New Friends Chapter 2 - Divine Appointment
I have been talking about going to Africa for almost 5 years now. Since my dad has sponsored a boy in Kenya for 11 years, I decided that would be the place to go. Forfeiting my desire to go to Uganda or Tanzania for a week, we decided on Kenya so the rents could meet James. Now, with this hard economy, don’t think for an instant that it has been easy. We have been saving for years and I even had to rob the savings to pay for surgery for my girl, Cheyanne which delayed the trip another year. But through it all, I said that we would get there, and I told mom and dad to be saving up as well.
I should have known that when the one year mark hit everything would be challenged. All of a sudden the rents didn’t have enough money to go. No, strike that… didn’t want to sacrifice anything to go. Dad was worried about his joints and getting blood clots in his legs. He had written and told James he was coming and didn’t get a response. Everything was a mess… they were trying to back out. I had numerous conversations with them (mainly dad) about how important it was to see James and poverty so he could be changed. He wants to just write a check – but he can write checks later, and even probably more when he gets back. It is not about dumping thousands of dollars into yourself. It is about seeing the Kingdom of God in a different light. About changing your heart and becoming more like Jesus. I have such a passion for the children I sponsor… they may never hear “I love you” or “You are special”. I can say that to them. I can give them hope when nobody else can. I was finally able to voice what I felt one night just to come to find out that the whole conversation was a waste and I was just talking to a liter of Vodka. I was devastated and knew that it was only 7 months until the trip… they hadn’t registered and might not…because of nothing short of insecurity and a pinch of ignorance.
When I learned that an LDP student and his chaperone were coming to stay with me from Kenya, I was excited. This is exactly what I thought might encourage them to want to go to Kenya. I told them that they would have to meet and go over some trip stuff. They agreed, and I was impatient to see what would happen on the dinner night they all got to meet and talk about things.
Anywho, given that immense background, this is what is amazing…
Ben and Sammy came to my desk and were surprised by all the child photos. I sponsor three kids and write to 35, so being awed by the (seemingly) hundreds of kids was somewhat expected. All of a sudden, Ben looks at a lone bookmark with a child photo and says “I know him!” Who was it? Low and behold, my dad had given me a bookmark of James to pray for him. I had stuck it up on the wall and thought little of it. However, it was an appointment with God. Ben had grown up with him and shared his project. He knew him, he was friends with him, and BEN was my dad’s connection. I had to fight back tears all morning.
I should have known that when the one year mark hit everything would be challenged. All of a sudden the rents didn’t have enough money to go. No, strike that… didn’t want to sacrifice anything to go. Dad was worried about his joints and getting blood clots in his legs. He had written and told James he was coming and didn’t get a response. Everything was a mess… they were trying to back out. I had numerous conversations with them (mainly dad) about how important it was to see James and poverty so he could be changed. He wants to just write a check – but he can write checks later, and even probably more when he gets back. It is not about dumping thousands of dollars into yourself. It is about seeing the Kingdom of God in a different light. About changing your heart and becoming more like Jesus. I have such a passion for the children I sponsor… they may never hear “I love you” or “You are special”. I can say that to them. I can give them hope when nobody else can. I was finally able to voice what I felt one night just to come to find out that the whole conversation was a waste and I was just talking to a liter of Vodka. I was devastated and knew that it was only 7 months until the trip… they hadn’t registered and might not…because of nothing short of insecurity and a pinch of ignorance.
When I learned that an LDP student and his chaperone were coming to stay with me from Kenya, I was excited. This is exactly what I thought might encourage them to want to go to Kenya. I told them that they would have to meet and go over some trip stuff. They agreed, and I was impatient to see what would happen on the dinner night they all got to meet and talk about things.
Anywho, given that immense background, this is what is amazing…
Ben and Sammy came to my desk and were surprised by all the child photos. I sponsor three kids and write to 35, so being awed by the (seemingly) hundreds of kids was somewhat expected. All of a sudden, Ben looks at a lone bookmark with a child photo and says “I know him!” Who was it? Low and behold, my dad had given me a bookmark of James to pray for him. I had stuck it up on the wall and thought little of it. However, it was an appointment with God. Ben had grown up with him and shared his project. He knew him, he was friends with him, and BEN was my dad’s connection. I had to fight back tears all morning.
posted by Nic at 9:44 PM
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