June 12, 2010 Widow's Tea

This day was an amazing day for all of us, widows included. In Karanse, we work heavily with the widows. Our goal for today was to encourage the widows and share the gospel with them. We had scheduled the meeting for an hour earlier than it actually happened, but that's no surprise in Africa! We're learning not to be American's by being so time oriented.. because here there's really no such thing as being "on time".. or anything called "traffic laws". But that's a whole other story.
Anyways, once the widows did arrive, Kathy Stewart began her teaching on the Prodigal Son. Although the story is about a son, she tweaked it to be about a daughter so the widows could relate. This turned out beautifully! I've never heard so many people say amen. Towards the end, each of our team members went around and embraced every single one of the widows. Without even having to ask, you could simply tell from their faces that this gesture meant the world to them. When they began filing out, we then wrapped them in Kanga's as they all sang in unison. They lined up outside of the building and began cheering and dancing with us. These women were so grateful and upbeat, even though they are all struggling so heavily.
I've never seen anything like it, and it's a truly beautiful thing. When you have nothing to distract you from the important things in your life, it's much easier to really open your eyes and to understand and appreciate the little things you do have. That is exactly what these women do. Even though they don't have much, with every bit they do receive, they are more grateful and thankful than any person in this world. This is a truly inspiring thing that I wish everyone could witness.