Last week my sister met a lady called Memory. She drove past her in heavy traffic on the way to fetch her daughter from school. Memory is just one of the many women begging on the side of our roads here in South Africa. Memory stood out to my sister, because like her, she has a little baby girl. As my sister drove past her, her heart was drawn to her. After fetching her oldest daughter from school, she past the same traffic lights and there mommy and baby still sat. She could not stop the car but decided to drive back that same way again after taking her daughter to ballet. As it happened, she caught her just in time to hear her story.
Memory comes from Zimbabwe. She risked all that she had to come over here with her 4 year old son and 1 year old daughter to try and find her husband who had come over earlier to find work in South Africa. After searching for him she eventually discovered that her husband has deserted her and their children for another woman. She is stuck here in South Africa with no family, no work and is staying in a very hostile environment (which has no running water or electricity). My sister knows this for a fact because she drove her back to her "home" which is a deserted building with hundreds of other Zimbabwians staying there due to the Zenaphobia which hit crisis stations earlier this year. As my sister shared this story with me I was struck with the fact that we hear about these stories on the news, but all of a sudden we all have to question what our role can be in being part of a greater solution when you actually meet somebody in the middle of that situation. It's all too easy to say a quick prayer for that person and pray that God sends "someone" to help them on their way - but did Jesus not share the parable of the Good Samaritan for us to visually picture His ache for us to be His hands and feet to those in desperate need? My sister took the time to ask Memory what her needs are. She looked at my sister and said "I want to go home". Ever since then, my sister has been raising money to help Memory get herself, her little children and her friend back to their home in Zimbabwe. I decided to post this today, to ask anyone who reads this post to pray for Memory as the Lord is making a practical way for her to get back home and re-start her life. Jesus went about not only meeting spiritual needs, but physically helping the practical needs too. If you feel led to sow into getting Memory back home, I will put you in touch with my sister. So far over R2,100-00 has been raised. We have our faith out for R5,000-00 to get both these women and Memory's little children back home.
If anything - ask the Lord to show you who He would like you to minister to this week. My sister could have been like any one of the other thousands of people in their cars that drove straight past Memory simply seeing her as a beggar ... but Jesus sees the person in their helplessness and longs to meet them with His tangible love. He has the capacity to multiply even the little that we have to give to become God-sized and able to change a life in a beautiful way.
Love, Janine
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