When your child returns from the country(s), slowly stories start to pour out. Stories that make your heart break for the people, or more specifically, woman and children of the countries. Conditions and nightmares I could not imagine living through each and every day. When your child tells you there are some things she may never tell you, you wonder if that is a good thing or bad.
Even though you have not set foot on that land, your heart breaks and falls in love at the same time for the people. You begin to pray for a revival across the nations. Praying for the people, the conditions, and the many factors involved.
Sure, you've seen pictures of the people of the countries your child visits. But, seeing pictures your child took of smiling children, clinging children who just want to be loved, the world becomes smaller. I'm tearing up just thinking of the faces. Happy faces of children who are getting attention from a beautiful stranger. Pictures of little feet in sandals when it is winter. Pictures of moms beautifully smiling when handed blankets to keep their families warm during the coldest winter in years. The world becomes smaller.
Our daughter received devastating news this week. I can't go into details but it involves children she knows in one of those countries. These children, who stole her heart and wrecked her in a good way, were removed from a loving situation and moved into a situation that is heartbreaking. Without giving out too much information, Christian persecution is in full swing.
Please pray as God leads.
Wow! That sounds hard. My son went to Guatemala a few years back and came back with some stories too, but I don't think he must have seen things like your daughter did- or else he didn't want to tell me. We have a friend who spent months in a third world country recently and one of the children in a nearby village was sacrificed by his witch doctor uncle. When I hear things like this I remember that we live such a sheltered life compared to most of the world.
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