Africa

If you had come up to me and told me a couple of years ago that I would have a desire to go to Africa I would have laughed at you.

I have a desire to go to Africa.

My interest in Africa started when I learned about Invisible Children and the fact that thousands of African children are abducted from their homes and forced to become child soldiers by the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). This army that uses these young boys as cannon fodder is lead by Joseph Kony, an evil man who claims that God wants him to do this.

Then I watched Hotel Rwanda. A movie based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina who takes action during the Rwandad Genocide, a civil war that breaks out because of labels that Dutch had assigned to the people of Rwanda when they used to rule their country. They categorized the people into two groups, tutsi and hutu. When they left they left the power to the tutsi and and this continued for several generations. Many of the hutu wanted power and one day, when over the radio, they were instructed to take up their machetes and murder thier neighbors, their friends, their co-workers who were of tutsi blood, they did. This happened in 1994.

My interest for Africa was further pushed when I became aware of Katie, a young woman exactly my age, who left home and family to move to Uganda to feed, love, and educate children in slums, or just completly in poverty. She is an adopted mommy to fourteen Ugandan girls. Fourteen girls that she feeds, clothes, and bathes. Fourteen girls that she prays over, puts band aids on, and disciplines. It is not a joke, it is her life. Along with helping children her ministry, Amazima Ministries helps Ugandad women to make necklace and sell them to an American company. That company, 147 Million Orphans, then sells the necklaces and sends half of the proceeds back to the women that made them. They're awesome necklaces, and I encourage anyone to buy one and support those women.

Then Kristen went to Africa with Compassion International abd blogged about sponsoring a child. God has spoken to Kristen and her husband and they are now in the process of opening up a home for pregnant girls in Africa. Won't you consider joining them as The Mercy House is launched and lives are transformed? Visit The Mercy Shop, each purchase makes a difference. My heart was touched by her stories and her photos, and doesn't the Bible say to much is given, much is required?

So my next step in the Africa journey was taken. I sponsered a little girl, her name is Dorcas. Her birthday is coming up on October 15th. She lives in Kenya with her parents and siblings. I have never met her, but I love her, and it is our God that can knit the souls of two people together who are worlds apart and our God that can take a couple of hours of baby-sitting money a month to change a life.

Now I wait. I wait to see what God will place in my life, where I go from here. I desire to go to Africa. I don't know if this is a God driven desire or an Elizabeth desire. Maybe it's both. My church goes to Kenya each summer. We will see what happens them. For now, I'm going to sit tight and enjoy the ride.