We were working so hard in a Mobile Medical Clinic when a poor mountain man appeared with his son, “Wilner.” I sat down with Wilner on my lap… he had no hair, a huge bloated belly, and swollen feet. I thought he was about 7 years old, but his father insisted that he was 15!

After talking to him, it seemed like he was “an old man in the body of a child.” Wilner began to tell me that he had gone to school one year, but the kids made fun of him and hit him. After that, his father could no longer afford to send him to school. But then, Wilner added, “If you don’t get an education, you are like a blind man walking in darkness!” What wisdom coming from a teenager that looked like a small child. We took Wilner in, sent him to school, and since we already had another “Wilner,” we nicknamed him “Pistache,” which means “peanut!”

Today, Wilner works as one of our lawn maintenance guys. He saves his money because he says, “If you have a girlfriend, it’s no good! They will take all of your money!” Every morning, when we see Pistache, we are reminded of that little boy who was really 15 years old with severe malnutrition. Now, he has an education, a job, and loves the Lord! We all love “peanut!” He has brought us great joy!!

Sherry