God smiled

    As you come down the aft stairwell, just follow the sound of the drums. 

     It started out as a nursing devo meeting, group worship, gathered in the little floor space between our patient beds.  After a few songs we asked the day volunteers and patients and families for some Krio songs...and the hospital routine suddenly became a dance party.

    After clarifying that what we wanted was "wosip fo dancing," a caregiver launched us into a whole string of Krio and English songs, with the other patients and caregivers enthusiastically joining in clapping.  Halfway into the first song we brought out the big set of drums, and the nurses started dancing, and the patients started dancing too.

On my first circuit round the room there was a little boy in a patient gown looking up at me with sparkling eyes, arms held high and the telltale steristrips and coban around both knees from his corrective orthopedic surgery.  I swung him onto my back, African style, and he held on tight as we danced together to the drums and sang "Send yo fia, de holy gost fia.  Send yo fia again, de holy gost fia." and several other lively and apparently well-known praise songs. 

The little bowlegged kids danced awkwardly along, or were swung up on backs as the nurses danced by.  Our little amputee stumped by with her crutch, her face pure joy despite the challenge of dancing one-footed.  On my back, my little one fell asleep, completely at home with the rhythm and drums...and as he slept and we worshipped, I looked up and saw God smile.