Written by Diana
It is 6:00am. I have awakened each
morning while being here to the 100 orphans that live in the children’s home
singing for morning devotions. Their voices are strong and harmonious. It is a
beautiful sound and I can only imagine the joy the Lord feels as He hears these
little ones sing to Him.
The
children that come to live here are from situations that are hard to imagine.
Some truly have no one who can or will care for them. It is the desire of TCOH
to become their family. They provide a loving atmosphere by the adults that
care for the children daily and love them with God’s love. I love one of the
songs they often sing at church on Sunday. It says, “I have a Father that
never, never fails me, Jesus is my Father that never, never fails me.” I can
only begin to imagine how powerful and comforting those words are to them as
they begin to understand that truth deep in their little hearts.
The
children are encouraged to have dreams for their future. If they did not have
TCOH teaching them that there is a different way to live than the despair of
their parents, it would be another generation of the same hopelessness.
A
few weeks ago we had a big celebration for the 5-year anniversary of TCOH. It
is amazing to see how much God has done here in 5 short years. Yes, a lot of
buildings have been built to house the children, a large school for the day
students and boarders, a hospital that now has nurses and is seeing patients,
but the most important work being done here is hard to measure. It is the hope
given to these children that changes their lives forever. True lasting
transformation of the heart that can only be accomplished by our supernatural
God. With that hope in God they are taught and trained in different skills that
give them the opportunity to be in their culture as a productive people and
earn a living. Dr. Chacha knows each of these children’s stories and is very
involved in helping the older ones get as much education as is fitting for
their skills and desires. Many of the boys are trained in labor skills, and one
of the girls is now in nursing school and very proud of what she has
accomplished.
Yesterday
evening I went to visit with the girls as they were finishing dinner, doing
their laundry and having some free time. They are being taught English and the
older ones can speak it pretty well but they are quite shy and it is hard to
have a conversation. This is probably the most frustrating part of being here.
I so often wish I knew what they were thinking.
But
I had a rewarding experience last evening. I was with one of the older girls
and she began pointing to parts of my body and speaking Kiswahili. I realized
she was trying to teach me the names of different parts in her language. It was
fun. We did this for a while. When it was time for me to go I looked at her and
said, “You are a good teacher. You could be a teacher some day.” She gave me
the biggest smile and looked so proud. Maybe my few little words will give her
a brighter future and hope.
Thanks Diana for giving me a glimpse into your journey sharing life among the orphans in TCOH. Also, sharing your observations how you see God at work in these little ones lives, giving them a brighter future, a better hope, a new way to live with joy, as they experience being truly loved by a supernatural God thru the lives of their teachers, mentors, doctors, nurses, the medical students who come, and visitors, such as yourself, Julie, Nancy, and others. Am reminded of 1 Cor13:13, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." This community seems to thrive because love remains within her walls, God's supernatural love, an overflowing spring that never runs dry, but is forever eternal.
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