pray!"  Bre said, "You can just ask God."  Kimmy made a face like this was impossible.  Bre got up and left for a minute and when she came back Kimmy said, "Okay, I'll pray."  She lifted her little hands in the hair and said HER FIRST EVER PRAYER!!!!  She said, "God please heal my eye and make it feel better."

She was watching me worship and imitating me lifting my hands and then she asked Bre why do we lift our hands.   Bre said, "So we can tell God how much we love him and tell Him, 'Lord, we give you everything'."
Kimmy kept lifting her hands and singing.  All of this was major breakthrough in her little life!

Kimmy is the first girl on the left

When her mom finally came to get her I told the mom about her eye.  (As usual, Bre helped me to communicate).   I saw Kimmy two days later and said, "Kimmy wie ist dein auge?"  (How is your eye?) and she looked at me with her bright smile and babbled off a lot of German and I looked into a clear, bright eye with NO infection whatsoever.  I said, "Danke Jesus!" and we hugged.

Kimmy said her first prayer and I believe that Jesus did touch her eye and heal it.  Thank you so much Lord!!!!!

We are thrilled to be loving and reaching out to our neighbor kids.  Kimmy calls me her "Garten friend".  All glory to the Lord.