Jr and Jr

Things with the neighbours seem to have smoothed over for now, so thank you everyone for the prayers. Everyday Jr is getting more and more accepted by the people here as they get over their fear of him and observe the change in his life.

It is really nice having Cris Ann here all the time helping with Jr and just having someone to talk to. I have spent many lonely nights in the jungle over the last three years and good as that was for spiritual growth I am glad it is over.

Jr the other young man who had his leg amputated last year has been over here for the last couple days. Summer break is coming to an end and everyone is getting ready for school again. This means it is time to buy school supplies, backpack, shoes etc. He came over the other day and said ‘what are we going to do’ because he has no money to get any of those things. Last year I helped with many of the extra expenses that his allowance did not cover, but I explained to him I have Cris Ann now and an orphan living here on less money than I was receiving last year because I no longer get the allowance from U-Turn. This news took the breath out of him and I could see he was visibly shaken. I told him we needed to pray about the provision and he needed to write a letter to his sponsor and I would try and send it to others as well. So we prayed and he wrote the letter and I sent it out. Yesterday I got news that $100.00 came in to help Jr get his school supplies. I was so excited to tell him because the Lord was sure to get the glory in this situation. He came over later in the day and I told him I had good news for him. I said your sponsor Kathy and my mother donated $100.00 so you can get what you need for school. He smiled, and then he started to cry tears of relief and thankfulness. This is not just a matter of a one legged boy going to school but it is a matter of survival for him and his family. It is a matter of him fulfilling his obligation as the oldest son and not being shamed in the community. When his father died it became his family and the responsibility fell on him to provide. Jr morns over his leg, I am sure he spends painful nights and mornings weeping over his condition. I understand this, waking up in the morning and feeling pain in a limb that you can't move or is not there and it will limit everything you can do today is a very hard way to wake up every morning. But Jr morns for a different reason than me. I morn over a life that could have been, I morn over the things I loved to do but can't do any longer and I morn over the physical pain. I am sure Jr morns over these as well, but he morns most because in losing his leg he lost the ability to fill his father’s empty spot in the family and provide for them. In the morning when he looks down he does not think 'o what I could have done' but he thinks 'o how will my family survive now'. This is why he started crying when I gave him the money for his school supplies, because he no longer has to be torcherd when he looks at his missing leg but he can fulfil his cultural duty and he can and will provide for his family. Jr being sponsored to continue his education is soooo much more than a disabled boy getting back on his feet, no pun intended, and getting an education. It has given a hopeless boy an unbreakable hope, it has given a boy who questioned the goodness of God a forever thankful heart, it has allowed him to fulfil his cultural obligation and he can walk with his head held high, and it has allowed a beat down family to experience the grace of God in their lives. So thank you to everyone that the Lord has used to reveal Himself to Jr and his family!