A piece of my heart.

Tonight I miss Frank. Granted, I only spent 3 hours with him, but my heart longs to see him. On the plane ride home from Ghana, my mind was filled with joyful experiences. One experience was still fresh on my mind. We had just met Frank, spent time with his family, and then boarded our plane back to the states. As the lights were turned out in the plane for sleeping time, tears welled up in my eyes. I would turn to Russ, as he sat a row behind me, searching for encouragement but would only find that he was giving me the same look. The look of "one little 5 year old boy just rocked my world and I am just not sure what to do."

We had been writing and praying for Frank for an entire year before we met him. The day we met him was filled with excitement and anxiety. As we traveled back to Accra from Cape Coast I was at war with my thoughts and emotions. I wanted him to like us. To appreciate us. Then it hit me that I was making this about me. This was not about me...it was about a 5 year old boy who needed to be shown the love of Christ.

When we first met him he was very shy. I wanted to explode with tears because it was not going anything like I had imagined. I quickly learned a few phrases in his language from his teachers. He struggled to understand through my thick accent. But, slowly he started to understand. I spoke his language and his fears seemed to disappear. As we traveled to his school and home, he began to be more affectionate and secure.

As we approached his home, pictures that he and his siblings had colored for us were tacked to the walls. His father left his family six months ago leaving his mother to care for him and his two siblings. They were kicked out of their home but Compassion provided a room for them to live in. The pastor from the local church greeted us and let us know that the church was doing all it could to help share God's love with them. This family had experienced true hurt but yet they welcomed us as if they had always known us.

Russ and I signed up to pray and provide for Frank but in the process we also got his mom, his brother Stephen and his sister Charlotte. We thought we would bless them but in turn, they ended up blessing us way more.

As we left Frank was standing on the street corner waving and smiling. Completely different from when we first arrived. A piece of me was left at that corner as well. Now when I write my check or my letter, I write it differently. I have seen what a difference is being made in their lives. Not just a physical or educational difference, but also a spiritual difference.

If you would like to hear more about our experience meeting Frank or about sponsoring a child from Compassion, please get in touch with us! There are about 50 more kids in Frank's village that need to be sponsored so stay tuned for a way to do that!! If you feel led to sponsor a child click here and ask God to lead you to the child that needs you!