Africa

For those of you still processing your time in Uganda, I wanted to post a poem that was written by a local 16-year-old girl named Ellie after her return from Malawi last year. I pray that it will speak to you today.

For those of you wondering if it would really make that much of a difference for you to go on a mission journey, I pray you will find the answer hidden between these lines.

Africa

by Ellie Estes 2009

A dirty poor country

A place to find God

Mud houses

Happy homes

Rotten teeth

Beautiful smiles

Hungry empty bellies

Full round cheeks

Language barriers

Active communication

Different, weird food

Real taste of culture

AIDS orphans

My brothers and sisters

No roads, cars or lights

Amazing sunsets

One little picture

Memories for a lifetime

Salome - just a fat baby

The face that still makes me laugh

A reach for a mzungu's hand

A touch of a white girl's heart

Three simple words

Lasting effects

A teenager with no American luxuries

A boy who finds a way to dance like nobody's business

A diminishing economy

Lots of room to grow

A simple game of duck, duck, goose

A whole day's worth of laughs

Barren land

Bright, starry sky

A faceless orphan named Innocent

My sweet baby I run to see

A depressing story

An inspiration for one person to make a difference

A home shattered by despair

A heart healed by a tight hug

Kids running after a bus

My babies never wanting to say goodbye

One simple "Okay, I'll go."

Incredible change.