A legacy is something that is built; it’s not something that ‘just happens.’ As you build, the fruit of your legacy will become a harvest that is reaped by a future generation. The benefit is not for you; it’s for those who come after you, but the harvest they reap then, depends on what and how you sow now.

What follows are some critical choices you should make today, in order for your legacy to influence destiny tomorrow.

1.       Choose a Future Focus rather than a Now Focus

A Now focus is characterized by

• Looking out for Self                                    
• Striving to achieve Position                                  
• Seeking avenues for Getting                               

A Future focus is characterized by

• Looking out for Others
• Striving to accomplish Purpose
• Seeking opportunities for Giving

When it’s all about you and about what can benefit you now, it’s likely that your legacy will die when you die.

 2.       Choose Accomplishment rather than Affirmation

Everybody likes to be recognized/approved but the glow of feeling good is not a substitute for living out your true potential. When affirmation becomes a motivating priority, it can easily cause you to:

• Mold and tailor your ministry in a way that pleases man
• Behave and perform in a way that you know will get approval from man
• Formulate the ‘right’ answers and say the right things to impress man

The test of a man is not when he plays the role he wants for himself, but when he plays the role destiny has for him.

Alternatively, you can decide that regardless of what men say, and regardless of whether you get affirmation from man

• You heard what God said
• You will obey what God said
• You will accomplish something meaningful for God

3.       Choose Future Potential over Financial Gain

Financial gain can become a very powerful motivator, when day after day, things are hard, and you are trusting God just to get by. Decisions motivated by money normally bring short term relief, but also have only short term benefits.

• Seek ways to invest in people rather than how to get something from people
• When you add value to people you are investing in their future potential
• Money always flows to where needs are being met

4.       Choose Personal Growth over Immediate Pleasure

Outside of you growing personally, there is no guarantee of you leaving a meaningful heritage for the future. Growing requires the discipline of setting aside what is comfortable in order to do what is necessary.

• Take responsibility for your own personal growth. Others cannot do it for you and others cannot be held accountable if you do not grow.
• No matter how small your town/church/ministry may be, there is no place that is too small for you to grow.
• Grow to become someone, not to acquire something.
• Stay out of your comfort zone. You cannot grow unless you try something you have not yet mastered, so try something new, do something you have not done before, learn a skill you do not have.
• Hang around growing people. If you want to know the direction you are going, look at your closest associates. You are going in the same direction they are.
• Have a personal plan that includes daily growth steps. If you want to change your life, you have to change something you do each day.

5.       Choose your Christian Walk over your Christian Work 

What you become is more important than what you do. Consequently, your walk with God is more important than your work for God.

Conclusion

The legacy you leave tomorrow will come out of the investments you make today. Each choice you make is a deposit in the destiny of the generation that will come after you.  Start ……… by making some of the smaller choices today. They will help you to make the big choices tomorrow.

I first became involved with Orchard: Africa through a mission trip with my church two years ago, and brought the experiences with and passion for Orchard: Africa into my classroom the following two years. After sharing all that I had seen in South Africa with my 4^th and 5^th grade students, they felt challenged to find a way to help. My students voted and decided to set up a hot chocolate stand in the courtyard 20 minutes before school for two weeks during the winter. Not only was the enthusiasm from my students contagious, but the response from parents, students and staff alike was to be commended. In just 10 days they were able to raise over $300.00 that went to directly feeding over 100 children one meal a day for an entire month.

After meeting with Michelle, we both agreed that if this worked in my classroom, it would work in all classrooms.  So, after much planning and curriculum writing over the summer, this school year we have kicked off our School Partnership Program. I firmly believe that if we empower the up and coming generation and give them the tools to make a difference, they will rise to the challenge.

Through the help of our dedicated volunteers, Orchard: Africa has developed a set of curriculums and campaigns that were created specifically with students in mind. For our K-8 students we have the ‘It Takes a Village ‘ campaign where students are introduced to the culture and geography of Africa with a seven-lesson curriculum complete with objectives and assessment. While learning about Africa, students plan and carry out one or more fundraisers with all proceeds going to feed children in Africa.

