So I know a few days has gone by without any updates, but
all is well! We are just super busy and our long days haven’t left much room
for blogging J
Yesterday was a good and productive day! Started off with a
7 mile run with Ash and one of the oldest boys, Augustin. It was HOT. Me, being
an idiot, wore this tight BLACK tank made of cotton with no air to breath. I
felt like I was running in a fleece jacket in 100 degrees with sun beaming down
on me. It made for some great laughs, considering there wasn’t one dry spot
left on the shirt when we returned. It was a good run though. One of my
favorite parts of the run was when this moto with two men stopped to talk to
Augustin. They were laughing at him and calling him a “gagneman,” which
basically means, “lying about situations and getting white people to come over
here and give them money.” Augustin’s response was great…he said “No! She’s my
mom!” I LOVED it. She IS their mom. God love Ash and Jon. They are great
people. They truly are following the call of God on their lives. They left
their comfort, their family, their “known” and came to the “unknown” and said,
“God we trust you to take us through.” They’re so inspiring and I pray more and
more that I can learn from their journey and always follow God’s will for my
life. God didn’t say it’d be easy, but he PROMISED He’d never leave us nor
forsake us.
After our run, we got ourselves cleaned up and headed over
to the Center. The kids had only a half-day of school so it was good to see
them all and spend some time with them. Later that afternoon, I went with
Ashley and Mathias to do some social surveys. For those wondering, a “social
survey” is part of the process they go through here for a child to get into the
Arbre de vie program. There is great need here and they must help those most in
need first. Anyone who comes to them wanting help must write a “letter of
demand” telling who they are and why they are in need. This letter helps them
see those are serious. It doesn’t need to be anything formal, but taking the
time to write it shows their sincerity. Often times people have come to ask for
help and never come back with a letter, which means they were most likely
stopping by for a handout. Once the letter has been received and evaluated,
social surveys are next in the process. I had been into the villages and town,
but hadn’t actually ever sat in on a social survey so I was ready for the
adventure!
The first house we went to was a mom with four children
(10,12,14 and 19). Her husband had died just this past August and she was
struggling to pay the children’s’ school contributions. The lived in a small
cement square with a roof made of wood, and sold things they had cooked as
means for making money. It was sad to see their situation and opened my eyes to
their need. Here in Africa, if the school contribution isn’t paid, the children
are turned away and sent home. It’s so sad because they WANT to go, and just
don’t have the means to go.
The second house we went to came from a moment that broke
Ash and I’s heart. The other day when we were running, we heard “Mama! Mama!
Mama!” A boy was chasing after us trying to get Ashley’s attention. We stopped
and it was a boy named Willfred that Ashley had met before. He had come to the
center looking for help a while back and was still in need. He said “Maman,
they sent me away from school. I don’t have money to pay my contributions and
really want to go to school. Can
you please help me?” I felt sad and so guilty over how often I took my
education for granted. I would have been THRILLED if the teacher sent me away
from school. Because then, I knew I could go back. Education was never an issue
at my house and I knew I’d always have parents capable of sending me. Here in
Africa, education is a gift and many kids never get to go. They go work in the
fields, make a little money and can’t write the alphabet when they’re 40. It’s
so sad, and made me wish I could do it all over again and thank God more for
the opportunity to go to school. Ashley made arrangements with him to go to his
house to do his social survey the next day, and that is what we did.
When we finally found his house, we entered a cement square
where his mother and grandmother sat selling various items to the surrounding
neighbors. It was their little “shop.” Willfred answered all of the questions
Ash and Mathias asked and showed deep sorrow for his situation. It was so
heartbreaking. His father is gone and his mother and grandmother do all they
can to survive. He said he’s lucky to get two meals a day, but most of the time
it’s one. We are praying a sponsor comes through and brightens this child’s
sorrow to joy!
After the surveys were over, we headed back to the center to
help the kids with homework and grab a bite to eat. It was almost 10:30 before
the kids were wrapping up their homework! Whew! What a night, but it was good
to spend time with them, help them with their English and encourage them when
they were struggling. We headed home, showered up (it was a HOT day) and turned
in for a good nights sleep! I love being here. I truly do, and am so thankful
for all who made it possible for me to be here this month.
This morning started off with some catching up on emails and
coffee sipping with Ashley, followed by some P90x plyometrics…KILL. Now we are
showered up and headed off to join the kids on their lunch break! Looking
forward to another fun, sunny day and hopefully meeting up with the tailor to
get some cute Africa attire made! Oh and…Ry gets here in two days!!!!!!!!!!
Please be praying for his travel. Hope all is well with all those reading!
Much Love,
Tata EE
No comments:
Post a Comment