Magazines and advertisements declare that the flawless-skinned and the most wrinkle-free women are the most beautiful women in the western world. Now I know I have not lived in the western world for nearly 9 months, so I may be a bit ‘out of the loop,’ but what I do know is that the most beautiful women I have met this year are beautiful because of who they are, who they love, what they value, and what and who they believe in.
I took the above photo on September 12th as I underwent my first day of my latest art project (“Who Do You Love?”). I simply walked up and down the main road of a small Romanian village (Viile Tecii), attempting to communicate in 5 languages, trying to gain the trust of my neighbors, and loving them just as they are—wrinkles and all.
I do not want to sound vain as I write this, but 3 weeks ago, as I prepared to leave Uganda, I peered into a mirror and realized that I no longer recognize myself. I have accumulated wrinkles as this year of missions and international travel has progressed. I am not one to worry about such a trivial thing, but as I gazed into the mirror, I decided to thank God for these wrinkles. They line my eyes—for even though I already had ‘laugh lines’ from many joyful years, I now have added to the collection, from not only laughter of dancing and playing with children on 4 continents, but from the pain and tears I have shed over the poverty, AIDS, and starvation I have seen in the lives of the people I have grown to love and claim as my family. I do not regret loving and hurting for these individuals, families, and communities—I only want to bare witness to the fact that even in what appeared to be the most hopeless and barren situations, I saw, felt, and knew a hope that knew no reason and no limit in the lives of the people—for they knew the Hope, the Love, the Father I know and find security in.
This is a story and an experience that would not be possible without the support of you. I live on $8 a day ($3 for food and $5 for housing) and I am grateful for every $1 donated in helping me be a missionary through the end of November. I have an up-coming deadline of $942 in order to keep me on the field and caring for babushkas, families, and children. Thank you in advance for partnering with me!
