I had their attention. I opened the Bible before me and let the Holy Spirit continue to put the words needed to be said onto my lips as I had no great private knowledge or mastery of the Bible with which to speak sermons. I had but the will to serve and that was enough.
At one point I glanced up to see Colt leaning against a tree in the background. He gave me a big thumbs-up and after briefly smiling I refocused on what the Spirit of God had to say even as I marveled at the change in me.
*****
Colt was confused. He'd listened for hours to Kim translate the Bible into her native Polynesian tongue. Thankfully he'd stood next to an American sailor who had interpreted everything she'd said for him.
Her teaching from the word of God had reawakened memories of his childhood. Good memories. He had listened raptly for hours on end and felt the beginning of a rebirth of his own immortal soul.
It was incredible to him to come to the realization that he really could be forgiven for the unjust things he'd done in his past. The innocent lives that he'd taken in time of war and the wasted barren that he had made of his life after the war that had scarred his soul and made him hard.
There was hope for the future, but right now he relished the prospect of spending the present with the person that he loved the most upon the world of God's creation. The only problem was that she had somehow disappeared on him.
He'd seen her whisper something to the old chief, who'd gotten a big grin on his face and nodded. Kim had straightened and upon spotting him in the crowd had given him a big wink. Then she had disappeared.
He heard a low whistle and looking off to the side he saw the old headman gesture to him from an isolated part of the forest. Out of curiosity Colt drew near to the old man wondering what he was up to.
The old man didn't waste time on words but instead pushed Colt into a depression in the forest that revealed itself to be a small clearing that was brightly lit by several fires. There was no one there besides him and the old man.
The headman tugged strongly on his shoulders and Colt sat down inelegantly on the ground of the clearing that was covered with colorfully woven blankets. The old man cackled as he said something and then slapped Colt hard on the back before he left the clearing.