Lord, Please Don’t Send Me to Africa!
I accepted Christ in my early thirties and embarked on the greatest adventure…my spiritual journey.
Throughout my journey, I have always been willing to go where ever God leads…well almost. There was only one place I did not want to go…Africa! I was afraid God would send me there if I ever fully submitted to go ANYWHERE he sent me. So, I would just throw in a little disclaimer. ìLord, I will go anywhere for you …except Africa.î
Then as I ìmaturedî in my relationship with the Lord I realized He wants to give me the desires of my heart and He knows my heart, so He would NEVER send me to Africa. Whew! So I began to fully submit to the Lord to go wherever he sent me. I thought of the spreading the gospel in the places of my choice…the Caribbean Islands, romantic places in Europe, or colorful South America. I think God must have been chuckling at this point.
Several years ago, I was searching on the Compassion International site with intentions of sponsoring a little girl! I clicked through the images of children and I came to the very last page and the page was filled with sad eyed boys, with expressions of lost hope weathered across their young faces. One particular boy jump off the computer screen at me and I clicked on his profile and my heart melted for Mukhwana. He had been waiting a long time for a Sponsor, but he lived in Uganda, Africa!!! I decided to keep looking since I was never going to Africa, I would never be able to visit him. But my heart kept bringing me back to him and I realized he needed me even if we never met. He needed someone to pour into his life, so I sponsored him. I still remember how thrilled I was as we began to write back and forth and share pictures. I watched his life change and grow and we grew close through sharing about our Iives and sharing the word. Every letter we shared a bible verse and what it meant to us. He shared his favorite verses from his very own Bible that he received through the Bible’s for Children Program through Compassion. I watched him grow and mature in the word. The word of God has sustained him, encouraged him, and nourished his soul.
Well…I don’t have to tell you where THIS story is going! Over the years as my relationship grew, so did my desire to visit him someday. Years ago I started wearing a necklace engraved with a heart inside the shape of Africa to remind me to pray for my Sponsored boy. Yes, you guess it…I began to pray and dream that I would be able to go to visit him. In 2013, that dream came true as I traveled to Uganda, Africa!
Upon meeting him, he shared with me the most valuable gift he has ever received – Jesus Christ and his most valuable possession was his very own Bible.
Join us here at Mary & Martha in changing the world, one child at a time through the gift of the living word.
-Marsha Sites McKeegan
Field Engagement Manager
By giving the gift of a Bible, you will help provide:
– Younger children with a Bible version filed with colorful illustrations, foundational stories and concepts
-Older children with a new, complete Bible version that they can read, study, and treasure
How can you get involved?
?1. Donate in $1 increments. A gift of $10 makes it possible for children to receive age-appropriate Bibles in their own language so they can grow spiritually and learn about the incredible love of Jesus Christ.
2. Contact your Mary & Martha Consultant today.
3. Learn more about Compassion International by clicking here.