For our older students (grades6-12) we have developed the ‘One-a-Week’ campaign. The idea behind this campaign is to take it a step further. It challenges students to give up one dollar a week, bring it into their classroom, and together be a part of something great.

The response to the launch of our School Partnership Program has been tremendous. We currently have several schools that have already partnered with us. Because of the response that we have gotten, we have decided that a teacher from one of our Partner Schools will receive a scholarship to attend an educators-only mission trip that will take place next July.

If you are interested in learning more about the School Partnership Program and how to get your school involved, or you are interested in learning more about the educators-only mission trip next summer, please contact me at cindy@orchardafrica.org.

John 1:17

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

This short verse creates the understanding that the opposite of grace is law. This is of course true. However, a more accurate “opposite” of grace is “self sufficiency or independence.”

It is when we strive and stress to live for God by:

• doing more
• praying more
• giving more
• fasting more
• sacrificing more
• depending on our own self-effort to work our way into God’s favor.

The Old Testament book of Zechariah paints the picture which follows:

Zechariah 4:6-9

“So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. “What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘Grace, Grace,’ to it’” Then the word of the LORD came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.”

Zerubbabel’s task was to rebuild the temple but a mountain, which blocked his progress, hindered him. God told Zerubbabel that he was not going to move the mountain by his own might or power. It could only be moved by God’s Spirit. God would shout, “Grace, Grace,” to it and the mountain would become level ground.

This could be a picture of your life.

• God wants to build the temple of His presence in you.
• The mountain represents anything that hinders this.
• It could be sin, a bad habit, some form of character weakness or any area of your life that you know is not pleasing to God.
• How often have you tried to pretend it is not there?
• How often have you become discouraged and felt like you are disappointing to God because no matter how hard you try, nothing works?
• Maybe you have even given up, become tired of trying, become tired of failing and said something like, “God I quit!!!”

At that point God says, “I’ve been waiting for you to say that. You don’t have the strength, but I do. You don’t have the power, but I do. You can’t move the mountain, but I can.” And then God shouts. He doesn’t shout at you. He doesn’t say, “Do better, try harder, give more, etc.” He shouts at the mountain, “Grace, Grace,” and He levels the mountain by doing in you what you cannot do yourself.

Self-effort does not have what it takes to move that thing, but the grace of God, through the Spirit of God, has all that it takes.

Grace is God doing in you what you are not able to do yourself.

Grace is the exact opposite of independence.

Grace is the cure for self-sufficiency.

Celebrate the grace that comes to us through Jesus Christ.

What about God? Does he have priorities? Are there some things in our lives to which He would give more emphasis than others? Would it help us if we understood what some of these might be?

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (emphasis added)

“This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts, boast about this: THAT HE UNDERSTANDS AND KNOWS ME.”

This passage indicates that understanding and knowing God is more important than wisdom, strength or riches. It’s not so much an issue of right or wrong, good or bad. It’s an issue of what is more important – on what does God place higher value?

Here are some of my thoughts about things on which God places higher emphasis:

• God places higher value on changing us than on charming us

God is good and God does good. As much as He desires to pour gifts blessings and good things into our lives, He desires more to shape and change our lives. What He does in us is more important than what He does for us. Instead of just seeking experiences with God that will charm us, should we not rather seek encounters with God that will change us?

• God places higher value on us being good than feeling good

Modern society teaches us to behave in ways that make us feel good. If everybody is doing it and it makes us feel good, then it must be OK. We measure our morals and standards against those of other people, and it makes us feel good when we are ‘not as bad as’ or ‘better than’ the next person. The Bible says “Be imitators of God, as dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1). God desires that we be like Him, not just better than someone else.

• God places higher value on us being a blessing than receiving a blessing

The Bible says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  (Acts 20:35). Jesus’ example was to serve, rather than be served. God’s promise to Abraham was, “…. I will bless you………and you will be a blessing.”  (Genesis 12:2) What if, instead of exercising faith for God to bless us, we exercised faith to be a channel of blessing to somebody else. 

• God places higher value on us being relevant than on being religious

People do not care how much we know until they know how much we care. The Bible puts it this way; “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:14-17) It may be the religious thing to say to people, ‘I will pray for you, God bless you,’ but it’s the relevant thing to do something about their practical needs.

