Pendili

It had been nineteen years since I’d had a little girl when Pendili was born in 2005. She was my smallest baby weighing in at my own exact birth weight of six pounds nine ounces. Her name is a Swazi name meaning ‘repeat again a girl’.

Our church showered us with girly gifts. Among the gifts were a couple of soft animals with tails you could pull and they would say bedtime prayers in very hushed tones. These soft animal’s prayers seemed to have a tremendous impact on her. She learned to revere and pursue prayer as soon as she could talk.

Before the age of four, she wanted to go down to the alter at church and pray during the alter call time at the end of services. For several months we didn’t let her because we knew she could throw a pretty good fit if she didn’t get her way. We knew that, if she got down there, she probably wouldn’t want to leave for a long time.

Pendili asked Jesus to become the savior of her soul a couple of different times during her preschool and early grade years. We learned that due to the brain development of a child, specific events and memories can be erased. Therefore, she genuinely forgot her first experience with the Lord, but that did not stop her heart’s longing from seeking Him again. 

She continues to go to the alter and pray at the end of the services. She prays for people and situations. Prayer isn’t her only involvement in church, however. Around the time she became school age, she began reaching out to other girls that were new at church teaching them about the Lord and His ways. Many of them have followed her example of frequenting the alter and eventually finding salvation for their souls too.

She sang specials for some time and at the age of 12 joined the choir. In the past, she has done busing in the church cafeteria and more recently serves in the drinks line during special events. Basically, if there’s a job to do at church, she wants to be involved.

Pendili enjoys crocheting, sewing, cooking, and any craft that makes a good mess. She has been developing her writing skills too. She produced a newspaper for the kids play-town of Pleasantville. She went with me to our local writer’s meeting once a month and worked on her writing there and then shared her progress with them. During COVID19, she has continued her writing at home during and after school.

If you want more information on our writer’s group click on this link and ‘like” the page: Knox County Writer’s Group. It is not meeting currently, but will probably resume after COVID restrictions lift the mask rule.