Day 5 - OH the JOY!

Oh Africa, how I love you!!!

Have been enjoying listening to BEAUTIFUL African worship in the distance here on the YWAM base ~ soooo good!

Today would've been the BEST DAY of the year for me - so far 

(who knows what else is coming... the year's just started... haha)

It was a VERY full day today with non-stop meetings all day.

So - the BEST part?

I can barely write this without loosing it... tears coming already...

It seemed harmless enough:

A meeting had been scheduled with the "Women of Hope", the group of women whose children we are trying to find sponsors for so they can go to school.

I had already met a number of them on my 2 previous visits, some of them in their homes, 

most of them during a day of Prayer and Fasting - and also a HIV support group.

I was supposed to explain to them how the sponsorships will work, so that they understand.

Simple enough.

I was completely taken by surprise by their welcome and the whole atmosphere of the meeting!

It was such a HUGE CONTRAST to yesterday's meeting!

OH - the JOY - and CELEBRATION - and HOPE in their eyes and spirits!!!

Even though the promised sponsorships will only help less than half of them -

and then only be for one of their (on average 5) children

and they still have VERY CHALLENGING circumstances and many problems

~ YET ~

Their exuberance and DEEP gratitude touched and humbled me HUGELY!

I had to fight the tears back the whole meeting.

PEOPLE, you have NO idea HOW MUCH it means to these precious ones in extreme poverty to receive a small answer to their prayers (3 years for many of them)

To feel that they are NOT FORGOTTEN

LOVED

CARED FOR by SOMEBODY other than the invisible God

somebody with flesh and blood

who sacrifices a little bit of their abundance

so that they can have 1 child go to school

and have HOPE for a better future!

WOW ~ WOW ~ WOW!!!

I will never forget this day - their faces and smiles will FOREVER be etched in my mind -

 and no, I didn't take photos again (though I did film some of their singing/dancing)! 

Photos just wouldn't do justice!

I feel so incredibly privileged and blessed to have been able to be the bearer of

GOOD NEWS!

(of course they already knew, but my presence and explanation today made it "official" for them)

I dare dream that yesterday's group may experience the same thing

one day - 

hopefully sooner than 3 years from now!