• God places higher value on helping us than on hurting us

God is not against you. He is for you. He is not an enemy who is out to get you. He is a Father who loves you unconditionally. Rather than running from God, let us run to Him – to seek His help and enjoy His love.

“The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed….the LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love…..He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities, for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him…..as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;”  (Psalm 103:6-13)

In the summer of 2011, I was lucky enough to go on the first Orchard: Africa mission trip to Zambia. At the time, I had no idea what I was in for. I thought it would be a piece of cake. I’d been to Africa before, I’ve taught VBS before, I’ve been on mission trips before. Oh, how the fool thinks she has nothing to learn.

Zambia was not like my last mission trip to South Africa. Instead of a team of five college girls, we were a mixed team of men, women, students, graduates, and staff. Instead of staying in a comfortable mission house, we were sleeping in tents in the village center (I had never been camping before!). Instead of a 30 primary-aged kids, we had two groups of about 250 kids, ranging from toddlers to teenagers. As you can probably guess, we had to do a lot of learning and adjusting on our feet. There was poverty in South Africa, but somehow, in Zambia it seemed to be exponentially more. The children didn’t have desks or pencils. They used plastic bags as soccer balls. Teenage mothers played handball while wearing their babies on their backs. Adults dug up roots for food. What did I get myself into? There was no way I could handle this!

One night, our host gathered the team around the campfire. He was a young man named Kelvin, who loved the kids and was a determined advocate for them. He expressed how much it meant it to him and the local families that we had used our money and resources to spend a week teaching the children about Jesus. That’s when it hit me. We may have paid part of our way, but so much had come from friends and family and even strangers. God had created this huge web beyond what I could have imagined to provide for our trip and to provide for the families in Zambia.

I know that our week in Zambia only scratched the surface. Poverty has devastated the rural villages of Myooye and Kakombo. Poverty leads to hunger, thirst, lack of education, and sickness. But as I realized with my trip, poverty is not something that I have to fix by myself. God is the One who is in control. I am lucky to have my rough experience in Zambia, because I know, although my small effort to defeat poverty is weak, God is using it as a vital part of his ultimate plan of restoration.

Do you want to join in what God is doing to fight poverty in Zambia and South Africa? Become a vital part of the mission by volunteering, donating, and staying informed with Orchard: Africa!

God calls some to go next door with a plate of brownies. God calls others to go to Phoenix to worship with broken men praying for recovery. And God calls those who love Him, to go and mentor teens on a youth mission trip to California. God even calls some to go to South Africa to be his love to the impoverished. Where is God calling you?

“…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8b

Now when I see offerings in the plate, I see food for a hungry child, or a quilt for a dying AIDS patient.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…..” John 3:16

As we marched through Top Village, I asked Papa Joe (the local Pastor) where do you find hope as you minister to the sick and dying? “I feel encouraged and hopeful when I share God’s love and people receive Jesus. I know they are going to heaven. I feel I am doing God’s will and I feel good. I feel bad when I am not able to reach some and they do not know Jesus.”

We stand with Papa Joe on the edge of a wind swept cemetery – white rocks piled two feet high over the graves of loved ones, many of whom died far too young because of the AIDS epidemic – and he says, “white people coming so far to see us encourages people in their suffering. It has a way of further breaking down the walls of Apartheid. It is very good.”

We meet with Pastor Patrick, the Pastor of Madutle village. He says to a few of us around the table, “you don’t know what it means for you to come here, just your presence makes the kids and people feel validated and important. Madutle was a village without hope but when people come from across the world the government takes notice and now, we are starting to get services – a school and maybe a clinic. You are like the Samaritan’s who bring the care of God. Writing a check, the feeding stations are important, but what is more important is that you come and you care. It means so much.”

