My friend, formerly known as Moises

When I first arrived at the orphanage in Honduras, I hugged and kissed all the kids as usual and called them all by name. When I came up to Moises I said, “Moises!” and gave him a hug and kiss. He looked up at me with this toothy grin and shook his head and said excitedly, “Oscar David!” I gave him a suspicious look knowing the kids sometimes like to try and trick you by saying someone else’s name but unfortunately for them, I know all their names and there’s no tricking me. I looked at him and said, “No… your name is Moises” he yelled, “NO! Oscar David!” His friends backed him up and told me his name was really Oscar David. Confused I said, “Ok…” and walked away.

Later, I asked my friend Roberto who works at the orphanage why Moises was saying his name was Oscar David. Roberto told me that when Moises first arrived at the orphanage, he was a baby and they didn’t know his name. They called him Moises – after Moses who was drawn out of the river and adopted in the Bible. They recently received Moises’s paperwork and found out his name was actually Oscar David.

After that, I ran back to my friend, formerly known as Moises, and said to him, “Oscar David!” and he smiled his toothy grin. I couldn’t figure out until today why this story was so special to me but then it hit me when I revisited this picture of him. He was so happy and proud to tell me his new name and even happier every time I called him it. I can just imagine how his friends must have celebrated with him when he received his new name. Perhaps they celebrated similarly to how Jesus and his angels will celebrate with us when we arrive to heaven and He says, “Your past is forgotten and I am now calling you, _____”

The meaning of the name, “Oscar David?”

God’s BELOVED spear.

Strong and mighty like King David.

Oscar David.

Leave a comment