“Hi,” he said. I was still shocked that he smiled. In orientation, we were told the students probably wouldn’t smile or open up become that they come from broken families. So, I expected to see him frown and try to run away from me, because I was a foreigner to him.
“I know very little English.”
I found hope. I expected no communication whatsoever. I thought I was going to have to just fast from talking. But this boy gave me some hope by try to speak to me.
“What’s your name?” He then said his name, but I did not attempt to say it because I didn’t want to offend him.
“Nice to meet you,” I said. His smile was just so powerful. It began to become contagious that I started to smile at him.
I learned that I didn’t have to know the language to explain how I felt or to be able to communicate with the kids. I had found the universal language. It’s a smile. I knew that just by smiling, God gave me the sign. That’s how I can show my love to others. It’s how I can just be there as someone to support them.
Who knew that a simple smile could make a huge difference? It’s a conversation starter. It’s a symbol to represent that you’re happy to meet someone. I knew that he was happy to meet me. That not only made my day, but it made my whole trip. To see the simple smile directed toward me made me so happy and appreciated.
Kevin, a student at Texas A&M University in Kingsville served with Go Now Missions in East Asia. His last name is withheld for security reasons.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.