Almost every night as I walk home, I run into two of my dear friends. They are no older than 10 years old and do not speak a word of English. We laugh and gesture and I make sure to keep loose change in my pocket for them. They are filled with a humbling dose of joy. Their clothes are worn to shreds and their skin is often laced with dirt. Their noses are constantly running and their scalps are scattered with white patches... Some from infection and some from the sun bleaching out their hair. Once we reach the point in our walk where we go our separate ways, I shake their hands and smile and laugh with them... Desperately wanting to show them love they otherwise will not receive. I hand them the equivalent of a penny which will allow them to purchase a piece of bread. I am typically against handing out any sort of money or food items here... Minus these two. They are my unique case. Here's the most beautiful part about my two brothers - one of them is completely disabled in a wheelchair. His limbs are mangled, he cannot speak and he has an unquenchable grin engraved on his face 24/7. His joy is contagious. He never fails to make me smile while fighting back tears. These are not tears of pity by any means. They are tears of joy and tears of love. I look deep into his brown eyes and see the Lord. I see a small boy who is confined to a wheelchair, but can't resist smiling. When I see him, suddenly everything in my life is absolutely perfect. Joy is not dependent on my circumstances, it is rooted deep in the Lord. Now for his incredible friend. He wheels him around every single day. I have seen them in every part of the community I live in. He makes sure that his friend is fed and taken care of. This again moves me to tears. What a beautiful example of friendship and how the Lord calls us to care for one another. And to think they are no more than 10 years old... My goodness let that be an example to all of us. Let us serve each other with complete humility, grace and love. Let us go to the ends of the earth for one another because that is what we are called to do as brothers and sisters in Christ. When I passed by these two beautiful souls tonight, I had a little extra food from my day that I was able to share with them. I always hand things to the friend pushing the wheelchair and he IMMEDIATELY hands half of what was given to him to his friend. Seriously, such beauty. I urge anyone who is reading this to love your neighbor like these friends love one another. Let their friendship and brotherhood impact you to love hard. Although this little boy will never experience the rush of running with friends, kicking a soccer ball, hearing his own voice, laughing and so much more, he knows that he is being renewed day by day. The Lord is keeping close watch on his precious spirit and preparing an eternity of freedom and frolicking for this little one :)
This week has been a week of growing and breakthrough. God has brought old friends and new friends into my life to join us in Rays of Grace's mission here. There are three people in particular that were sent to me directly from the Lord. Andrew, Richard and Felicien... Three incredible Rwandan souls who I hope to employ through Rays of Grace. They are each equipped with incredible skill sets that parallel with our mission and vision. This permits Rays of Grace to be one step closer in the empowerment process on the ground here. We want Rwandans to fully understand and embrace their self worth by providing the tools they need to be self-sustaining. These three wonderful young men are trustworthy and willing to devote their time and energy to begin the initial stages of establishing Rays of Grace. I was able to conduct informal interviews with them where I described our mission and the direction we are headed. They were all very excited and hopeful that this would be a successful mission. This brought my heart so much peace and encouragement. It was such a wonderful dose of affirmation from God. Over the next two months, we hope to set up an office space in town where we can begin to develop our small businesses and have a place to be in community with one another. Prayers for God's guidance and support throughout this process are extremely appreciated!
God is opening more and more doors each and every day for me here. He is allowing me to grow deeper with the community and to permit them to see me as their sister, rather than a foreigner just passing through. I continually praise God for this gift.
Hanging Out In The Villages
I love each of you deeply and pray that this finds you well! Continual prayers for guidance, discernment, patience, strength, courage, finances and wisdom are always welcomed and appreciated! Thank you, thank you!
Love, Grace and BIG HUGS,
britt :)
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