Amazing Grace

I've struggled for the last few months. I've struggled because I miss home but also because it seems like when moving forward there are way more problems and issues than there are successes. Sometimes I wonder if there is any point to what I'm doing.

And then I meet women like Grace.

She's coordinating a village in the Bushbuckridge area. I went to visit her today to see how everything is going. They started a feeding point a couple months ago and have recently developed a large garden to cook at the feeding point and to give vegetables for children to take home.

When I went to see her garden, it exhausted me looking at it because it is so big, the ground is so hard, and because I know trying to get water is a nightmare. I was very encouraged to see an old mkhulu (grandfather) and young girl working the garden. Grace says the gogos and mkhulus that look after the children work hard in the garden. Also, right after the children eat at the feeding point, they all go to the garden to help fetch water and work the ground.

I asked Grace if she is happy. She says she is very happy and that she can't complain. She says she loves her job because she gets to work with many people and help the children. She says all of us are together, me and her are doing the same job, equally important. She then takes me by the hand and walks away from the garden. She says she's HIV positive. Her husband died of Aids and now she stays alone with her 3 children. She lives openly about her status. All the orphans and care workers know about her status. She says she owes it to the children and it is her responsibility to educate them and care for them.

At the feeding point, the most important thing for her is to bring the children up in the way of the Lord. Before they eat, they pray and share Bible stories. I asked her if she's seen a difference since they began helping the children. She says a BIG difference. The children are happy. They used to have no one to open up to and were shy in the beginning. Now they tell them everything. The children tell her about life at home, their struggles, what makes them sad, what makes them happy. She says there were many who didn't go to church and now they have begun going with her!

I told Grace I'm going to come stay with her.