“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individual members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26-27

He took 11 people from Arizona to be ministers of His grace to those in need so far away. I think – who me? Who us? Such is the grace and wonder of God!!! Pastor John RLC

As we leave this morning to go the preschool in Top Village, we part ways with Betty. God has brought her to Africa for a special mission and she is headed to teach a quilting class for some of the village women. It warms my heart to know that God is using her to make a difference in the lives of these women with a gift she didn’t even realize she had to offer. As we head to the preschool we are very excited to spend time with the same children we visited on Monday. As we enter the classroom, faces light up in smiles and the kids immediately come over to greet us. They start by singing us some songs, both in English and in Setswana. We read stories and play games, but after that we just play. I look around and realize that each of us has gathered a group of playmates. Robyn sits against a wall with the quiet kids, Pastor John is picking kids up, some of us are holding kids, some are sitting with them on the floor, but Sydnee has found a special little group of followers to mimic what she does. She tweets like a bird, so do they. She jumps up and down and they do also. It is a complete mishmash of different people all here to do different things that connect with different kids.

After lunch we head back to the preschool to participate in the Top Village feeding program. We arrive early so we can have ample amounts of time to spend with the children before VBS starts. As we get there we are greeted by school children waving and smiling at us while the van is pulling into the village. When we pull in little faces can’t wait to have someone to play with them. The food is not ready to be distributed, so as we wait, we play with the children. This the most fun I have had the entire trip so far. We start tickle wars, Georgia is cradling a smiling girl in her arms, while using her as a shield to so other children can’t reach her. Sydnee, Jacob and Bobby are chasing each other and being chased in a dirt field. Bobby is challenged, these kids are much faster than the kids in America and Bobby is no longer the fastest. Jacob comes back and looks as if he has been rolling in the dirt, they have looks of fun and exhaustion on their faces. Sydnee sits down with Shawn, Robyn and me on the school’s porch and children begin to braid her hair, soon there is a crowd of children braiding all of our hair. They touch our hair with wonder because it is so different from their own. They tell us that it is soft and smells good. They touch it to their faces and embrace the smell. My hair stylist was particularly protective, not letting anyone else touch my hair, so she could do all the braids herself. A little boy lays his head in my lap so he can stare at me. He tells me he loves me and gives me kiss on the cheek. The teacher Mama Pretty, tells the children that it is time to eat.
I am again surprised by just how many kids show up to get food that in America may not be accepted even if it was free. Once again we run out of food, so saddens us that some of the children are only getting rice instead of rice and beans with meat. Apparently the preschool ran out of food, so they had to borrow from the after school program and then the after school program was short of food. The teacher assures us we did nothing wrong, that we gave each student the right amount of food, but this is normal and happens all the time. The kids don’t seem to care that they are only getting rice, but it still hurts our hearts.

In the afternoon Betty rejoins us and tells us about her experience:

“Every day here has been the most unbelievable experience of my life. The adults break your heart and the children restore you. I was afraid that I had nothing to offer when God called me to go to Africa. 2 days ago, I learned what he had in store for me. Yesterday Joshua, our fearless leader, took me to a fabric store…We bought what I needed to make a baby quilt. Today I gave a class to three beautiful ladies with such nimble fingers and willing spirits, we completed the quilt in just 3 ½ hours. The beautiful smiles show how proud they were. As they left the preschool-church to walk back to their village, Pastor Victor told me the weren’t the Orchard Africa employees I thought I would be working with, but ladies from the village who had no income. They are going to make quilts and sell them!!!! God had a wonderful use for me after all!”

We were all so happy that Betty got the have this experience. But we are also happy to have her back, especially Bobby, Betty is his bus buddy and he missed not ridding around with her.

Soon after we start our VBS program. The kids are running late, in Africa there is not really a sense of time and there is really no such thing as being late, perfect for me. Earlier in the week, Papa Joe told us that by Wednesday attendance drops to about half, but still all our kids come back. The is even one boy who sneaks in and pretends he belongs. Once we figured out he wasn’t supposed to be there, we figures maybe it was just a God thing that we had enough supplies for him also. The kids must really be enjoying their time with us since even their friends are trying to come in. I pray that we are leaving a lasting impression of the love of Jesus on these kids hearts, I know they are leaving one on mine. They have a fun filled craft day of making telephones out of plastic cups and string. As I test it out with the kids they tell me “I love you, you are beautiful” through their new toys. I reciprocate telling them “KeaIaboga (thank you), your are so beautiful and I love you.” There is a particular girl who has completely stolen my heart, her name is Kelesitsi. She comes to me at the end of the day and tells me she loves me so much and she will miss me when I am gone. I tell her to make sure she comes back tomorrow, when VBS is done I will give her my badge picture, so she does not forget me. I want to take her home with me because she is so precious. I hear Papa Joe telling them that they need to go home and it’s time to leave. Our work day is over, but I don’t want to leave, I don’t want to say goodbyes.

