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Praying to See Dad

By Andrew McChesney

Penny lives with her mom in Korat, Thailand. Her mom and dad don’t live together. Penny always wanted to see her dad. She wondered what he looked like. She wondered what he was like.

Then one of her friends asked, “Where’s your dad?”

“I don’t know,” said Penny, who was 8.

“Why don’t you know?” her friend said.

“I don’t know,” Penny said.

“Go and ask your mom,” the friend said.

“OK.”

Penny went to her mom. “Where’s my dad?” she asked.

Mom paused for a long moment. “He’s far, far away from here,” she said.

“Then where is he?” Penny said.

“Far, far away,” Mom said.

Penny sensed that Mom didn’t want to talk about Dad, so she said, “Never mind.” She decided to ask Mom later.

Two years passed. When Penny was 10, she asked Mom again. She wasn’t planning to ask, but she had been thinking about Dad for two years, and it just happened one afternoon.

It started when Mom asked Penny to do her homework. Penny didn’t want to do her homework because she planned to do it in the morning. So, she made an upset face. Mom didn’t like the upset face.

“Stop doing that,” Mom said.

Penny didn’t say anything, but she kept making the upset face.

“If you don’t stop, I won’t talk to you,” Mom said.

Penny didn’t want that.

“Sorry,” she said.

“It’s OK,” Mom said.

“Next time I’ll listen to you,” Penny said.

“OK,” Mom said.

But inside, Penny still felt upset about being told to do her homework. So, she blurted out, “Where’s my dad?”

Mom looked surprised, but she answered right away. “Dad is in Bangkok,” she said. “I’ll try to get his email, and we’ll see if he answers.”

With a bright smile, Penny ran off to do her homework. She was happy because she was sure that she would finally see her dad. But as she began her homework, a worrisome thought crossed her mind. What if Dad doesn’t get the email? What if he doesn’t answer?

Then Penny remembered that she had learned at school that she could talk to the God of heaven about anything and He would answer. She bowed her head and closed her eyes.

“Dear God, please find my dad,” she prayed. “I want to see him.”

The next afternoon, Mom said that Dad had sent an email that said he would come to watch Penny take part in a big school event called Sports Day.

Penny smiled widely.

“I’m really happy!” she exclaimed.

Mom also smiled. “I’m happy, too,” she said.

“I can’t wait for Sports Day!” Penny said.

But she had to wait a whole week for Sports Day. Every day that week, she prayed, “Dear God, please help me to see my dad.”

Dad came to Sports Day, and Penny ran over to greet him. “Hi, my name is Penny,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She gave him a gift that she had made —a small box that she had folded from brown paper.

“Hi,” Dad said. “I’m your dad.”

Dad watched while Penny played games of “Capture the Flag” and “Chair Ball” with her classmates. Then the two ate lunch together. Penny ate a school lunch of noodles, and Dad ate noodles that he had brought with him. Penny gave Dad some of her noodles, and Dad gave Penny some of his noodles. Then Dad gave Penny his telephone number.

“I miss you all the time,” he said.

“I miss you, too,” Penny said.

“I love you all the time,” Dad said. “I’ll come to visit you again.”

Now Penny talks with her dad every day on the phone.

She also talks with God every day on her knees. She tells God, “Thank You for letting me see my dad.”

Penny studies at Korat Adventist International School in Thailand, where many children, like her, come from families who have not heard about God. Part of a Thirteenth Sabbath Offering several years ago helped build the school. Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter that will help other children in Asia learn about God.

Andrew McChesney Editor, Mission Quarterly

Email: mcchesneya@gc.adventist.org | Twitter: @armcchesney