Had a day filled with HOPE

I went back to the village today with some wonderful gifts!  A donor sent a donation for food and some basic supplies.  I got to meet with Josephine today and I was shocked once again by the level of her poverty.  When we arrived she was sweating profusely and had her hoe.  I thought she was just working hard.  I was wrong.  When I hugged her I knew immediately there was a problem.  She was warm to the touch.  She began to tell me that she had been at the hospital the day before and was diagnosed with malaria. She didn't have money to purchase the malaria medication so she was praying that God would heal her.  I immediately arranged for someone to get the prescription filled.  Because she is 9 months pregnant and has contracted malaria, the baby could be born any day.  If you have malaria one may often go into labor while they are ill and not be able to deliver.  In addition, the baby could also have malaria and be too weak to fight it even with proper medication. Here she was working in the pouring rain, her house flooded with water, with a fever, 9 months pregnant and praying for God to do a miracle. 

Talking to her oldest child John (10) who fetches water with his 7 year old brother Francis and 5 year old sister Cornelia

I asked Josephine what she was doing to make money for food and she began piling thorn covered wood on a pile of banana leaves - the pile became so huge

Josephine put the huge pile of wood on our head and began to shake with effort... I begged her to put it down

I cried my eyes out when she told me she walks 6 kilometers to try and sell her firewood to anyone that needs it... if she sells it, she only makes $.30 barely enough to buy 3 potatoes

Putting one of my bracelets on Josephine's little girls arm

On a high note, we purchased meat, sugar, salt, soap and tea leaves for her as well as giving her some baby clothes and blanket.  We also have been able to purchase a large tarp to cover her home so that there won't be as much water pouring through the grass roof onto their family.  Josephina was in shock when we also gave her some money to keep her well fed for the month.  I am so happy that we were able to bless her in this way.  Hopefully the medication will take care of her malaria and will not cause her to go into labor early.

We were also able to meet with several other families and gave them gifts of meat and sugar.  Daniel, the one man with HIV we met last week was so moved that he came out of his home!  He had not walked outside in weeks.  He felt so hopeful that he actually wanted to see the sun again.  It was a powerful moment and we shared in the joy of knowing HOPE brings LIFE. 

Here is Musa, a crippled man after being hit by a car, being taken care of by his mother Zitune along with his mentally disabled and cripped sister - He is living in the dirt, in the dark and has felt so devastated

Zitune was so relieved when we brought her enough money to feed her family for a month - she is worried that when she dies no one will take care of her crippled children

As Ben was doing some media work at the church we are working in, I wandered down the road (as I usually do in the village) to a little house nearby.  There was a young woman just coming back from cultivating.  She told me her story.  Her husband recently died and she has 4 young children.  She is living with her mother and she is doing her best to survive.  She just opened a little "store" outside her house.  I commended her on her business.  I even bought a pumpkin (Ben's favorite)! 

The widow Grace at her "store"

So proud of Grace!