Faith's request

My daughter, Faith, has given me something to think about and I thought I would share it with my fellow blog readers who are journeying with us here in Lesotho. As a family, we have decided to get involved with the soup kitchen through our church once a month on a Wednesday night. I have been inquiring with the ladies who run it as to how our family can best be of help, and we are still working out the answer to that.


Yesterday Faith pulled me into her room and sat me on the floor with her piggy bank in her lap. She was very serious and said that while she thinks that the soup kitchen is a good idea, it is not helping the people in this neighborhood (our church is in town about a 15 minute drive). She told me that it bothers her that so many kids walk to the well each day to get water and they are barefoot. It bothers her that kids cannot go to school because they cannot afford a uniform or shoes. It bothers her that kids are hungry right outside our fence. She and her cousins were skyping last week and trying to figure out how to make shoes for all the kids in the neighborhood who are barefoot so Faith told me that we don't have to worry about shoes because her and her cousins, Paige and Kelly, have that covered (they are so sweet). She opened her piggy bank and dumped out the 8 rand and said I could get started. I told her that we should pray about it and have a meeting with one of our staff for insight before we jump in.


So here is my prayer request. It is easy to help at the soup kitchen because the church members know the kids who come and are able to tell me which ones really need help, whether it is shoes or a warm blanket. But in our neighborhood, I do not know who needs help the most and I have to be careful how I do it. I do not want it to come from us but rather through a church or a village chief so that it is not the "white skins" who are seen as benefiting everyone. Please pray for Faith and I to find a trustworthy Masotho who can guide us so we can help the least of these outside our fence the way we used to help Lucky. Maybe God wants us to do both of these things?


I know I have vented on my blog a few times about worrying about ruining my kids by being here since they see such hard things at such a young age, but God has shown me that He is working through their hearts. I praise God for the work of compassion He is doing in Faith's heart.