Our evening meeting is mostly a reflection of how each one of us feels about tomorrow being our last days with the kids. We are all sad to leave, but at least we have something to work towards when we get there. We give a gift of thanks to Georgia, Emily and Sydnee for all the extra hard work they put into getting us to Africa, a picture of each of them with the kids framed with space in the borders for the kids to sign their names. They are excited to have something special to bring home to hang up and remind them of their journey here in Africa, not that they need a physical thing to remind them. We stay up late getting everything ready for our last day and I lay down at 1am, completely worn out but still thinking about my wonderful day with the children. Angela Martin & Betty Warnke RLC

Today’s Bible Reflection:

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?“ he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

John 14:13-17

Early Morning

I wake up with the song Siyahamba on my lips. “We are marching in the light of God, We are marching in the light of God!” We have been singing this song in Sunday School in Phoenix. I would call it an ear-worm, except it doesn’t annoy me. I love this image of persistently using our feet to do God’s work with His help. I sing this to myself all morning. My constant singing may not annoy me, however, others may be annoyed. I don’t bother asking them. “We are marching, oooooooh….”

Angela has woken me to go on a run. This is mostly quiet fellowship. We hear birds, barking dogs, a train, birds and cars, but the only sound we make as we run is the breathing (mine like Darth Vader’s, her’s less so) and our feet hitting the pavement in the well manicured neighborhood of the mission house. This run tires me and my feet now, but gives me energy to get through my day.

Morning

Today we go to Molawane Village preschool. Most children here are orphaned and/or vunerable. Many are HIV positive. ALL of them are exceptionally adorable. No really. How did they get so many cute kids all in one place? They dance for us, showing off their amazing alphabet and counting skills, and now their 5 senses (I TOUCH wit my hands!). We teach a little. Most children have shoes, 2 however are barefoot because they are the naughtiest and take them off. Needless to say, they are probably the 2 who win our hearts most. When we leave the students are asked to give us big hugs and kisses. They all fight over us to hug and kiss and we smother eachother with love.

I am extremely irritated with the entire idea of apartheid again. Sorry, God, I will try to be a more forgiving Christian, but I mean …really? Jerks.

Late Morning

After we leave our new best friends, we walk with Papa Joe, Mama Elisa and Mama Mavis around Molawane Village. Orchard Africa sponsors caregivers who care for, love and comfort sick and/or dying villagers. They are bringing us to the homes of people who are dying of AIDS and other illnesses.

We are followed by more and more children of all ages as we walk through the village. These children are not in school. They are unwashed with worn out clothing and enormous smiles. “Shop” we say to them. Shop is a thumb game that has no purpose other than greeting and acknowledgment. The dirt roads are full of broken glass, beer bottle tops, pieces of rusty barbed wire, old animal bones, goat and chicken droppings, thorns and trash of all kinds. They are barefoot. Jacob reflectively gives one a rand. “No more,” I say, “They will all expect that, and you don’t have that many coins.” Sigh.

We stop at the homes of the sick and dying to give them quilts from our church. Papa Joe asks each patient if we can come in and give them prayers, blessings and a quilt. The ones who are home all agree to let us into their modest houses. Most are in a tiny room; maybe there is a couch, maybe a chair or two, maybe a thin rug on a dusty concrete floor. One sits on a blanket outside her home with her blind mother and developmentally disabled young son. They are all thinner than you would think possible. Large brown eyes in tired faces. They wear worn out yellow Converse, tennis shoes full of holes, fluffy purple slippers or have skinny bare feet. We visit mothers, fathers, grandmothers, daughters, wives, an infant son. They can not make eye contact for long. They say thank you for the beautiful quilt. We lift our hands over them and pray for strength and peace. They thank us again. They all suffer. They all need so much prayer.

