Snuggles and Singing

I first want to thank you all for your prayers and encouragement during the past week.  To say it has been a hard week is an understatement, but the staff and volunteers are focusing on the over 55 children we have here at BG and giving them the opportunity to be children.  To give you a quick update, 2 of the children that passed away have family, so we are waiting to hear how involved they want to be the funeral.  Once we know this, we will have one ceremony for all the children.  Please be in prayer for the volunteers and staff as we honor the lives of these precious children.  Also, one of the children that was in the hospital has returned back to BG.  We are thankful for her health and pray the same for the two that remain.

A lot of people have been asking me this week, "how are you doing?"  I have to say, that is a very hard question to give an answer to.  There are moments when my heart is full of questions and grief.  I feel like I didn't even get over the jet lag of coming to Africa and we were faced with the tragic events of last week.  There are also moments of joy.  I have been trying to shine the "light" of Christ to those on the campus, which means walking around multiple times throughout the day and giving hugs to the nurses and house mothers, joking with maintenance men and making FUN videos with my roommate. (Here is one of our videos, when we taught our house mothers how to cup slap).  There are moments of when I question the will of God, and in those moments I pick up a guitar and am reminded of the promises God has given us.  All in all, to answer the dreaded "How are you doing" question I respond with "Hantle" which means fine.  I keep claiming God's promises for BG, the children and the staff.  I don't want to walk around with a downtrodden spirit, so I am choosing to find JOY in each day. Here is an example...

I have a new "son." He is over 2 years and melts my heart.  When he sees me across campus he will walk to me with his arms up, knowing I will always pick him up.  He then puts his head on my shoulder and snuggles in.  Yesterday I spent some time in play group with the older children and he quickly made me sit down, so he could cuddle.  His big brown eyes melt my heart.  It is in the moments of cuddling that I feel joy.  But then he does something else.  This precious little child, starts singing.  His voice is so pure and innocent.  He always sings the same song. "Hallelujah, Hosanna. Hallelujah, Hosanna. Hallelujah Hosanna. Hallelujah Hosanna. What a might God we serve. What a mighty God we serve. What a mighty God we serve. What a mighty God we serve."

I am so blessed by this child's faith.  He lives in a house with 15 other children who are not his siblings.  His house mother, is not his real mom, but he loves her that way.  Because of his past, he could be distant and not connecting, but instead he sings to our mighty God.

I desire to have a childlike faith!!!