David Johnson Story

Hi! I’m David. I joined Reading Circle in the summer of 2017 just after moving to Dallas. While I had a little knowledge of the Vickery Meadow refugee community, I had a strong desire to serve an international community. Ultimately, the Lord, through a friend, introduced me to Refugee Resources and has since grown in me the desire to serve and love the displaced and marginalized in our local community. It is truly amazing to see the perseverance, generosity, and joy of the refugee committee in Vickery Meadow and knowing some of them is one the of the great joys in my life.

I have the privilege of mentoring Gentil. Gentil is ten years old, full of life, and seems to have an endless supply of energy. Everybody (and I mean everybody) knows when Gentil gets to Reading Circle! There are so many qualities about Gentil that I love. He always greets me with a big, bright smile when I get to Reading Circle. His curiosity seems to be unquenchable and he wants to be in on the fun wherever it occurs. He also loves soccer and regularly asks if I can fly him to Spain so he can watch his favorite player, Lionel Messi, play in a match.

Additionally, math is one of his favorite subjects and he is always excited when I create a math problem for him to solve during a break or in-between exercises. Gentil also has a huge appetite. In fact, he had four slices of pizza, two sodas, and a handful of candy at our Refugee Resources Christmas celebration. He also loves Wendy’s hamburgers and can’t stop talking about Chick-fil-a waffle fries. I could go on and on about how sweet, funny, entertaining, and smart Gentil is, but I don’t think it is too hard to picture how much fun our Wednesday night Reading Circle sessions are!

I’ve worked with Gentil for a year and a half now. It is so rewarding to see his progress and to watch him grow into a very thoughtful, bright, and fun young man. His confidence is blossoming with each passing week and I am very thankful that God has given me the privilege of walking alongside Gentil as he nears his teens.

One of the things that the Lord has taught me over the last year and a half is that the same God who raised Christ from the dead and who created the world is the same God who created Gentil and me. It is remarkable to see how different people from different countries and different cultures are the imago Dei, or image bearers, of the one true God. Each week, our God’s creativity and beauty are magnificently displayed in each child through their intelligence, curiosity, language, and culture. And as many of our mentors will tell you, it is amazing to get a front row seat to watch God work in the lives of each of these kids as we pray for them to come to know the powerful, saving, and redeeming work of Christ. I can only ask that you join us! It is worth every minute!