I Am a Missionary To Mars: Chapter 5 and Chapter 6
Chapter 5: The Little Ones
“One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them.” Luke 18:15a
Dear Journal,
Something kind of bitter has happened and something kind of sweet has happened. But if I understand the word “bittersweet” correctly it’s not really “bittersweet.” I should apologize for my absence. I realize that I haven’t written in more than a week or so. At first it was because I felt too upset, then it was because I was too busy- in a wonderful way.
Here's what happened. (I will try to remember as many details as I can.)
Oh, and there’s one other interesting day I should also mention so let me include that first.
The adults were going through old storage from Set Beta and they found items that were kind of historical. Our class got to see them and I even got to keep some. I don’t remember everything but there were these really large old solar panels. Those panels were how people collected solar energy in the old days. Also, there were some oxygen masks that people fitted over their faces a long time ago if something went wrong. I got to keep a few of those. You might like to see them, Grandpa. Sorry, I don't remember the other things but I will definitely write them down if I do later. For now, I’m pretty eager to get to the story of what happened.
Well, it started with a test. We didn’t know that we were going to have a test. In fact, I heard Mom and Dad talking in the middle of the night when they thought I was asleep. Dad told Mom that it’s possible that I was the reason that Dr. Duke made the test.
The test was about the things that Dr. Duke likes to talk about.
For instance, the first question was about how old the earth is. I answered, “about 6,000 years old” even though I knew that he would say that was not the answer he was looking for.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I “failed” Dr. Duke’s test.
I had sort of gotten used to him though so it didn’t really bother me. Until I walked into class the next day and there was a girl in my desk. I had never seen that girl before. She must have come from another Set.
“Oh, Simon,” Dr. Duke said in a mockingly kind tone. “You might find that some other, different classmates are more, how shall I put this, on your level?” He smiled a wide Cheshire smile.
“Julius, would you be willing to help our friend here find his way to a more suitable class?”
With that, large, tall Julius stood up and passed by me out the door. It seemed I had to follow him.
I did follow him. I followed him to green pastures. Seriously, there’s literally a substance almost like grass in the tiny room where the little kids meet. There’s also light blue paint on the ceiling, a huge bright yellow sun on one of the walls, and cushions on the floor instead of desks.
I saw a man who had a kind, wise face and twinkling eyes. He seemed a little startled but also welcoming. He stood.
“Hi there, son. I’m Dr. Golden. Truly, I’m a doctor. (He might have been referencing the fact that Dr. Duke has a Ph. D in Far Eastern Studies.)
“I’m a medical doctor but, thankfully, there’s not much work to do on Set Gamma so they’ve given me extra duties- or shall I say, ‘opportunities?’” he smiled at a child who couldn’t have been more than 3 years old.
Children under seven are only allowed on Mars for two weeks, so it’s rare to see any. In this room there were three: Greg, Tobias, and Elizabeth. Greg is an active 8-year-old and Tobias is his sweet, shy little brother. He's 3. Elizabeth is 5-years-old and she’s super smart. Her parents are teaching her New Testament Greek by the way.
“Did someone send you here?” Dr. Golden asked.
It was at that moment that I realized the truth.
“Yes, Sir. I have been sent. Sent through my family and with the prayers and blessings of my church. I have been sent by God.”
“I guess that makes you a missionary then, son. What’s your name?”
“Simon, Sir.”
“Simon the Missionary, do you have any ideas for activities?”
I talked with the little ones for a few minutes and discovered that they all loved music.
“We can make up songs!” I suggested.
After improvising some instruments and practicing for a while, we came up with the song, “Jesus Has Won And He’s the Only Saving One!”
The kids took the assignment very seriously and were also giddy as they praised the Lord together. I directed it and helped each to know when it was time to play or sing.
“Perhaps we can perform this for your parents when they come this afternoon,” Dr. Golden announced.
Basically everyday is amazing now that I understand my calling to be a missionary to these precious kids.
I sing Jesus songs and make up motions. I tell Bible stories and help them act them out. I pray with and for each child by name.
May You be glorified, oh God of my days here, God of all of my days and nights. Thank You so much for leading me to Dr. Golden’s classroom. Please help Dr. Duke to know Your goodness and mercy. Save Him, Lord. And save Julius and Amber and…
Oh, sorry, I think that I fell asleep.
I am honored and humbled to serve here by God’s grace and through his strength in me. This is so deeply good!
Chapter 6: Lost Sheep
Dear Journal,
This entry is going to be shorter because I’m making instruments tonight to show the kids tomorrow. This means that I’m asking people around Set Gamma if they have any surplus items that I can engineer into a sound machine. For example, I’ve turned a plastic pipe into a pretty decent wind instrument and have a large collection of drums and shakers.
This is what happened yesterday. I went to Dr. Golden’s class as usual. Elizabeth was there and she was sort of singing to herself while Dr. Golden stood in the doorway to greet me and the others. But the others didn’t come. Dr. Golden beeped the boys’ parents but they had already left for Set Epsilon. According to them, they had escorted the boys as far as the eating area that is next to the three classrooms. What happened next, we wondered?
I had never seen Dr. Golden seem concerned before. He generally vacillates between being profoundly calm and gently joyous.
I prayed. “Dear Lord, please lead us to Greg and Tobias.”
Before I had even concluded the prayer I remembered something that Tobias said once.
“If you stand right where the water (reclamation) machines end, you can see Sets Delta and Epsilon.”
“Is there a way that they could get to the water reclamation rim?” I asked Dr. Golden.
“I believe so. That area is not considered dangerous or classified.”
“Let’s go!” I said.
Dr. Golden sighed a bit reluctantly but he, Elizabeth and I ventured into a corridor that had five doors, two on one side, two on the other, and one at the end. We could hear their voices. Tobias sounded excited but Greg sounded nearly bewildered.
“Are you sure that’s Set Epsilon? I don’t see them.” He was saying.
“Epsilon, epsilon!” Tobias squealed.
He seemed happy to share his view with us too when we emerged through the door.
“Epsilon!”
I glimpsed a bit of shiny white but that was all. Next, I looked at Dr. Golden. He sure seemed relieved.
He beeped their parents to tell them what happened and hastily returned us all to our assigned classroom so no one would be worried about us. (No one ever comes to our classroom anyway.)
Dear God, just as you rescued Your precious lost sheep today, please also rescue Dr. Duke, Julius, Amber, Mariko, Tyler, Ali, Eric, Sabrina, Howie, Lily, Jude, Anh, and Michelle. May You be praised for leading us to the boys this morning. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
I better get back to creating instruments. The next time I write I will try to remember to tell you what the little ones thought of them.