The Lord had a divine appointment for me one evening after church with one of the house dads in Chisholm House. I stood in the dark for an entire hour as he poured out his heart and I listened. It was such an amazing time, where I got a glimpse of his passion and heart for his 18 children. George and his wife came to the Village of Hope in June after the house mom passed away in Chisolm. It was evident to me through our conversation that this is exactly where the Lord wants him and his family to be. He has 3 young children of his own, George Jr., Abigail, and baby Jessie. He has such a huge heart for his new children and a desire to do whatever possible to help them succeed in school. He shared with me that education is the key to ending Africa's greatest problems: illiteracy which leads to poverty which leads to diseases. He referred to the VOH as a "Little Paradise" that serves as a stepping stone for these childrens' futures if they only take advantage of the opportunities they have here.
The verse that the Lord has impressed on my heart over the last 2 years has been James 1:27 that says: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. George shared that scripture with me when he told me how he came to the VOH. That is exactly what the house parents here at the VOH are living out 365 days a year. George said how encouraged he was to see me come so far to love and care for these children, and he said if I can come that far, then he can come from Tema (a couple hours away) to the VOH to serve. However, there is a big difference between me giving of myself for 3 months and him sacrificing and caring for these children 365 days a year. Then he shared with me 1 Corinthians 15:58 that says: Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. He believes that nothing he does for these children is in vain.
George's heart and passion were so encouraging and inspiring and at moments brought me to tears. I could clearly see his love for the Lord, his desire to serve Him well, and the high calling the Lord has placed on his life. I am so thankful for this opportunity to encourage him and his children while I am here. He has 4 boys that are extremely talented artists and I will be doing some art lessons with them in the evenings while I am here. I started last night with a watercolor painiting with Alex, Bright, Dana, and Dawuni.
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