When parents make a decision to serve as missionaries, it becomes a family affair and the children join in the new adventure. Luke Rimmer, “almost 7,” is the son of Chad and Natalie Rimmer. He has an older brother, Paul Michael. In this entry from the Rimmer’s family blog, Luke writes about something all children love — getting shots. His parents have recently begun their work in Senegal as missionaries. To support the Rimmers, or another of the ELCA’s over 200 missionaries in the global church, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship. 

Luke Rimmer’s drawing of getting his vaccinations.

I’m going to tell you about one thing I have to do to get ready to go to Senegal. One of the things that I have to do is get my vaccinations. I have to get my vaccinations so that I don’t have to get different germs when I move to a different country.

To get our vaccinations, I have to take a bus to the hospital. Then you have to sign a lot of papers. Then we took a long time to talk to the doctor to see what kinds of medicines we needed. Then I sat on a bed, like a couch, and then you have to hold somebody’s hand. Then you relax. Then she puts something cold on my shoulder where I got the shot. Then it hurts just a little bit bad, but then you can’t even see it at the end. Then the doctor gave me a little Band-Aid. The doctor is always nice and calm so that you can get your vaccine very well, and so it doesn’t hurt.

Even though it hurts a little bit, I’m thankful to get it because then in Senegal, you don’t get big bad colds or things from mosquitoes. We are lucky because some other children in the world who don’t get it can get very sick. So I’m very thankful that I am in a place that has the medicine, and I can get it. It makes me very happy to get them. But it’s sad that not all the children can, so I can pray to God that all the children can get the shots, too.