"TIA"

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Friday 6-27

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I just got back to the hotel after another amazing day at Hope. There is a phrase that we have learned the meaning of here and it is “This is Africa”. We say it so many times that we have shortened it to TIA. When it is said we know we are in for an interesting adventure. Today as we set out we had one plan and as the day went on it was totally changed to God’s plan. When you are in Africa for any length of time, you learn to lay down your plan and die to your own needs as you help others. In the end it is much better…for sure. Randy and I were separated again today because he went with Mike Salley while I went to “Hope” with most of the team. The plan was to get right in and distribute all the shoes & clothes that were generously donated to the children. What was supposed to be an orderly organized effort soon became very chaotic, but not in a bad way. The first children to receive their clothes were those who do not live at the home but are sponsored by people in the States to go to school. There was so much excitement in the air as each one got a new outfit and shoes!! Many of them have probably never received anything like this before in their lives. While that was going on I was helping with the shoe distribution. Each of the “Hope” kids that needed new black school shoes tried them on and got their picture taken. Soon it was time for lunch and then it hit…TIA… The event we had planned for tomorrow was misunderstood and was happening today. So we broke into two teams and went to work. One team stayed at the “Hope” to help each girl in the home try on and select a brand new dress. This was according to our plan. The other team went to do a “Rice and Meat Feed” to 50 poor children in Ganda Village whom Pastor Prosy had invited. I went to the village “Feed”. It was simply wonderful. Even though we weren’t prepared to do so much the little ones who greeted us made us forget about our plan and bless them with all we have. It was so sweet. Lori led the team and talked about the dream Jesus had given her to feed the hungry children in the village. She shared that they weren’t to thank us but to thank Jesus who cares about them and loves them. She shared about how very, very, very BIG our God is and how He spoke the world into being. She told them to share their dreams with the Lord and ask Him to help them accomplish everything in their lives. Then we served them a heaping bowl of rice, meat and gravy which we thought was more than we could eat, but most of those little ones cleaned their plates. There were probably many children who were tasting meat for the first time. After that, we got to visit for a while before heading back to the home. Back at the home all the girls were dressed in their new dresses. They were so beautiful but they use the word “SMART”. Since they were all dressed up we decided to have a “Tea Party” just us girls. Looking at the girls all dressed up in new clothes they looked no different than kids back home and you could see that it was a real blessing to them. From there we went into the church for pictures. Now it was time for the boys of “Hope” to receive some new clothes. Each one received something that was new to them. Along with the clothing donations others had brought, I had brought some things that Gabe has outgrown and it touched my heart to see the boys who selected something that Gabe had once worn. As we entered the bus at the end of the day it hit me, soon we will be going home. I will miss the “TIA” days. Some tears welled up in my eyes at the thought about it. Being here has touched a place in my heart that has never been touched before. The Lord has taught me some very valuable lessons here. It is much more blessed to give than to receive. Being His hands, being His feet, loving with the Love of Christ, laying down my own agenda, serving others without regard for myself, dying to my own self are the things that make us truly rich. Knowing that you were able to encourage, bless or lighted the load for another person should be our life’s ambition; and if it were, our lives would be changed and we would be free indeed! My the Lord’s blessings rest upon you today.