In September 2019, Jenna finished teaching her beginner and advanced English classes while I continued to paint murals at the school that Partners Relief and Development (PRD) renovated in Iraq earlier that year. We also did a couple more weeks of a pop-up school in the newly rebuilt facilities, hosting approximately sixty kids. Teaching the 30 minute art projects was one of the highlights of my time here… One week I had each student color a triangular piece of paper, taking them afterwards and stringing them together and hanging them in the classroom the following week. The look of amazement, wonder, and joy on the kids’ faces when they saw their artwork displayed was overwhelming. It’s rare for schools to have art classes. If they do, their projects are rarely displayed.

I was astounded at how painting the murals in this school brought the community together… Little ones (and teenagers) continued to surround me as I worked, eagerly waiting for the moments when they could take a turn with the brush or jabbering at me in Kurdish as I brokenly tried to communicate in turn.

One day I was painting the front of the school with the usual dozen kids watching me and another dozen were clustered around Jenna as they sat in the shade. I heard Jenna say, “Have you heard the story of Jesus? Would you like to hear?” She proceeded to share the Gospel to all of these little ones who had never heard what Jesus had done for them. It was in a moment of loving them, being with them, enjoying their company, without a program or plan. At a later date we came with sparkly bows, clips, and nail polish to give the little girls “makeovers” and balls for the boys. Sometimes love looks like hairties and braiding hair. Or maybe it means playing a game of soccer.

Regardless of the activity, love looks like being present with whoever is in front of you.

~ All my love, Elisa Wolcott