I don't know her name, but she is called Miss Mango. You can read more about her here. I gotta tell you--if I had been to Africa, I would have had a really hard time not scooping that precious one into my suitcase and bringing her home.
Also this week, I got a letter from the organization Feed My Starving Children. Here is Priscilla. She is in 6th grade and HIV positive. Her only food is the one meal a day provided by FMSC. Priscilla wants to grow up and be a doctor so she can help others.
Lucy was looking at the pictures of Moali (below), Priscilla, and Miss Mango.
She asked me, "Mom, why do they all look sort of like boys? You know, with their hair so short?" I explained (in my limited knowledge of black hair) that it wasn't like ours. In order for theirs to grow, it needs extra love and care and a mom or someone else to brush it regularly. Otherwise, it doesn't grow. I explained to her that these little ones don't have a mom or grandma to brush their hair.
The best mission sermon I ever heard (and I've heard many, MANY) was from Paul Borthwick. It was entitled, "Will You Give Jesus Your Lunch?" When we look at the overwhelming need surrounding us--we don't even have to go on a mission trip; we just can open our mail or the newspaper--it's hard not to feel paralyzed. But if we, just as the little boy in the Bible story, give all that is in our hands, even though it's next to nothing, Christ can work great things through it.
One of the things we have been given is unlimited access to God Himself through prayer. When we feel unable to help because of financial limitations, circumstances, distance or whatever, we can pray that help be sent. That's why we have turned our refrigerator into a "prayer wall." Would you too consider taking time to pray for one of these little ones today--Miss Mango, Priscilla, Moali? They desperately need the Good News, food, medical care, education, and someone just to love them and brush their hair.
3 comments:
I wanted to thank you for writing this moving post. The thought that stood out for me was that when we do not have the financial or physical means to help,
" we can pray that help be sent".
In that simple sentence you said so much. I love your prayer wall and the evidence of a Christ like heart ...may you be blessed in incredible ways with all the things that count!
I LOVE Stomp! He started singing it and it didn't really catch on, so he asked the audience "do you remember this one?" and apparently no one did, so he morphed seamlessly into another song the way only gospel singers can do.
And yeah, Moody had a gospel choir while I was there! It was started by an African American voice major, and she was a great director. She was hired by Harvest after graduation but kept on directing for a couple of years. When she left a white boy named Jason that made Cabrini and an African American church his second home attempted to save the choir from dissolving. That was funny. He was such a white boy and was so effeminate in his mannerisms, but also SO effective at getting into gospel music.
I wish you could have seen our choir. We were about half white, half other shades. About half of the white folks really really struggled to manage the correct gospel "sway", but but had a blast anyways. It was quite an education and truly a blessing for me during a period of cynicism. We sang in black churches around chicago and got a great response. It was fun.
Thanks for praying for Miss Mango!
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