I got to know Augustin soon after I arrived in Benin. He was one of the many neighbor kids who came to my house to get treatment for their sores. Playing in the dusty streets all day, the kids would always arrive on my doorstep quite dirty. I would give them soap and sponges, and they would lather themselves up, taking great joy in making as much soapy foam as they could.

When they were clean, I would then show them how to do hot compresses on infected sores and how to tell good healthy skin from infected skin, and how to remove the bad stuff. They dressed their own wounds while I directed. This was a great learning experience for them. Also, it’s easier to clean your own painful sore than it is to let someone else clean it for you. No one ever squawked when they were working on themselves.
One day, Augustin had some abscesses on his head and legs, and I told him how to do hot compresses, explaining that he could do the treatments at home, too. I think he was five or six years old at the time. He went home and instructed his mother how to treat the abscesses, and they healed quickly. Later, his mother came to my house and thanked me. She and I have stayed in touch over the years, exchanging plants and conversation.

In the past month, Augustin became friends with the two boys who are staying with me, so he has become a regular fixture at my house. When he is around, things are a bit noisier, and my already small house feels a lot smaller (three boys doing puzzles on my roughly 5’-by-5’ living room floor space makes it downright hard to get through). But he is respectful and listens and obeys when spoken to. When my two boys are studying, I give Augustin something to study, too. He is in fifth grade, but he still has a hard time reading. Also, he has started coming to our Pathfinder meetings.

As I interact with Augustin and my other two boys and watch for ways to teach them about their Savior, please pray that God will give me wisdom.

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