Chapter 12 - Page 167 - Village Goes To Work

Then they turned and, within seconds, they disappeared through the hospital door.

   Unknown to Jim, the people inside the dining hall were deeply touched by what he’d said. They held an unscheduled village meeting and talked about Jim’s plans for expanding the village. Rhasha’s parents and brother were among the people in the dining hall. Thamish was a big voice in the discussion. In the end, everyone present agreed that it was time to help Jim expand with the village.

   While Jim and Rhasha were talking to patients, they heard the hospital door open. Eight people walked in and immediately started talking to the patients. Jim watched in growing excitement. When he and Rhasha had talked to all the patients, they approached the volunteers, and Jim thanked them for their help. When they said good-bye to everyone and walked through the hospital door, they stopped dead on the porch.

   Something unusual was going on-people were working all around the village. Several men were mowing grass in several locations. Other people were making repairs on buildings. Jim even saw four women sweeping the street in front of the hospital and dining hall. He saw people walking in and out of the orphanage. Across the street, people carried garbage out of the dining hall. He looked down the street and saw women walking with elderly people, helping them with each step.

   Jim knelt on the hospital porch and put his hands together. A humming sound could be heard. It grew progressively louder and began to pulsate. After a few seconds, it faded, then ceased. Suddenly clouds appeared in the east. They spread across the sky like water running off a mountain. Bolts of lightning streaked toward the ground and thunder rumbled far and wide.