Myriad of Emotions

The past two weeks I have been traveling quite a bit to our five villages as we prepare to open the schools. Seeing God answer our prayers has been so amazing. I am so thankful for all that He has done and all that He continues to do. During this time, there have been so many emotions as I experience life here.

First off was a moment that just made me laugh. I was with several of the teachers at the bookstore getting school supplies. After all the boxes were packed, we needed to take them to the car. One of the boxes was rather large and heavy and difficult to carry. Two men were struggling to carry it. One of our female teachers watched the struggle and even though she is smaller than both of the men, she walked up to them took the box, put it on top of her head and walked out of the store as if it was nothing. Love African women!

Next in line was one of those moments that just hurts. After a parent meeting that was under a tree, we fed all the parents a meal. Many of the women were in shock to be served by a Mzungu, "a white person". Once the meal finished, I was outside talking to some people. The rice was cooked in giant pots and the bottom layer had gotten quite burnt. I watched as a group of children waited by the side of the kitchen and got the pot of burnt rice. They quickly seized the pot and all began to scrape the bottom of the pot, desperate for food. My heart just sank. What do you do with that?

A few days later, I went to another one of the villages to help in the preparation process for the school. I have been to all the villages so many times now and am thankful that my relationships with the people are deepening. This village in particular has one of the highest AIDS rates in the country. And, so many of the children going to our school there are AIDS orpans. As I was standing by our car playing with the children, I just began to cry. The smiling faces of these beautiful children have been a bright spot for me countless times before. Why am I crying now? We are starting a school, this is a good thing, so why does my heart hurt now? You look at these children and just wonder what will their future be. The need so often feels overwhelming.

These are just a few of the stories that have filled my life these past two weeks. God seems to be showing so much...