In the summer of July 2013 I met a little girl in Cortez Colorado, who forever changed my life. Her name was Mia. Youth from my church went on a mission trip to Cortez Colorado to help bring Christ into the children who sadly had next to nothing. Jesus was a big part of my life and I was hoping to make him a part of the orphaned children’s lives as well. Upon arriving at the church that was to be my home for the next week. I knew this poor, yet beautiful city, with its high mountains and crisp clean air was going to become my favorite city. On the fourth day of being at our destination seven youth, myself included were chosen to run the kids camp that had been in progress for the summer. I was so happy to be able to help make a small, yet significant change in these children’s lives I eagerly waited for their arrival.

I remember the vans entering the church parking lot, doors thrusting open and excited children rushing up to the table to check in and get their name tags. I was taken aback at the happiness these children had. It was while writing down Will’s name I noticed a little girl with glossy dark hair, brown skin and even cut bangs right above her big brown eyes staring at me from under the table. Finishing the nametag I handed it to Will before peeking under the table at the little girl. “Hi” I said smiling in hopes of encouraging her not to be afraid. “My name is Nisa”, “what’s yours?” I asked while extending my hand towards her. No answer. I waited patiently, about to give up; when a little hand touched mine. “Mia” she said. “Hi Mia” I said as she came out from under the table and crawled into my arms. Mia was a two year old Navaho girl with a four year old sister Celicia and a six year old brother Kaden. I scoped her up and walked into the arched brown doors of the church.
The church was big. It had painted windows and a staircase leading to the upper level with two staircases on earthier side leading down to the basement, where we set up our air mattresses and sleeping bags to stay for the week. Walking past the stair case and out the back door I took Mia to the playground in the back of the church where, the other children and youth were already playing. “What do you want to do?” I asked putting her on the ground. Instead of answering she merely looked up at me with her big sad brow eyes and lifted her little arms up towards me. (Child speech for pick me up.) I picked her up again and she leaned back in my arms, took my face in her tiny hands and pressed her little nose against mine; in what was to her a calming gesture, but to me was a what are you doing gesture?
“So Mia, what do you want to do” I asked. She pointed to the slide and I took her over and helped her climb the ladder. Then I placed her on the slide only to see her climb up of it. “I thought you wanted to go down the slide?” I said. “You sit, then we go down.” Mia said. I sat on the slide and she climbed in my lap and down the slide we would go. For this reason Mia loved the slide. It was Mia’s happiness that won me over. The ability for a two year old, with nothing, to be so happy and ecstatic was beyond me. She was always smiling and laughing. I came to love it when she would push her nose against mine, an occurrence that would happen as often as she was in my arms, which was almost always.
After lunch it was reading time. The youth read bible stories in the form of children’s books to the kids. Celicia and Mia would both sit on my lap and I would read them these stories. When we were finished with the story of Moses, Celicia got up and went to pick out another book and Mia decided she wanted to climb on the pew and jump off. “Mia get down!” I told her, in fear of her getting hurt. Mia looked at me and started to cry. Feeling bad, I took her in my arms and rocked her while singing “Jesus loves you”. She soon she fell asleep, her little hand clutching mine as if never to let go.
After that day Mia and I were inseparable. I dreaded Friday, the day we would have to leave. Sadly, Friday soon came and it was time for my church to go home. I hugged Mia and told her I had to go home and would miss her terribly. She pulled away with tears in her big brown eyes I came to love. Tears rolled down both our faces as she hugged me tight as if that would make me stay. “Mia” I said. “Remember Jesus loves you and will never leave you”. She looked at me and pressed her snotty nose against mine, in what we both knew was goodbye.
Normally this would have grossed me out but with Mia, I suddenly didn’t care. I knew in my heart that Mia would always be with me. She was the little girl who made me want to pursue a career in early childhood education instead of just criminal justice, as had been my plan. I will never forget the little girl who changed my life forever and made me love Cortez.