Two Of a Kind
X's 3….My Realization about Sisterhood & My heart for youth ladies
Faith….
IN MONTH ONE OF THE WORLD RACE …When we arrived in Katchibora, Kenya I was immediately drawn toward Faith. Pastor Bosire’s 16 year old daughter. Faith taught me some Swahili and talked to me about where she goes to school, what she is learning and what she wants to do when she grows up. My heart remembered what it was like to be 16 years old and the kinds of pressure I faced. The peer pressure which at the time, pulled me away from Christ little by little.
While in Kenya, I got to share God’s love with Faith and leave an imprint of my passion & heart for Jesus. While in Katchibora Faith braided my hair and we got to hang out while singing Beyonce & Chris Brown….She liked some of the same music I listen to which was really cool. Teens in Kenya who are in Secondary school sometimes live away from their family if they attend boarding school. Faith attends boarding school, which is a blessing for her to be able to study hard. However, I couldn’t imagine the challenge of being away from family for months at a time to attend school at age 16. She goes to school several months and then gets a small holiday to spend time with family. To go away for such a long time & to be influenced by peers, a young lady should be really rooted in Christ before leaving.
Rose…
MONTH 2 OF THE WORLD RACE IN BUSIA, UGANDA …
Then there was Rosie…(Spelled Lowe) but everyone called her Rose. Rose was 16 years old and a house servant in the home we were living in in Busia.
It was humbling to me to allow a 16 year old girl serve us. After talking with her, she told me she wanted to go to the U.S., much like a lot of others in Africa. She does not have the money to go to school. I found out her parents both had passed away so she was a rescued orphan. She served us by going to get water when the power was out with big jugs of water at a nearby well. She also helped with cooking of meals, shopping, serving meals, dishes, household cleaning, and watching the 9 month baby who lived with us.
While in Busia, Rose and I bonded a lot. She did not speak much English at all, but somehow we were able to conquer language separation barriers through smiles and laughter. She would watch me often in prayer, singing, or dancing. Rose loved to sing while she was working.
Our feet our pictured above with the pink pedicures. Our Pastor Rosemary, had someone come over to give us pedicures. I could not allow myself to have a pedicure but not to give one to this beautiful young girl who was helping take care of us. So she decided to get the same color and gold design as me.
One day while Rose was filling up water from the spout outside, I decided to ask her if I could help. After filling up large jugs of water, we carried them to the back of the house. I laughed so hard as I tried to carry a large jug of water to the back of the house. I thought to myself, this 16 year old is way stronger than me! I did not give up in helping…but as I carried the large jugs of water I prayed; “ Lord, make me a strong woman like this young lady”.
Before I left Rose left me with a gold bead necklace and I exchanged it with a bracelet from Rahab’s Rope… Although we will be miles across the world from one another I will not forget her, the laughter, or the friendship of little words.
Sharon Uwera
(Uwera, her Kinyarwanda name, means holy)
Month 3 of the World Race in Kigali, Rwanda Africa
Now for month 3, in Kigali Rwanda where I met our Pastor’s daughter, Sharon, who is age 14. This is when the realization struck me, that God you are showing me these youth girls and telling me what is already on my heart. This is not a coinsidence, but a plan of Yours…
It is this month that I could not deny the love God put in my heart for the youth. I still wasn’t sure at first of how the Lord could or would want to use a story like mine for these girls, but Pastor’s wife talked with me one night. Sister Olivia (Pastor’s Wife), reminded me that the Lord has a desire to use my story of what I have been through to impact youth. She told me that this generation of youth, parents don’t have enough time to pay enough attention to their children (especially in Africa). I really have a heart for these girls, my soul cries out to them. I want to share with these youth girls, the love that Jesus has for them. The deep affectioniate love that should not be so easily given away to a man until marriage. I want these girls to know what I didn’t know at their age. For them to gaurd their hearts above else for it is the wellspring of all life (Proverbs 4:23). To not arouse or awaken love until it so desires (Song of Songs 2:7). That the Lord loves them so much and no man could replace that love, but represent that love to them when the time was right. I want to save these youth woman the heartaches that I went through. From searching for love in all the wrong places only to feel broken.
I want to help build young women up in Christ in a real, tangible way.
To help them realize the Lord’s love for them & that they would find their complete security in Christ. That they would realize how delicate, strong, and precious they are. That there is beauty in purity.
I have only been here a week and a half in Kigali, and Sharon and I are great friends. She has shown me traditional Rwanda dance and taught me african hand clapping songs. We have laughed very much together… and I know that there is more to come. One day we were laughing on the way back from church this week and she said to me, “ I am sure you will miss me when you are gone” and I replied, “Yes I am sure I will cry, but we still have a few weeks together!”…
By being in Africa these past 3 months, the Lord has revealed to me a reflection of who HE sees me as, how he wants to glorify Jesus through me in the love he has placed in my heart for these young ladies. It’s go exciting to realize who God has made me to be and where he is taking me…The reflections of my past, of who I used to be are being smashed and broken. I am able to look into the mirror and realized I am his beloved daugther. Every day he is making me more into the woman of God that he already sees me as.
So for all of those youth ladies out there…
You are his beloved, you are his Bride…you are beautiful, loved, treasured, and nothing can take the love God has for you away. Guard your hearts, souls, and minds and don’t easily give away your love. You are like a delicate beautiful flower to God, and don’t let anyone trample on it. Find your roots in Christ so that you can bloom into a beautiful woman of the Lord. It is there you will find love; through the love of Christ you will find who you are. You will find security in the love of Jesus. Don’t let anyone tell you any different.
