My heart has been completely overwhelmed in the last few days. I have spent a few evenings visiting the homes of some of the orphans and vulnerable children that we serve in our school. To say that I am humbled is an understatement. To listen to the stories of these courageous mothers and their families has left me awestruck. They have a strength that I admire and perseverance through adversity that I’m not sure I can ever attain.
The mothers whose children I’m supposed to be helping have instead left me teary, speechless and striving to do better. These courageous women are raising children in one or two room plank houses with dirt or cement floors. Some of them are widows before they were 35 and others have had children with men who later ran out on them to carry the load. A few of them have taken in other’s children when they were already struggling to care for their own. Their sense of community and loyalty to each other is profound. They have taught me a lot. It’s tradition in Cameroon to take a small gift to the family you are visiting.
It’s considered rude to go to a home empty handed. We had celebrated birthday’s at school earlier in the day so I made extra cupcakes to share. EVERY mother that I saw didn’t know that I had more cake to share with the children in their home and they immediately started pinching off bites of cake and calling for the children that they care for (and any other child close by) to come and have a taste. I was stuck by the fact that each child received their one bite without asking for more and eagerly ran outside to call the next child to come get their share. This simple act of selflessness brought tears to my eyes. These are people who are living with so little and yet are sure to share everything that they have. It’s unclear to me if they will ever understand how much they have affected my life. I left their village the other night in tears. I came home and fell on the bed repenting for not really wanting to open this school and for wanting to quit when things got hard. Once again I had to thank God for choosing me to partner with these beautiful souls in this journey we call life. The Lord has used the people to whom I am supposed to be ministering to make a dramatic impact on my own life.
I am honored to share a few of their stories with you and hope that you will join us in praying for the staff and children of Hope and Destiny Academy and their families.
November is the month that we have chosen as the month of prayer for school. Each day we will highlight a student and/or a staff member to share with you. We will attempt to give you a tiny glimpse into their lives. Hopefully you will understand how your partnering with us to make Hope and Destiny Academy a reality is making a lasting impact on the nation of Cameroon for the Kingdom of God. Our hope is that you will pray for our school throughout the month of November and beyond.
The photo is a few of the mom's and some of our staff. The video is some of our kids in morning devotions singing Smile, Jesus loves me, I will smile Jesus loves me hallelujah.
The mothers whose children I’m supposed to be helping have instead left me teary, speechless and striving to do better. These courageous women are raising children in one or two room plank houses with dirt or cement floors. Some of them are widows before they were 35 and others have had children with men who later ran out on them to carry the load. A few of them have taken in other’s children when they were already struggling to care for their own. Their sense of community and loyalty to each other is profound. They have taught me a lot. It’s tradition in Cameroon to take a small gift to the family you are visiting.
It’s considered rude to go to a home empty handed. We had celebrated birthday’s at school earlier in the day so I made extra cupcakes to share. EVERY mother that I saw didn’t know that I had more cake to share with the children in their home and they immediately started pinching off bites of cake and calling for the children that they care for (and any other child close by) to come and have a taste. I was stuck by the fact that each child received their one bite without asking for more and eagerly ran outside to call the next child to come get their share. This simple act of selflessness brought tears to my eyes. These are people who are living with so little and yet are sure to share everything that they have. It’s unclear to me if they will ever understand how much they have affected my life. I left their village the other night in tears. I came home and fell on the bed repenting for not really wanting to open this school and for wanting to quit when things got hard. Once again I had to thank God for choosing me to partner with these beautiful souls in this journey we call life. The Lord has used the people to whom I am supposed to be ministering to make a dramatic impact on my own life.
I am honored to share a few of their stories with you and hope that you will join us in praying for the staff and children of Hope and Destiny Academy and their families.
November is the month that we have chosen as the month of prayer for school. Each day we will highlight a student and/or a staff member to share with you. We will attempt to give you a tiny glimpse into their lives. Hopefully you will understand how your partnering with us to make Hope and Destiny Academy a reality is making a lasting impact on the nation of Cameroon for the Kingdom of God. Our hope is that you will pray for our school throughout the month of November and beyond.
The photo is a few of the mom's and some of our staff. The video is some of our kids in morning devotions singing Smile, Jesus loves me, I will smile Jesus loves me hallelujah.