If you skip this whole blog, please just read the bottom.
Life here in Mango Village has been quite the experience. There are so many lessons we are learning as a team, mostly about the Holy Spirit, what true and false fasting is, and especially what it means to have a Sabbath rest. I so look forward to better internet to write out some of those lessons for you all. Also, just a little side note, I am now preaching Saturday and not tonight… flexibility is key here on the World Race. And pray for grace… somehow the Prosperity Gospel has infiltrated this country, which honestly makes absolutely no sense. It truly baffles me how some pastors get up on stage, dangling the keys to their Escalade, and tell people living in shambles that a God who loves them will give them an Escalade too. So, I’m preaching on how God is both good and sovereign, and how His sovereignty extends even through suffering. Oh boy…
On a lighter note, here are a few more fun pictures as of late. Followed by a pretty cool story…
Our team after one of our off days on the Indian Ocean.
Samantha Lou’s birthday party… no cake, but plenty of pineapple!
Antonio digging worms out of one of the girls’ feet. Fortunately, my feet are still good to go.
But the highlight of the week was definitely one of our days of ministry. We’ve developed a relationship with Angelina, a 26 year old widow with three small children, whos husband died of AIDS. She lives in a mud hut that is falling down, and our goal this week is to finish building her house that we’ve been building this month. We don’t have any pictures of the other day, because it just wasnt really an appropriate time to take them. But we found out that the two of her three children that are school age are unable to go because she simply cant afford it (if you were told about the poop/food story, this is the house and level of poverty im talking about.) Anyway, through asking some questions, we found out that it cost $18 per child to send them to school for a year, get them books, and buy uniforms. So it costs $36 to send both kids to school. There are 7 of us, so we each put in about $5 and were able to give this to her. Honestly, five bucks is NOTHING. I’m not trying to say we sacrificed something huge and you should look at us. Im saying that we were appalled that instead of buying an ice cream bar, we could make this much of a difference in their lives.
When we gave her a card telling her how much we loved her and the Lord did too, she cried a little and said she never, ever, ever expected Him to provide for her like this.
$36.
We have no idea in this country how blessed we are as a nation and as a people.
So awesome! Can’t wait to catch up next week!!
Man, are we spoiled in this country!!!! Thanks for sharing.
O.K. Antonio looks like he’s having WAY too much fun digging those worms out!!! A bit unsettling, to say the least. But more unsettling is the poverty level you’re seeing there and how rich and blessed we are here in the U.S. and still we find things to complain about. Thanks for helping us to put things into perspective — but sadly and very honestly, we’ll forget all too soon and be complaining about something by tomorrow. So, along with our prayers, can we give another $36 for another year of school for Angelina’s children (or something else they need)? Please let your dad know so he can let me know.
I’m so relieved to hear that your feet are “still good to go.” I’ll continue to pray that they stay that way, and will pray some more about your preaching — now on Saturday. I assume there will be a translator, and I pray that it will truly be God speaking through both of you, and that nothing will be lost in the translation, but that God will add the increase to touch their hearts with the truth and just the right words for them to understand.
As always, may God bless you and keep you.
With love,
Angela