I’m a little late on this last month’s blog post, but…
This month has been filled with an International health conference in Maryland, a trip to St. Louis to pick up my repaired car (another praise!), and plenty of office work. It’s not at all glamorous, but Kim and I feel like the Lord is asking us to focus on strengthening infrastructure on the U.S. side by developing stronger and more efficient systems in donor investment, donation processing, and even setting up an office. As much as I love working out of Kim’s home office (not really), the time has come for us to move into office space in Memphis that was donated to us by an incredible Gospel-centered company called Barnhart Crane and Rigging. The goal is to move into this space by the end of July.
After celebrating sweat and toil that we poured into a very large government grant we were invited to apply for, Kim and I began to reflect on where God has taken this tiny dream that began almost two years ago now. He has carried us through, shedding light on His plans and purposes for these women one day at a time, giving wisdom to identify development strategies, insight into complex issues, and decided to use completely unexpected and ill-equipped people to facilitate His plans for Sierra Leone.
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…’” (2 Corinthians 10:9)
I can’t count the ways in which I have been humbled by collisions of His grace as He has made miracles happen as we have attempted to step out in faith, trusting that only He can really chip away at the deep brokenness within Sierra Leone. I have had countless chuckles over the crazy team He has purposed for the task at hand.
I’d like to introduce you to one of those team members He chose to be a part of Women of Hope. I met this young lady of hope in the fall as I worked a few hours a week in a church nursery. Her name is Hannah Emily. Please do not call her Hannah, because in the South, only the sweetest girls have two names :). Hannah Emily was one of the most polite young ladies in the nursery, and she was always diligent in watching out for her younger brother. She always addresses me as “Miss Kelsey,” and only responds to my questions with a proper, “yes or no ma’am.” I learned a lot from my time with Hannah Emily in the nursery, and I continue to learn from her as she lives out a beautiful child-like faith and sincerity in her walk with Jesus.
As I worked in the nursery last fall, Hannah Emily and her mother expressed an interest in WOHInt and decided they would like to partner with our little ministry in prayer and other ways. Hannah Emily committed to praying for WOHInt and myself regularly, becoming one of my biggest prayer warriors. One day her mother even told me that Hannah Emily felt the Lord prompting her to tackle my love-life in prayer, trusting the Lord for a husband for me. (She hadn’t even been talking to my mother either :) ).
A couple weeks ago the Holy Spirit led Hannah Emily to support the ministry in another way during a community garage sale we held as a small fundraiser. Hannah Emily and her family came on a Saturday afternoon and she had decided she wanted to contribute all the money in her piggy bank to WOHInt. I was a little hesitant to take a five-year-old’s life savings in one fell swoop, but her mother insisted that Hannah Emily came up with the idea all on her own, and her savings was exactly what she wanted to give so that disabled women in Sierra Leone could experience life transformation through Christ. Hannah Emily approached me with her shy little smile and handed over her entire sheep piggy bank. She handed over her savings with such joy, sacrificially giving all that she had to offer. I wondered how the Lord felt at her incredible act of worship. I can only imagine He beamed as only the Creator of the universe can, in adoration over His beautiful creation. I was again humbled by the way He moves in unsuspecting people and inspires them to do things outside of their own capacity that never seem to quite make practical sense.
I chuckle to myself as I write this (because I see many of the donations that come in), but Women of hope International is literally only possible because of little old ladies and four-year old girls. In spite of (or maybe because of) humble means, God is using this ministry to change the lives of women who have seemingly been discarded by the world; I have the privilege of seeing it. Aminata, Ramatulai, Matilda, Adamsay and Kadie do not know their value as a woman today because of practical sense or a bunch of resources. These women are growing in their understanding of their deep intrinsic value, and how they are capable of reaching their greatest potential because God pulled together a rag-tag team of misfits, and sent them to give their two-cents.
After spending at least a half hour counting all of Hannah Emily’s change, the Lord affirmed in me that His ways are truly contrary to that of the world’s. We are told that we need to get our acts together, get a Master’s degree, gain a grant, become a millionaire, gain more experience, or develop a flawless strategic plan before we can try tackling the world’s issues. He says however, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27) He says, “For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.” (2 Corinthians 13:9)
Hannah Emily’s entire piggy bank came out to $87.35.
I say, this beautiful five-year old is going to change the world. Thank you for inspiring me Hannah Emily!
