Trading dreams...

One of the things I love about Zambia is the spontaneousness in life... and the unpredictability... We usually say that one thing is predictable... and that is unpredictability. :)
This morning I woke up and had one of team mates came in and said "the little boys are outside"... my first statement was "I told them yesterday no playing until Monday, because today is the party!"   He followed that by... "well, they say their sister is missing. "  My response: "oh!  let me get my shoes!"  
After much search and effort... police reports, tears, and a Lifesong mini search party... She was found!  The things that go through your mind when one of your grade 2 students are missing can down right scare a person!  
I quickly had to move on to decorating and final details of our Grade 7 and 9 party... as well as send my hubs off to the Dr. as he isn't feeling well, possibly malaria.  
The party begins... music... dancing... food... and slide shows... 
I speak.  God's handprint on all of our lives is evident.  
When I first landed in this great place... they were small... dirty... rough.  What I see now isn't that.  They are clean... smart... amazing. 
 I didn't do that... God did that... through Lifesong... through teachers... through our staff families who are willing to do the hard things:   did you know that At least 4 of our Zambian staff families are fostering kids from our school?  
That this morning it wasn't the police, but classmates who found the girl. 
 It wasn't the student's father who comforted and counseled her, but her teacher and our maintenance man?  
Did you know that we had to TURN AWAY some of our staff from being houseparents in our new boarding program because we don't have enough homes built yet?
Do you know how awesome THAT is?  
Godly Zambian adults pouring their lives into vulnerable Zambian children.  
Today the grade 9s wrote and recited a poem.   One of the lines said "you are sacrificing your dreams to make ours come true." 
 It's true... our staff could make more money elsewhere... so could our family.  
"you are sacrificing your dreams to make ours come true. " 
Trading our dreams for God's never leaves us with regret... this is worth it.  
It's worth it to witness transformation before your eyes.  
It's worth it to hear the laughs from a classroom.  
It's worth it to be a parent in their lives.  
It is worth. it.  
They are worth. it.  
Jesus is worth. it.