Wednesday, June 20, 2012

All the time

This past week was spent at City of Refuge Ministries, which is located around two hours from Teshie. CORM is an organization that negotiates for the freedom of child slaves who work as fishermen on Lake Volta.  Their property serves as a safe house for children and has an awesome school on the property.  The children there are full of joy and fun.  Their vision is large, and soon I am sure the Lord will fill their property with safe houses and many children!  We got to see CORM bring home one boy from the lake named Sammy.  He was so much fun! We had water fights with our satchets. Four more were brought home from the medical clinic.

I feel like I have seen so much tragedy this past week, along with lots of joy.  While I have been here in Ghana, I have seen things that break my heart.  The volunteers with CORM had to leave many slaves behind for a different rescue.  There are children living in a dump.  There is poverty and HIV and so many pictures in my head that can bring me to tears.  But every single time I drive or walk past one of these situations, the Lord always whispers to me, "I am good."


He is good in the joy in a little girl's eyes as we sing and dance. He is good when we find that that girl has scabbies and no money to get treatment.

He is good in R's sweet smile as I chase her with her bath sponge. He is good when her mother leaves her at the orphanage because she can't give her food.

 He is good when we must leave behind dozens of other slaves for another rescue. He is good when we bring sweet Sammy home from a life of slavery, to a new home where he is free!

I don't understand. It makes my heart hurt sometimes. But seeing the joy in children when they have nothing but Jesus, I believe it. God is good. All of the time.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Albertine

"Now that I have seen, I am responsible-faith without deeds is dead."

We met a little girl in Togo named Albertine. She was adorable, a little rotten, and loved making funny faces.  She reminded Hillary of this song by Brooke Fraser called Albertine. It is about Brooke's trip to Rwanda, where she met a girl named Albertine and became responsible for her and the other people she saw.

I have been here for three weeks, and I am already responsible. She says it better than I can, so here is the song. Please take a few minutes to watch the video and let God break your heart into action.


Albertine in Togo

I am sitting still
I think of Angelique
her mothers voice over me
And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent
And on a thousandth hill, I think of Albertine
there in her eyes what I don't see with my own
Rwanda

now that I have seen, I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet
Rwanda

I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been
I will keep my word
I will tell them Albertine

I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me
I will tell them, Albertine
I will tell them, Albertine