Friday, March 30, 2007

I believe...

Another one of those needs... Those where my thoughts after my Rwandan friend asked me to help a single woman about to give birth.

I prayed and asked God if I were to take any responsability for this need. Before I knew it I went through the boxes with baby cloths, diapers and receiving blankets. I looked in my closet to see if I had any cloths I did not favor and knew to be better used by a woman in need. On top of that the Lord impressed on me to add nailpolish and lipgloss. I searched my kitchen and ended up with a nice amount of food.
Honestly I was suprised at my response for I had not heard God say a yes or no about this particular need but yet an urge to go visit this woman and help with what I had.
I walk through some back ally's into an area that smells horrendous, open sewage, garbage, half dressed children. Yet this place is only a 5 minute drive from my home. ( see photo below)I enter a little corridor and stand face to face with a beautiful young woman. Obviously pregnant she comes and greets me. We enter her home; a small room with a bed and some chairs. I notice an old radio in a corner and a Kinyarwandan bible next to it. The walls are cracked and the only tiny window in the room barely gives enough light to see anything. (the very back area of this house is where Tatiana lives)
Tatiana slowely opens up and tells me her story.
She lived a life of plenty. She had her own clothing store, was preparing to marry a nice man and was loved by many people. She attended church and thanked God for the blessing life.

A little over six months ago she found out she was expecting. Her husband to be seemed to withdraw himself from her, eventhough this was his baby. Within a week he had taken all her money, her clothing, her juwelery and left her, to go to another woman. Tatiana was left with no choice but to ask for help. Her friends turned her down, as she had become a single mother to be... a disgraceful position to be in. Her inlaws who used to love her refused to speak to her. She had no-where to go and no-one willing to help her. She could no longer afford her previous lifestyle. In one day she turned from a middle class citizen to the poorest of the poor.
Robbed, completely robbed from opportunity, dignity and choice.
My heart was in turmoil listening to her story.
She continued to tell me that she is blessed to be alive and have shelter. But many days she stays in her room and just sleeps the day away, no food, no friends.

Tatiana proudly tells me the baby will be a boy, she'll name him KWISERA (trust). But her countenance changes as she shares that she even considers to give her baby away after she delivers, as she does not know how to provide for him. I fell tears welling up in my eyes and with a deep sadness I watch her as she keeps grabbing her bible expressing how God has been the only thing that has kept her going. How she keeps holding on to him, knowing that He knows of her and her situation. How this very moment is and expression of God to her. This women expresses such a faith and security in God. He was all she had left! I know that if I would not know God as my Lord and Saviour her testimony and her solid faith would make me cry out; "Yes Lord, I believe!"
Everything within me wants to grab her and tell her everything will be just fine... but will it? Could I make such a promise? Instead I grab the bag with items I brought for her and as I give her the items she just looses it and grabs me, she cries and cries uncontrollably, thanking God for listening to her cries for help. As I hold her I cry with her. And I come to the humble realization that my only reason to be with Tatiana is because God desired to express His love for her, and I just happened to be the tool he used. This was a Tatiana-God moment and I better not get in the way of it.
Tatiana is precious to me, very precious, because I know God wanted her to know that He hears her and cares for her. A friend recently sent me newborn baby boy cloths, just to give away. Christine, thank you, know that God used you to provide for Tatiana's baby boy!
Please pray for Tatiana, her due date is April 25th.
Be encouraged! Just as God listens to the prayers of this young mom-to-be, and expresses His love for her, He does the same for you! He listens and knows of your every need.
Today the Lord did a miracle for Tatiana. He can do a miracle for you!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Heaven Touching Earth to be...

Bossi, Bossi, amakuru? (boss, boss, how are you?) We're out in Kibuye on some hidden mountains by our property. The view is breath taking as always. The desire of living on our property with 256 orphans and at least 32 widows gets stronger as I notice this young boy and his friend. Their cloths were ripped, the zipper of the boy's pants did not even close. I wonder what kind of life they live and if they even have parents or hopefully at least a mom.
Bossi... bossi... he yells. What will he say two years from now when he will see us there 24/7?
He makes me smile and the excitement of Gods purposes for this place bubbles inside of me.
We took a boat and went to see our land from the water. As you can see it is huge! All the land you see is for HTE (Heaven Touching Earth!) I remember when we had the dream, visions and the scriptures all referring to this place at the water with orphans and widows living on it. A place where heaven touched earth. Where the presence of the Lord would be so strong. Where people all ages would be on their faces before the Lord, where he would restore them and make them whole...
And now here we are... communicating with architects, writing the plan for this place, meeting with ministers and leaders of big organizations to learn from their experiences. In the mean time I feel so humbled by the greatness of this project. The logistics scare me, the funding needed makes me want to run from it all... I fee like king Salomon when he took his father, David's, place. He cried out to God and said; Oh Lord I don't know how to be a good king help me. Give me a heart of wisdom.
...yet the Lord keeps opening the doors before us. Showing us we are to keep going, step by step obeying him as He leads. It sounds so easy...
We were welcomed to our property by these kids and the cows!
Beautiful wild flowers on our land.