Every time the front door opened at a rural nutrition center in Guatemala that I was visiting with our team, 4-year-old Dervy marched right up to each visitor. I watched as he smiled broadly, spread his little arms in a sweeping motion across the entryway and then gleefully shouted, “¡Bienvenido!”, the Spanish word for “welcome.”
Dervy, or “Michael Jackson” as he preferred to be called, stood at about 3 feet tall. This tiny angel who dutifully took on the role of “official greeter” reminded me of the ushers and greeters at churches I have visited. Dervy wanted each person to feel welcome and feel like they were a valuable part of the team at the clinic. He was just too cute.
LIFESAVING WORK
The donor-supported Food For The Poor clinic helps children who have been discharged from local hospitals as they begin the slow road to recovery from malnutrition. Dervy’s own turnaround illustrates the critical difference the clinic is making.
JOY-FILLED MINISTRY
Dervy’s optimism and energy soothed the nerves of many worried parents who had brought their children in for treatment. His joyful greeting ministry at the clinic became a beacon of hope.
Other little ones followed Dervy around and watched with wide eyes as he grinned and pulled visitors deep into rooms. Soon all of us were full of joy, erupting in laughter at Dervy’s antics.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
Seeing Dervy and how far he had come in recovering from malnutrition made me so happy to know that the donor-supported Food For The Poor nutrition clinics and other programs in the Caribbean and Latin America bring joy for so many struggling families. Dervy encourages each of us to love our neighbors every day.
