village visit #3

i am changed each time i spend days in the village. i never know what God is going to teach me. i never know what my conversations will be like. i just know they will be filled with rich wisdom, challenging questions, grace, hope, and love. 

all of the ROWAN students with pastor paul and i

i met up with ronnie, pastor david wafula and his family friday, dec 9 in the morning. we wanted to get out to mawanga to be a part of the children's program. we arrived around mid-day. i couldn't contain my excitment as i FINALLY met the students of ROWAN! :) my heart was spilling with more joy and love for them. pastor paul kindly took me around and introduced me to everyone. the kids were split up into 3 groups: secondary students, primary, and then the little ones. i found myself holding back tears as i looked into each one of these students eyes. these are the kids of ROWAN. they each have a story to tell. 

every group of students i met, pastor paul asked me to share with them. of course you are suddenly on the spot. as i open my mouth i just asked God to give me what to say. i held it together until i stood in front of the secondary students. i was so excited for them and their commitment in school. they each have dreams for themselves and are pursuing it with great passion. as i was speaking to them, i couldn't hold it in anymore. tears began to fall. i was overwhelmed with how good God has been. His Faithfulness in my life, in my families lives, but also knowing how He's been faithful to these students lives as well. i couldn't speak. i was vulnerable standing in front of them. i haven't cried in front of people in quite some time. and within that moment, i felt the arm of my dear friend. pastor paul put his arm around me and spoke on my behalf.  he was speaking to the students in lusoga (the local language). as i found strength, all i could say was, "no matter your circumstances, no matter what you have gone through, no matter the story you have to tell, you can look back and see how faithful our God has been and that He is good." 

all of the secondary students!

i got to the spend the remaining of the day with them by singing songs, laughing, and getting to know them more. there's HOPE in each of their eyes and i feel so privilege to know them. there are exciting days ahead... the rest of the weekend included organizing and packing up all the 400+ necklaces the widows made, spending time with each secondary students, as well as, attending church sunday morning and worshipping together with the mawangan people! 

what a blessing it is to spend days in the village. what a blessing it has been for me to be embraced by pastor paul and his family. that is what i feel each time i go. part of a family ('AMAKA'). they have taken me in. loved me. cared for me. encouraged me. challenged me. and shown me more of Jesus. my heart is full and 'my cup overflows' with gratefulness and love for them.