It’s a long walk. Windy and sunny. Mama Elisa and Mama Mavis do it all the time in their flat worn out shoes. Nearly everyday, they patiently walk to over 20 homes all over the village. Patients that they bring food to, monitor meds for, arrange doctor visits, houseclean, cajole, and love unconditionally. They are tiny, quiet and look so frail. Do not be deceived! It is like all the nonsense of life has been whittled out of them. They seem to be concentrated strength, kindness, calm, persistence, modesty, strength, decency, caring and did I mention strength? When I grow up I would like to be half as amazing as them. One quarter even. Hands and feet of Jesus indeed.

After lunch

Back at Top Village to teach. Schoolchildren are coming to the after-school program. Red and black uniforms, tidy but worn out. Dust covered black tie-up loafers. They greet us by running after the van as we enter the village. Our 22 students are mostly in the classroom. They give us hugs and are excited to see their picture nametags.

We re-enact Moses freeing the slaves. “Let my people go!!!!” we all shout to the Pharoh (Pastor John). We pantomime the plagues. The dying cows were especially enjoyable to portray. Then Moses (Shawn) leads all of us out of Egypt. The children are cheering; today’s lesson is praise. We have seen where they live, we have heard the stories of their lives, and they sing with uncontainable joy. Papa Joe is leading them in song now as they march and dance through us (the Red Sea) standing on either side. “We are marching in the liiiiiight of God!” they sing, “We are marching in the light of God!”

Amen.
Robyn Mcdannold Harper

I woke bright and early with no one in my bedroom. As I wandered the mission house curiously, I heard the laugh of my bunk mates and I felt a cool breeze coming through an open front door. I go outside to see my friends, now family, laughing and writing their blogs. I asked them how much longer until I can start cooking. They laugh and said breakfast is at 7:30.

About 2 hours passed from my early morning wakeup and I find myself dancing to the beat of wonderful church songs as I set the table with my Mom. We gather pray and start to eat. Everyone tells me I did a great job with the sautéed apples and scrambled eggs. I sit and eat thankful that I have food and anxious about what’s to come of this day.

Just when I thought this morning couldn’t get any better, it did. We got to meet most of the Orchard Africa village staff. Pastor Victor went around the dining room and introduced everyone and the role they play in the village. Seeing the faces of the people changing lives is truly amazing. After everyone is introduced we were free to mingle. Through coffee, tea, cookies and biscuits we got to know everyone and made amazing memories. The truth is these are the happiest people I have ever met.

We head to Top Village preschool with fears of inadequacies but hopes that the children will teach us more. We arrive to a trail of preschoolers heading outside for a “potty” break. A boy starts to straggle behind the others. I wave, he smiles with immense joy and waves back. It’s crazy to see children of such a young age be so carefree. When they come back in we are ready to go. Papa Joe translates the instructions that we are going to sing two songs to them. We sing and dance and the children try their best. Who knew someone could be so cute with someone they just met. After our singing time was over it was their turn. They sing every song in both English and Setswana, which boggles my mind. They sing about the days of the week, the months of the year, the five senses and more. Each child sings with unfathomable joy and a bright light inside. Not only are these children good at being adorable, but they are also amazing singers.

When singing time is over, we gather on the rug for story time. While my Mom and Angela read the story and Papa Joe translates, the kids keep getting happier with the turn of every page. The story goes on and the kids giggle and smile. As the children giggle I notice a boy who is sleeping during the songs. He is awake now, but he is still laying as innocently now as when he was sleeping. We are informed that he has a tummy ache and a parent was coming to get him. Story time was over and we were getting ready to leave. With hugs from all the kids I truly felt their love and faith.

By now it was lunch and we came back to the mission house. Mama Ellen had made all the fixings for us to put together sandwiches. After we ate lunch we went back to Top Village for VBS. With time ticking away I waited anxiously for the VBS students to arrive. While I waited for them I started playing with some girls and boy who were in the after school learning program. I jumped rope for a while then I eventually say the kids coming in their worn out but still adorably red uniforms. Papa Joe started calling names off the VBS student list. When a child heard their name they smiled with love, joy and excitement and ran inside. After hearing all the names called I was excited to meet my group of kids. But then I noticed all the children who didn’t get chosen. It filled me with sadness to know that we can’t help them all. Though I know God sent me here with a purpose and chose each individual child for a reason, that cannot stop my want to help every face in this community. Sydnee York RLC