Along the way into the rural countryside we see small groupings of people walking beside the paved road carrying their belongings in their arms and on their heads. There are small farm holdings with visible crops and cultivation. Occasionally we see people waiting in hopes of a ride a little further down the road. There are broken-down cars, fresh produce and vegetable stands, and school children in uniform.
Signs bearing the name of the community pop up more and more often and then the gate is in sight. Children emerge into view holding the hands of mothers, teachers, volunteers, and workers. The children hold a sign, written on brown paper in bright colors. “Welcome…”
When we cross into this Promised Land, we are of the people entirely. They sing a special welcome song to us – women, men, children, elders, all of the saints that have gravitated to this place. Our worlds have sifted into one another. Africa soil, pollen, smells, and sights gently overcome all that we left behind.
Mid-afternoon has come and the heat of the day is intense. The women workers are singing their own special songs and dancing passionately in the dirt and grass. They stomp their feet; their hips and backends rise and fall in a dance of pure happiness. The ladies sing and welcome us into their circle. This is a community of hospitality and love; the Spirit is strong in this place.
We gather to share the gifts we packed in our luggage: children’s clothing, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toys, candy, medicine and medical supplies, battery-free flashlights, and many other necessary items that are unavailable to this village. After the items are reviewed, the mothers and workers call the children to come meet us. We are allowed a precious moment to celebrate and shower them with gifts and “sweeties.”
This place has a way of closing the gaps that wedge people from another. People born on continents separated by half the globe awaken to the power of oneness and interconnectedness that structure this spiritual community.
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The following are excerpts from MCC Global Outreach reports on the 2007 visit to the community we help support. Due to the dire conditions for the women and children, names and dates have been removed.
Along the way into the rural countryside we see small groupings of people walking beside the paved road carrying their belongings in their arms and on their heads. There are small farm holdings with visible crops and cultivation. Occasionally we see people waiting in hopes of a ride a little further down the road. There are broken-down cars, fresh produce and vegetable stands, and school children in uniform.
Signs bearing the name of the community pop up more and more often and then the gate is in sight. Children emerge into view holding the hands of mothers, teachers, volunteers, and workers. The children hold a sign, written on brown paper in bright colors. “Welcome…”
When we cross into this Promised Land, we are of the people entirely. They sing a special welcome song to us – women, men, children, elders, all of the saints that have gravitated to this place. Our worlds have sifted into one another. Africa soil, pollen, smells, and sights gently overcome all that we left behind.
Mid-afternoon has come and the heat of the day is intense. The women workers are singing their own special songs and dancing passionately in the dirt and grass. They stomp their feet; their hips and backends rise and fall in a dance of pure happiness. The ladies sing and welcome us into their circle. This is a community of hospitality and love; the Spirit is strong in this place.
We gather to share the gifts we packed in our luggage: children’s clothing, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toys, candy, medicine and medical supplies, battery-free flashlights, and many other necessary items that are unavailable to this village. After the items are reviewed, the mothers and workers call the children to come meet us. We are allowed a precious moment to celebrate and shower them with gifts and “sweeties.”
This place has a way of closing the gaps that wedge people from another. People born on continents separated by half the globe awaken to the power of oneness and interconnectedness that structure this spiritual community.
