a blessing.

lots of little hands. lots of runny noses. lots of heart wrenching stories. nobody knew yours.

I act on emotions, on dreams, and inspiration. so many people see the pain in africa and it moves them to tears or maybe a trip to the bank. how I wish that all could simply hold one of these children. they lay their hearts in your arms for you to kiss them a million times and tell them how BEAUTIFUL they are.

there are so many stories that inspire people to make a difference in the lives of these kids. here is the story of the child that has inspired me. 

canaan children’s home belongs to our daddy. it’s a home for the sexually and physically abused, abandoned, and traumatized children. these are His children. their hearts are sewn to His palm. enter this place, reclaim it as your own and PROTECT it from the destroyer.. he has NO power here.

father I pray for a hedge of protection over your sweet angels. fill them to the BRIM with your love and peace. bring them provision.

pastor isaac, the founder of canaan, has an incredible testimony. WWW.CANAANCHILDRENSHOME.ORG . the Lord spared his life so he could defend and serve the fatherless and the abandoned. he rescues boys from the LRA and girls from the streets. Gods provision for canaan fills me with peace- this place is holy ground, ordained and in the Hands of the Lord. during my short time there, I was blessed by His incredible presence in every face I saw. the canaan church was filled with dancing and praise. I taught a Sunday school lesson on esther- the brave hearted servant of the Lord. she was raised out of poverty to be the queen of her people to rescue them for such a time as this. I know that all my african brothers and sisters are rescued out of their oppression and placed in this childrens home for such a time as this- they have an incredible PURPOSE created uniquely for their sweet selves. seeing the peace and joy in the eyes of girls my age that have been raped and abused. seeing little children become children again after being molested, neglected, and experiencing more trauma than most experience in a lifetime.  they belong to you. they are your treasures.

of all the sweet little babies at amani, and the heart wrenching stories at canaan, you my sweet girl are still the one on my mind constantly. the one that brings me to tears throughout my day. the one that has blessed me and shown me the face of Christ in unimaginable ways. the simple “storyless” one who has changed my life…

 

on the first day I came to canaan, I’ll never forget the sight of sweet little betty. she was so little yet her face was so understanding, still and quiet. her bottom lip curved downwards and the tiny little bible in her hands is what caught my eye. while all the other kids were hopping around the “sweeties” we had brought, she stood off in the distance flipping through that little bible. this image captured and stirred up my heart until I finally got to spend the whole second week with her. every time we came to canaan, I searched for the little bible baby I saw. they told me her name was betty, which means God’s promise. betty is incredibly quiet and sometimes I would hear her whisper little songs to herself. every time I picked her up she would smile real big and then that still face would come right back. I literally started living for that little smile and laugh. I would kiss her on her neck and swing her around until I heard it.. she RADIATES his love.  of all the little babies we’d worked with at amani and the outgoing little ones at canaan, she captured my heart  without ever saying a word. honestly, I couldn’t tell you what it was about her except the Love of the Lord that captured my heart.. but she has it! every time I saw her, I would bend down and open my arms and her little feet would run as fast as they could in that dust and she would jump into my arms. she would fall asleep in my arms and so when I took her back to her wire bunk bed, I got to meet momma jane, the “momma” of her dorm. earlier, I had noticed scars all up and down her tiny legs and I asked momma jane about them and she said it was her past but she didn’t know.  sweet betty’s past is a mystery to me. I asked  pastor isaac and the secretary and they didn’t even know betty’s name. this made my heart sink- this little girl who in twenty five total hours had captured my heart in unimaginable ways  was unknown by the hands that were feeding her.

momma jane told me that betty has a big imagination and that she’s always playing by herself. she told me that she talked about me in the native language, which surprised me cause I’d never heard betty speak! the Lord poured His love for little betty into my heart. I am captivated by His beauty in her. every quiet little thing she does. on my last day with betty, I gave her a little sewn zebra and she just started rubbing it all over her face. it was her first toy. I told her I loved her and she whispered, “I love you too!”

i believe everyone has a “betty.” someone who you encounter in your life that will forever have an impact on your life. i don’t know why God chose you betty to be mine, but you are. and one day i will see you again and change your life the way you’ve changed mine. 

as I drove away, I looked out the window and saw her standing their with that zebra waving and it broke me in half.  The Lord is calling me through His sweet Betty. I want to start something life changing for her.

Betty has captured my heart!