The moment that I took this picture will forever be etched in my soul. A poor, sweet Rwandan boy meeting his sponsor for the first time. He ran. He jumped. He never let go and he never stopped smiling. Because he knew that this girl saved his life. She immediately welled up with tears. We all did. Even now as I write this, a lump has arrived in my throat and my eyes are glistening (Erin must wonder what's wrong with me...).
You have the power to transform a life.
"Here we go," you say. "He's going to try to pressure me - guilt me - into sponsoring a kid." I'm praying that you understand that this is far from a sales gimmick. We're talking about a very real child. A soul. I have looked these children in the eye. Held them in my arms. And I'm telling you, when some westerner decides they can "sacrifice" cable TV or a night at the movies to sponsor a kid in a far off country, it matters. Heaven applauds. It may not seem like such a big deal to you, but I promise, it is a huge deal to them. And their family. It is everything. It is life. It is hope. It is a future.
"There are children so famished in the face of poverty that they
only see the grace of God in the shape of bread."
- Ann Voskamp (during a recent trip to Rwanda) -
"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need
but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in Him?"
- 1 John 3:17 -
This isn't about guilt. It's about the gospel. It's about being the hands and feet of Christ. It's about caring enough to act. It's about being responsible with what He has so freely given to us. Maybe it's not just guilt we feel when we read stuff like this, but the Holy Spirit calling us to respond.
Please. Pray about sponsoring a child through Africa New Life. God is using them to restore a nation utterly destroyed by genocide only 20 years ago. They're smart. They're strategic. They're doing it for the right reasons and with great excellence. The results are astounding. A small nation in the heart of Africa is being transformed, one life at a time.
And if you sponsor a child, I would highly encourage you to consider joining me on a trip at some point in the future to meet them in person. It will change your life.
**Please share this post!**
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment