Africa...

I seriously do not know how to start or continue or end a post or series of posts on my trip to Africa.  I know the words "it was life changing" sounds so cliche, but...

it.was.life.changing.

I went to visit our church's carepoint, that we sponsor through Children's Hope Chest. This is truly a GREAT organization to work with. If you want more information on sponsoring a child, or getting your church involved with HopeChest check out their website. They are the real deal folks.

Here is a copy of the post I wrote for our church's blog after our first day... I think it is a good place to start.

“It will change how you think,” I was warned. A visit to Africa will in fact, do just that. It happened to me today. We went to the CarePoint and enjoyed playing with the kids, singing, doing crafts, and taking photos (and if you know me, you know there were LOTS of photos.)
But what got me the most today was the home visit. We each paired-up with a member of the Discipleship Team and each took food to a home of child who visits the CarePoint. We got to meet the family member/caregiver and sometimes even the parent of a child who we sponsor.
I grabbed a bag of cornmeal and hit the dirt road with Deli. We didn’t go far before we met a woman and she opened the gate to her home. “This is not bad at all!” I thought. The house seemed large and nice. I was genuinely surprised. I even commented to Linda, the little boy who lived there how nice his house was. But then, we kept walking. Right past the house, toward what I really thought was a barn or shed of some sort. Surely this is not where they live. Well, it wasn’t. Only HALF of the “shed” was their home. This space could not have been more than 4-6 feet wide and 10-12 feet long.
We met Linda’s mother and she sat to chat with us. In addition to providing for Linda, she also feeds her two nephews. After we gave her the food staples, she beamed and simply said, “I prayed for this and I KNEW God would provide. Praise God.” She was happy and thankful, but she was not surprised.
I was moved beyond what I can convey with the written word. If my boys were hungry and the cupboard was bare, I would probably cry out, “Lord, why have you forgotten us?” This woman had no doubt that the Lord would take care of her needs. How easily I doubt him over little matters. I was convicted, encouraged, and embarrassed all at the same time.
On the walk back, I asked Deli, “Is it hard for the people of Swaziland to have faith because they have so little and are often hungry?”
Deli’s response, “No. The people of Swaziland are very faithful. They HAVE faith, BECAUSE they have so little.”

 This is Linda and his mother. The photo at the beginning of this post is him as well. He was quite the character really. Kept all of us laughing, and he was always smiling... despite his circumstances. I think Linda has a better grasp on the joy of the Lord more than anyone I know...