Pastor Rob, our lead pastor, spotlighted Mission of Mercy, and ushers handed everyone a sponsorship card with a beautiful photo and info of a child waiting to be sponsored through the organization. Pastor Rob visited Kenya, Africa with Mission of Mercy in February, and he brought back a cup that he and the team used to feed the children -- a cup much like all of the cups that we've used in feeding the children at the CarePoints in Swaziland. When he held the cup up in front of the congregation today, I completely lost it. Out of nowhere, I wept... that little cup meant so much and brought back so much emotion.
This little girl...
...I held in my arms at the Zombodze CarePoint on Saturday, December 5, 2009. She was so exhausted from the Christmas party festivities that she had fallen asleep in her sister's arms. She slept the entire feeding until her sister had eaten and came back to get her before the CarePoint closed. I asked if she would get a plate of food before she left, but the sister shook her head 'no' and carried her out the gate, down the dirt road, and started the long walk back to her homestead. What broke my heart is that, not only did she miss the meal on Saturday, the CarePoint wouldn't open again until Monday. Unless she had food to eat elsewhere, she would go days before she would eat again. This still haunts me. Because I wanted to snuggle with this sweet little girl, she missed a meal and went to bed hungry.
Yet because of incredible organizations such as Mission of Mercy and Children's Cup, we know that physical, medical, educational and spiritual needs are being met in impoverished countries around the globe, and this little girl is able to count on a meal. The organizations' works are changing generations, and we've been able to witness it first-hand. Approximately half of Children's Cup's 19 CarePoints in Swaziland are funded through Mission of Mercy sponsorships!
"It is more blessed to give than to receive." 
Have I not wept in times of trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?
-Job 30:25
We've just added a beautiful girl to our family. Christopher, three years old and living in Zimbabwe, has been a part of our family through sponsorship for almost three years, and now we have sweet Nonhlanhla (we've nicknamed her 'Nonni'), age 7. For just $34/month we are sponsoring Nonni and know that God is doing amazing things in her life through Mission of Mercy and Children's Cup. Sweet Lonni calls Swaziland home and attends the Lomahasha Mercy Center CarePoint. Soon and very soon, we'll all be living within the same region in Africa. Amazing.
Just one beautiful Sunday morning, a little cup and simple object lesson has united our family with Nonhlanhla's.
We've been on both sides of the cup. We've stood at CarePoints in Swaziland and scooped huge portions of food onto plates and into containers for the children -- the food provided by Feed My Starving Children and shipped from Minneapolis (we've seen the stamps on the sides of the boxes!). We've seen the huge impact that just a little bit a month can make. We've been on the serving side of the cup.
Yet, we've also been on the receiving side of the cup, too. The blessing that comes from giving is indescribable. The blessing that comes from having the opportunity to serve first-hand in Swaziland is immeasurable. And, the blessing that will come from being a small part of the hands and feet of Jesus in Africa -- well, those blessings are eternal and will impact us all in ways we'll probably never know.
We pray for the opportunity that we will be able to wrap our arms around Christopher in Zimbabwe and Nonni in Swaziland and thank them for the incredible blessing that they have brought and will continue to bring to our family. Thank you God, for the opportunity to experience both sides of the cup.
"As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor. It can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the Gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality." -A.W. Tozer
PS -- I love post-scripts. Post-scripts are fun. :) And, considering a message that I just got from a dear friend in another state (and one of our monthly supporters!), I need to share this. It's definitely something beautiful. She wrote: "I just finished reading your latest blog post and want to tell you not to be sad about that little girl who didn't get food that day. She was just one small seed being planted in your heart to get you ready to go out and care for many more children. You can't let guilt eat away at that seed. You may have felt all that was happening was a nap and a snuggle, but God was just getting you ready for so much more."
PPS -- One more, while I'm at it. I must admit that my borderline OCD is driving me uber crazy with this latest post, as the spacing is so incredibly whacky. I've googled, searched, and played with the post for what has seemed like forever and have finally let go of it. However, if anyone reading (and has stuck with the post this long!) is a Blogger Guru and can offer a solution, I'd be so incredibly grateful. I'm getting the shakes over here. :)
