The Grace Farm Mama Evelyns

Mama Evelyn (of the shop) teaches me how to wash clothing in the creek. Benjamin naps on her back. She is SO MUCH tougher than I am. What a lady!

Here I paint Mama Evelyn's nails while house- mother Mama Evelyn, caregiver of 12 orphans at Grace Farm, takes a well deserved break and looks on awaiting her turn. Benjamin plays on a mat beside me. You can see his litlle stocking capped head.

Sweet Illustration

Acts 17:25 "And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else."

Today I heard a wonderful illustration that further reinforces a lesson God has been teaching me. He does not need me in Africa--but He is allowing me to go there and put my hands and heart into what He is doing there.

A three year old boy pushes a plastic lawnmower behind his father who is mowing their lawn. The plastic mower cuts not a blade, but the young son is convinced that his dad couldn't do it without him. When they are finished the Dad praises the son for helping him as they look at the task the father has accomplished.

God doesn't need me to further His kingdom. He could speak a word and the gospel would be in very remote village and deep in the bush in every part of the world. However, He allows us, His children, the honor of accompaning Him into the remote villages and even lets us think we are the reason His Word is there. When He calls us home He'll say, "Well done my good and faithful servant." How He loves us! How patient He is with us! How like little children we are.

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For 'who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again?' For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." Romans 11:33-36, (NAS)

Precious faces of those at Grace Farm

It is difficult to describe the joy and trill in my heart that I experienced spending the days with the Grace Farm orphans. We enjoyed several hours and many activites together. Here are pics of some of the ways we spent our days. They were out of school for "winter break" which allowed me to have almost unlimited time with them.



Lazaro was the oldest Grace Farm boy at 15 and spoke excellent English. He served as the interpreter for me. He is doing very well in school but couldn't tell me what he wanted to do for work after graduating. I told him about people who are paid to interpret languages. He seemed interested. He is already very skilled at it. He is also very athletic and competative. He is the one in the air--always managed to jump higher than the other boys...



The children are beautiful. Their clothing is stained and often left unfastened and ill fitting. Their feet are bare and calloused, always dusty in the long dry season, their hair is but short and cut the same for boys and girls. They have little variety in their food. They have only a couple of toys to their name. They sleep with misquito netting to decrease the chances of catching malaria--but it happens anyway. Yet they are full of joy and energy and zest for life. They challenge me with their perseverance and joy.



The left over peanut shells and long dried grasses provided hours of exercise and an opportunity to show me their athletic abilities. The girls played jump rope with the long grasses they tied together. The boys took turns seeing who could jump the highest over the same grasses held by volunteers.



"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." Helen Keller