Monday, February 14, 2011

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths,
and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression,
and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor. Amen."

— Craig Groeschel (It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It)

Thursday 10th February, 2011. A ten tonne truck makes its way into area 47 destined for SC. it was meant to be here a few weeks earlier but the fuel crisis in the country has affected a few things. There are 10,544 packets of fortified porridge on it, beans for alternate feeding and bicycles for teachers and patients. It is a very VERY different scene from the earlier days.

Moses and Theresa reminisce as everyone sits and listens. It is a few hours after the staff has toiled and taken every last packet off of the truck into storage, preparing for the following day’s distribution. Arms and legs are weary but hearts are full and expectant. Theresa has a glow... joy that comes from knowing that it was not all a crazy plan, that God had spoken and slowly and surely the vision is coming to pass. She and Moses laugh. They recall the early days when an ox-cart would come down the road and deliver cabbages for the ministry and the neighbours would laugh, “they say it is a ministry they are doing.” But cabbages were the only affordable way to reach out to the hurting, with love and something for the hungry bellies. People everywhere were dying, infected and affected and they did what they could to help.

There were days of walking 7 kilometres to town to meet to talk to NGOs, to try and get anyone to listen and care for the lives that were being wasted away in Tambala, Matanda, Mgona and other communities. As we listen, they bring up a Mr Mkandawire (God bless his soul), who would let them visit his home and make phone calls because they had access to none. And there was that other lady that would allow them to send emails for free so they could let friends and partners know what was happening. It has been a long road but the journey continues. From two people walking and working together to the unit that is the family of SC, to the extended family that is across the oceans; yes, it has been a long road but the journey does continue. That long road, of lives lost and trust gained, the death of lives and yet the birth of hope. It has been a long road of partnership, linking the communities with friends and partners who CARE.

And having seen the truck pull up, it took everyone a moment to regain composure of what God has done because the truck represents lives ... over 6,000 children are being fed, touched with kindness and care. If nothing else let us say that...over 6,000 children don’t have to worry about a meal at such a young age. In a small way we can say together, that we have helped give back to them their childhood, for poverty does not only rob stomachs but dreams and without a dream everything stands still.

Thank you all for the partnership that is established and rooted in love. Thank you for all the years of support where as Moses’ arms were held up, we too have been held up by your love and support. Together we have victory over the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy dreams and through dreams...lives.

And thank you to our Master, Father, Friend and Lover who cares. The plight of the hurting touches His heart and His heart touches ours...then we touch theirs.