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A Picture of Friendship

There’s a picture of a beautiful horse hanging on the wall of my office. It’s not perfect, but close to it. It is done in black and white (crayon and pencil) and has a colored rainbow in the top left corner. It’s a reminder of my friendship that started just this year with a very quiet nine-year-old at Townsell Elementary. 

Because I am on staff at IBC and oversee the Lunch Buddy and Reading Buddy program, I recognized the value of Half Hour Heroes; but I never thought I had time to be personally involved. But as I thought back over my schooling, my most memorable times were when my teachers would read books aloud to us. They had been the catalyst for my life-long love of books and of reading aloud to others. I knew I had to sacrifice my time and sign up to be a Reading Buddy. Little did I know that the third grade student assigned to me would not know how to read the English language at all.

Ahmed is my Reading Buddy. His family came to the states from Sudan and lived right here in Irving while Ahmed was in kindergarten. But when his father decided his wife and daughters were becoming too “westernized,” they returned to Sudan. When they came back to Irving just before Ahmed was to start third grade, they moved into the same neighborhood because they liked what the schools were doing with their kids. 

When I met Ahmed at the beginning of this year, he had a heavy Arabic accent and could not recognize most letters of the English alphabet. Each Tuesday we went to the library and laid out all the letters while he tried to recognize them AND pronounce them. He was sharp as a tack and knew his own native language, but was far behind in English verbal and literary skills for a third grader. As I went each week, I secretly wondered how 30 minutes one time a week would make any difference at all in his reading skills. But regardless of my doubts, I showed up. By the end of the first semester, Ahmed had graduated from letter recognition to word flash cards. Within a few weeks, he went on to a second set of flash cards. And just a few weeks ago, he read a simple book to me! 

Ahmed’s reading skills are improving every day, and it’s a joy to see. But more importantly, he is beginning to open up to me, asking if the pictures in his books are about real things. Because I need to be sensitive to his culture and religion, I have been careful to let him lead the conversation. One day, he picked out a book on the history of the Jewish people. He asked me if each story in that book was real or pretend. I was able to tell him about God and how he had actually taken care of his people through the Red Sea. We talked about the tower of Babel (he was fascinated by the picture) and I was able to share about why we speak different languages. 

The picture of the horse on my wall is representative of trust and friendship. It has taken Ahmed 6 months of weekly meetings to trust me enough to call me his friend. Two weeks ago he produced the picture of the horse as I picked him up from class. As we walked through the halls, he showed that picture to a teacher, the librarian, and the principal. He was so proud of it, and they praised him profusely for his talent. We read a couple of books that day and then I walked him back to class. As he entered the room, he stopped, turned around and handed me the picture without a word. I fought back tears knowing that he was giving me something he was proud of, knowing that he wanted ME to have it, and knowing why. 

Ahmed and I share more of an understanding than we do words. Whether or not I am ever able to verbally share Jesus with Ahmed, I believe I have communicated something of his character through loving, encouraging, and praying for him. Maybe someday God will grow those seeds. Ahmed has also shared something with me of sacrifice, trust and friendship. And I am humbled and changed.

Tricia Kinsman is currently caught up in the raw lyrics of Flyleaf’s newest: “Memento Mori.” It hasn’t left her car CD player in months.