It’s a weekly time for us to sing songs, discuss important issues, joke about not-so-important issues, and pray together as we sit under the mango tree in Tim and Bron’s yard.  For the kids, it’s a time to play together, watch movies together, and just generally be kids together.  They dash back and forth between the house and the yard, sometimes interrupting our meeting with skinned knees, thirsty tummies, or the need for the toilet.

During one team time I was particularly pleased to watch Micah.  He was sitting in a chair by the house, reading.  An hour or so later, I was still watching him.  Trying hard not to be distracted from our team discussion, but marveling at the fact that the kid was still reading.  More time passed and he moved to the cement steps, still reading.

We had our tea break, and the kids joined us for snacks.  We went back to our team meeting.  Micah went back to his reading.  I was struggling not to be ecstatic.

Over the previous couple weeks Micah and his two siblings had spent a number of hours in my schoolroom, keeping me company while I prepared for school.  Much of the time that Micah had spent in the schoolroom he had been playing his Game Boy, telling me about his Game Boy, or showing me his Game Boy.

For those of you who know me, you know that I struggle to cover my down-with-electronics-and-grab-a-good-book attitude under a pleasant face.  I don’t care how cool a computer game or movie may be, it would be much better if you would spend your time reading a book.  Not sure that this is a biblical attitude…but we will save that discussion for another time.

As we finished team time that day, Micah proudly showed me how much he’d read in book two of The Series of Unfortunate Events.  I did a victory dance.  Not actually a literal victory dance, because I was afraid that might damage my schoolteacher personna.  But definitely a heart victory dance.