Before I share details from our latest adventure, I have to start at the beginning... As far back as I can remember, I have always, always had a desire in my heart to go to Africa. Not to go on a glamorous safari with the lions, tigers, and bears, (oh my!) - although that would be amazing - but because I've always been so fascinated by African culture and the passionate people and beautiful children who call it home. Back in 2005, I was one of many, many college students at my church who wanted to go to Africa for the summer and so I applied and prayed like crazy that God would send me. But, He sent me to Albania instead. Wait, Albania? Isn't that somewhere in Africa? Exactly. I had no earthly idea where that was until I was practically on an airplane flying to this 3rd world European country for the summer. A summer that turned out to shape my life more than I could have ever imagined. But that's another story for another day...
Suffice it to say that I still hadn't given up my hopes of someday going to Africa. Imagine my delight when God led JJ and I to our current church home, a body of believers so deeply invested in spreading the Gospel both locally and around the world, including in Africa. Our church supports a NC native and her African husband in the tiny country of Togo, located in sub-Saharan west Africa right next door to Ghana. This amazing couple have been living out God's calling for their lives in the form of starting a church, prison ministry, and school in the heart of Togo. This school enables orphaned, abandoned, and impoverished children to receive a quality education. It is funded by supporters, mostly in the US, who 'sponsor' the children.
JJ and I have had the opportunity to sponsor a boy and a girl - Antonnyo and Poli - both in the second grade, for the past 2 years. This has been a unique and intimately involved sponsorship, as we've received regular updates on our kids - not only pictures and letters, but also a video from our friends who previously met them, school report cards, and even a phone call to let us know when Poli was extremely sick with malaria and was struggling in her schoolwork. God worked through this sponsorship program to provide the needed medications and even got electricity in Poli's home so that she could have light by which to study! We have absolutely fallen in love with these two kids, even though we had never met them. One year ago, during a small group icebreaker, the question was "If you could meet anyone in the world, still living, who would it be?" and my answer was "Our African kids, Poli and Antonnyo, absolutely, without a doubt."
God, in His kindness, allowed that exact dream to come true! Last Spring, JJ and I requested nearly 2 weeks off work to travel to Togo in October as part of a dental team from our church - and our requests were both approved the same day! If you work where I work, you know that this was nothing short of a miracle!!
Bear with me as I attempt to capture the essence of this trip over the next few posts... I am still trying to wrap my mind around how exactly to sum up this experience. But it will be worth it, just wait. For now I will leave you with a few sneak peek pictures...
Dreaming of Africa,
L
Albania 2005
Suffice it to say that I still hadn't given up my hopes of someday going to Africa. Imagine my delight when God led JJ and I to our current church home, a body of believers so deeply invested in spreading the Gospel both locally and around the world, including in Africa. Our church supports a NC native and her African husband in the tiny country of Togo, located in sub-Saharan west Africa right next door to Ghana. This amazing couple have been living out God's calling for their lives in the form of starting a church, prison ministry, and school in the heart of Togo. This school enables orphaned, abandoned, and impoverished children to receive a quality education. It is funded by supporters, mostly in the US, who 'sponsor' the children.
JJ and I have had the opportunity to sponsor a boy and a girl - Antonnyo and Poli - both in the second grade, for the past 2 years. This has been a unique and intimately involved sponsorship, as we've received regular updates on our kids - not only pictures and letters, but also a video from our friends who previously met them, school report cards, and even a phone call to let us know when Poli was extremely sick with malaria and was struggling in her schoolwork. God worked through this sponsorship program to provide the needed medications and even got electricity in Poli's home so that she could have light by which to study! We have absolutely fallen in love with these two kids, even though we had never met them. One year ago, during a small group icebreaker, the question was "If you could meet anyone in the world, still living, who would it be?" and my answer was "Our African kids, Poli and Antonnyo, absolutely, without a doubt."
God, in His kindness, allowed that exact dream to come true! Last Spring, JJ and I requested nearly 2 weeks off work to travel to Togo in October as part of a dental team from our church - and our requests were both approved the same day! If you work where I work, you know that this was nothing short of a miracle!!
Bear with me as I attempt to capture the essence of this trip over the next few posts... I am still trying to wrap my mind around how exactly to sum up this experience. But it will be worth it, just wait. For now I will leave you with a few sneak peek pictures...
Dreaming of Africa,
L
Oh Leigh, my heart bursts with joy when I read your posts and your passion for Jesus and His people. I pray for compassion like yours. www.predatory-lies.com
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