A
few weeks back, I was brokenhearted by the lack of "childhood" that a lot of the
kids are able to experience here. I was discouraged and could not understand
why God's plan for a child's life could include TB, rape, AIDS, or a parentless
life. Last week though, I realized how rich of a faith that some of the
children truly have. Yes, they have to experience many difficult things, but
through them, God reveals himself to them in a powerful way. I have continued
to visit the 12 year old girl with TB, Senanile, at the hospital. The past few
times I have been blown away at her hope and joy. On Friday, I went in there
and was making her a sign with her name and a Bible verse on it. She whipped
out her Bible and looked up the verse with me. I saw her underlined Bible and
was so excited to see that she spent time reading it. After I had finished her
sign, I looked over and saw that she had made me one, including her own Bible
verse for me. One of the FYM girls came in and told me that she had been the
one to give Senanile the Bible. She said that she had felt God telling her that
Senanile needed it. She also told me that the other day she had walked in to
find Senanile praying over the other babies in her room. At age 12, orphaned
and sick with TB, she wasn't sitting and feeling sorry for herself. She loved
the other babies in her room and she was using her time to pray over them and
to spread God's love to them. At such a young age, she realized the power of
prayer. She realized that God was the ultimate healer and she truly believed in
his supremacy.

From
seeing her faith and hope, I sat there and wondered who I thought I was to
doubt God's plan. I will always be heartbroken by the tragedies that have
occurred in some of the children's lives here, but God has shown me that he
uses these terrible circumstances to develop the most real and pure faith. I
learned from a 12 year old that I need to just trust completely in God's way
and in his power. Senanile could have easily felt lonely and angry at the fact
that she had lost her parents and was sitting in a hospital in pain. However,
she was filled with joy, hope, and faith in God. Through this precious girl,
God has shown me what it means to have the faith of a child. Please continue to
pray for Senanile. An American doctor has started to work in the hospital and
has provided Senanile with amazing treatment. She is progressing a ton and the
doctor said that the TB should be healed. However, she is still experiencing
back and neck pain, and a lot of times has a high fever. Pray that she will
always have the faith that she does now and that she would rise up to impact Swaziland and
spread God's love to her people.

"Your ways, O God, are
holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the people." Psalm 77:13-14