There’s nothing quite like having someone step right into your world, do their best to identify with you, and do something that feels very ‘bonding.’ Sometimes the greater the difference, the more you notice the bond.

I’ve seen it so clearly while we’ve been in Africa. As we’ve connected with the African children (and their mothers, primarily) we have intentionally ‘dialed back’ our dress and our appearance (this has not been the week to spend a lot of time or energy on hair and make-up, even if we’d had time and energy!) We’ve been purposeful about walking into their homes and villages relating to those human characteristics we hold in common, not the cultural differences that divide us. We’ve entered into their worlds, not asked them to understand ours.

And we have loved the connection we’ve felt. So have they. We’ve laughed and cried together. It’s been as though (as the Bible describes) we’ve become one. Even the children would run after our SUV, chasing more time with us, yelling TO us, with huge smiles on their faces, “Ummu Gumba.” (I don’t know how to spell it but we were told it means “white person.”)

This connectedness was especially apparent yesterday afternoon when we visited one of the World Vision elementary schools. There were 800 children there and they were so glad we came. They had prepared a special program to entertain us which included various African dances. At one point, they came to where we sat to ‘recruit’ us to dance with them. Marilyn and I were very intimidated about the dancing part and Luci couldn’t quite get down the hill to dance. But Lisa Whelchel and Lara Dulaney (who serves on the Executive Leadership Team of Women of Faith) gave it their all.

They stepped into the world of dance with those darling African children and boogie-woogied until they were red-faced and breathless. I’m not sure what they were doing but I think I might have recognized a Watusi among the dances.

The children were beside themselves. Two very white women stepped right into their world as if they were one of them. They wiggled and jiggled and shook their little booties and gave rhythm its best shot. The children squealed. The incongruity of the American women dancing with the African children delighted us all.

For just a moment it was as though we were all one. No cultural or national divide. Just people, made in the image of God, laughing and singing and dancing, enjoying a moment that was sweet, soulish and perhaps even divine.

Life is a compilation of contrasts. So is Africa―and today was no exception. Several of us on the Women of Faith team are traveling in Rwanda with World Vision and today was amazing.

The early part of the day was delightful; we visited a village where World Vision is working their miracles. Between seeing sponsored children (and those who are yet to have a sponsor) we met six orphaned teenagers who have formed a team to start a little business of baking bread. As they demonstrated their bread-making expertise, they explained that they each had younger siblings at home for whom they are providing. “That’s why we need a business,” the only boy stated. (He seemed to be the head baker!) We were impressed. And, when we tasted the bread we watched them make, which had been baked in an outdoor brick oven, we were even more impressed.

Our next stop was for lunch in the World Vision office in Nyamagabe, Rwanda. While there, Lisa Whelchel had the opportunity to meet the young girl she sponsors through World Vision. The little girl walked to the office with her mother and was adorable. As Lisa approached her, she was very shy. They had lunch together and, at first, the little girl was quite shy. WV provided an interpreter and soon the little girl and her mom were very bonded to Lisa. Lisa fed her lunch, gave her a little doll, and an M&M or two. The entire experience was heartwarming.

Contrast that with the second part of our day. We visited the Murambi Memorial to men and women who were victims of the 1994 genocide.* Fifty thousand men and women were brutally killed there in less than twenty-four hours. What we saw and heard was heartbreaking.

I can barely grasp the goodness of people who reach out to help the most needy and innocent of people. It is overwhelming and warms my heart. At the same time, I can barely grasp the brutality of people who would slaughter a race of people just because they wanted to. Life is complicated. Sometimes our hearts are warmed and at other times, they break.

*Genocide is the act of a government and its collaborators to destroy a part of a population under its control. It’s an intentional act of multiple murders aimed at destroying the presence of the victim group.

Tags: Africa, Lisa Whelchel, Mary Graham, Murambi, Nyamagabe, rwanda, World Vision

When are interruptions divine?  Last night as Marilyn Meberg, Luci Swindoll, Lisa Whelchel and I were making a quick connection in the Nairobi, Kenya airport, we hit a major roadblock which might have been a disaster but instead became a huge blessing in disguise.

We’re in Africa on a trip to see the work of World Vision. Our partnership with them to protect and provide for children all over the world is one of the highlights of our organization. Women in North America have sponsored hundreds of thousands of children in the past ten years through World Vision.

I’ve been to Africa several times and have learned (the hard way) that when one’s plane lands in Nairobi, it’s better to not leave the airport without expert escorts,  Last night we were only going to be in the airport a couple of hours before connecting with Kenya Air for a quick flight to Kigali Rwanda.  We arrived about 10 pm and in no time realized we’d missed our connection.  Uh-Oh.

We were madly trying to decide what to do.  Marilyn and I ran down to retrieve our luggage, finding an agent on the way we could nab by the collar to help us. Once the luggage was in tow, I left Marilyn to babysit the agent and the bags and ran to tell Luci and Lisa to sit tight until they heard from me. And I started trying to figure out what to do. We’d missed the last flight out and had no plan in place. 

I decided to climb 5 flights of stairs to the British Airways Executive Club. Since we’d flown in on BA, maybe they’d have an idea of what we should do.  A young man (twenty-ish) named Sospeter was at the counter and was compassionate about my problem. He said if I’d give him a few minutes, he’d help me.  Whew!  So I ran first to Marilyn, then Luci and Lisa with my report.

Then I got in the very long line at Kenya Air to secure our tickets for today.  While I was working on that, Sospeter came to say he was ready to help. I, however, was tied up with the Kenya Air agent.  So I asked if he could sit with Marilyn and wait for me a minute.

