Counting Our Blessings !!

Good afternoon from the Village of Hope! From Danny

I told Bobbie Lynn I think she probably has a better way with words than I do when it comes to trying to capture our experience here and the things we are learning. Yesterday we were planning to have a very special evening for the kids. We had planned a movie night with ice cream and we were all very excited about the event. All of the preparations had been made and we were all anticipating that ice cream. Then just as we all came together and began taking our seats for the movie as it got dark, the power went out. Bummer. But this is the way things go in Africa. Anita Drinnen has a saying WA WA (West Africa Wins Again), I so totally understand that saying now. We debated on just having the ice cream by itself, but we wanted it to be a comprehensive fun time, so we postponed the event to Monday evening. Needless to say it was a sticky night.

Today we assembled to have our morning worship services. Once again the hearts of these children sing without boundaries. I was informed yesterday that I would be preaching today and so I was as prepared as you can be in half a day. It was a good morning and we talked about striving to keep ourselves from being modern day Pharisees who seek to exclude, isolate, restrict and confine. Instead we used Jesus as the standard in Luke 15 when he pointed out to the Pharisees the value of "tax collectors and sinners", the value of those who are lost. Just like the lost sheep which has value, just like the lost coin which has value and more importantly a wandering son who is lost has value. Our main emphasis was on that older brother whom Jesus is using to portray the Pharisee's attitude. That older brother really wanted to say, "Dad That's not Fair what you are doing for this son." We noticed that he won't even acknowledge that this is his own brother. It was the same with the Pharisees, they did not think it fair that Jesus should offer the Kingdom to "those sinners" that he should sit and eat with them as he did in Luke 5.

I wish that I were able to capture the hugs of these children and their smiles and bring them home to each of you. You would never be the same.

I want to relate one thing that happened to Davis and I this morning. We were going to run the trash to the outer limits of the VOH in which there is a garbage pit, in which they periodically burn all of the trash. As we approached the pit, there were children not from the VOH all over the trash that was in the pit. When they heard us come up they stepped back to the outer rim of the pit. When we threw our trash into the pit, they immediately ran for it and began to dig through it. Davis had a hard time believing that these children would want to do that. He asked why, and I was really at a loss for words. I don't really know if they were looking for food or if they might be looking for something else. I told him it is hard to believe that something we regard as trash can be treasure for others.

We need to thank God Daily for our Blessings and all that has been done for us.

We appreciate your prayers and continued support.

Love,
Danny, Bobbie Lynn, Ellen, Davis and Camille