HONEY BEAR AND BLUE BELL

One day, Nanny said to Honey Bear, “Come, we’re going to play with Angela. Her missionary Mommy is speaking at a lunch today. Nanny gathered her toy bag with crayons and a coloring book to help Angela pass the time.

“Let me come too,” said Blue Bell sitting on Nanny’s gift shelf. Missionaries’ children had a special place in Nanny’s heart. (God once called her to Africa to teach missionaries’ children. Somehow Nanny never went to Africa.) Blue Bell quickly jumped into the toy bag!

After lunch, Angela and Nanny happily played with toys and a coloring book. Blue Bell cuddled close but everyone was busy singing, speaking and coloring. They hardly noticed Blue Bell at all. Blue Bell began to wonder why she had come.

After the meeting, Nanny decided that Blue Bell hadn’t received much attention so she gave her to Angela for the long ride home. Angela had been such a good little girl that she deserved a surprise! Little did Nanny know that this was the beginning of world wide adventures for Blue Bell.

Blue Bell became Angela’s best friend. She went everywhere Angela went and brought joy and comfort wherever they traveled. In fact, Blue Bell became Angela’s constant companion. Angela enjoyed sharing her with others but always welcomed her tenderly back into her loving arms.

One day, older sister Sara was tearfully saying reluctant good-byes to the family. She was traveling to another part of Africa to a school for missionaries’ kids. She wouldn’t see her family until school break.

Angela disappeared a moment hurrying back with Blue Bell in her arms.

“Here Sara.,” she smiled through her tears, “You take Blue Bell with you to boarding school. She will be your friend now.”

“Nanny, is that a true story,” asked Honey Bear, “Yes, my little friend, Angela’s Mommy told me about Blue Bell’s adventure.

And that’s the story of how Nanny finally sent a part of herself to Africa.

HONEY BEAR THOUGHT, “I wonder if God has something for me to do to warm the heart of a missionary’s child?