By now it was almost midnight and only a few people were left in the entire airport. None of us were scared, but I have a feeling we should have been. We had nowhere to go, no idea of what to do, no Kenyan currency, no visa, and no place to spend the night. A perfect storm.

Then the amazing happened.  Marilyn struck up a conversation with Sospeter (of course!).  He asked her why we were traveling and she said to do some work with World Vision, an international humanitarian relief organization.  He said, “World Vision?  You saved my life.” 

Huh?  As his story unfolded, we learned both his parents had died of AIDS.  He and his two siblings were left alone with nothing.  World Vision found them and they became sponsored children.  They went to school, had a place to stay where they could be together, received an education and ultimately found meaningful employment. An amazing, articulate, kindhearted young man was being helpful to us because someone had been helpful to him.  Our paths crossed in God’s divine timing and in a way that we might see with our own eyes and hear with our own ears the miracles of the World Vision strategy.

Finally, I got our tickets arranged, and Sospeter pulled together some friends who took us to a very nice hotel where we spent last night―and he escorted us there.  This morning, a couple hours before we left, they came back to the hotel to take us to catch our flight.

Because he works at the airport, Sospeter had credentials that enabled him to walk us through security, customs and immigration and to our gate. At our gate, we tried to slip cash into his hand to express our gratitude. He refused,  We insisted. He refused. He was exceedingly kind and grateful. With tears in his eyes, he said, “You have saved my whole life. I was able to survive, get an education, stay with my family, and get a job that I could never have had. I have a life because of how God used you. I will take no pay from you. It is my desire to say thank you to you in this way. I was in need and God used you to give me the world. I want to give back.”
Lisa prayed for him as we stood in a circle in the middle of the Nairobi airport and we all cried tears of great joy. 

If God had given us our desire, we would have missed it all.  But our plans failed so His could be achieved. 

Mary

P.S. At one point he looked at Lisa Whelchel and said, “Have I not seen you on TV? I know those eyes.”  

Tags: , Africa, blog, Kenya, Lisa Whelchel, Marilyn Meberg, Mary Graham

Interested in receiving our weekly lenten email? Sign up for Weekly Inspirations and each week we’ll send you new information.

Once Lent is over, each week you’ll receive a bible study or weekly inspirations.

Special Lenten Series From Women of Faith - Week 1

Tags: bible study, email sign up, lent, Lenten series, week 1, weekly inspirations, Women of Faith

The 2009 GMA Dove Award Nominations are out – and our friends showed up a LOT! Check this out:

Women of Faith Worship Team – Inspirational Album of the Year (Infinite Grace)

Steven Curtis Chapman – Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year (Cinderella); Artist of the Year

Natalie Grant – Song of the Year and Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year (I Will Not Be Moved); Female Vocalist of the Year; Worship Song of the Year (Breathe On Me); Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (Relentless). Bernie Herms (Natalie’s husband) was also nominated as Producer of the Year.

Mandisa – Female Vocalist of the Year

Sandi Patty – Female Vocalist of the Year; Inspirational Album of the Year (Songs for the Journey)

And our friends from The Revolve Tour also got some nods:

Group 1 Crew - Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year (Keys To The Kingdom); Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year (Ordinary Dreamers); Short Form Music Video (Movin’)

Hawk Nelson - Recorded Music Packaging (Hawk Nelson… Is My Friend)

Tags: Bernie Herms, Dove Awards, group 1 crew, hawk nelson, Mandisa, Natalie Grant, Sandi Patty, Steven Curtis Chapman, Women of Faith Worship Team

Anita is on Good Morning America this Wednesday, February 25!

Tune into ABC between 8:30 and 8:50 AM!

Do you have experience and success in outside sales? Do you have a passion to encourage women to attend a life-changing event? Can you influence women to join their friends at a Women of Faith event? We will be interviewing candidates in select event cities over the next two weeks. To be considered, e-mail your résumé to LEResumes@ThomasNelsonLive.com today and be sure to enter the name of your event city in the Subject line! View a list of our 2009 event cities here.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. (parent company of Women of Faith and The Revolve Tour) announced today that five of their books have been chosen as finalists for the 2009 Christian Book Awards. The Christian Book Awards are presented annually in six categories - Bibles, Bible Reference & Study, Christian Life, Fiction, Children & Youth, and Inspiration & Gift. In addition, one title will be selected from the finalists to receive the top honor, Christian Book of the Year. The awards are selected by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) based on excellence in content, literary quality, design, and significance of contribution.  Winners will be announced at the Christian Book Expo 2009 in Dallas, Texas.

The Thomas Nelson finalists are:

• Less Than Dead by Tim Downs (Fiction)

• Guys Like Girls Who… by Chad Eastham (Children & Youth) Chad is a speaker at The Revolve Tour.

• Secrets Young Women Keep by Dr. Jill Hubbard (Children & Youth)

• Reflections of God’s Holy Land by Eva Marie Everson & Miriam Fieberg Vamosh (Inspiration & Gift)

• NKJV Study Bible: Second Edition (Bibles)

You’ll find all these books in our online store!

On Tuesday January 27th at 7pm, Steven Curtis Chapman will be performing in Hendersonville, TN. Here’s the address… 1 Music Village Blvd. Hendersonville, TN 37075. Steven & Max Lucado will be taping a one hour television special to air this spring, along with Mandisa. If you’re interested in attending this Free event, please make plans to join us. No reserved seating is available. Doors will open at 6p. Click here for more information.

You’re invited to be in the studio audience when Marilyn Meberg appears on the LIFE Today show with James and Betty Robison, Tuesday, February 3 at 7 p.m.  Tickets are free, but you must reserve your seat.  To do that, call 817-354-3655 or email audience@loi.org.  The studios are located at 1801 West Euless Boulevard, Euless, Texas 76040.