After the end of the story there are several pages devoted to New Leaf Home. “Since 2010,” Anderson writes, “thirty girls have experienced hope out of brokenness. A miracle has happened leading to a new leaf, new life. Blossoming young women are bearing fruit in their redeemed lives.” And the founding directors “thank God that He changes the lives of our New Leaf girls!”
A little girl tells the story: “In a small rural village in Southern Nepal stands my mango tree. … My mango tree stands firmly planted near the well. It gives us delicious green mangos in the summer. Leaves of every shade of green delight my eyes. Tall grasses bend gently in the breeze.”
But then, one night, “A frightful storm comes to my village. Thunder booms. My eyes are big. My heart is pounding. … Frequent lightning flashes across the blackened sky. Rain falls fast and hard. I am afraid.”
In the morning, “I run out to see my mango tree. It is broken. The branches are ripped off, and the remaining leaves are shredded.” Some in the village think the tree is dead and needs to be cut down. Others, though, even as the seasons progress and nothing seems to change, say “Let’s wait and see what happens.”
“The broken tree needs to be nurtured. A few people, whom I do not recognize, come forward to gently protect and lovingly care for my mango tree.” And then: “I see some new yellowish pink leaves coming from one of the torn branches. My mango tree is alive!”
That nurturing will, in the end, bear much fruit.
Nancy Anderson is Nancy Wiegman’s guest on Nancy’s Bookshelf on Northstate Public Radio, mynspr.org, Wednesday, July 16 at 10:00 a.m., repeated Sunday, July 20 at 8:00 p.m.
