“I’M GONNA REMEMBER THAT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!”

My pastor (Pastor BK, Community Church) called me one morning saying that we really needed some leadership to go to Tanzania. Immediately I said, “Let’s go!” because I felt that God was saying to me, “Ok, now’s your time to go.” I was pretty nervous about the admin work and coordination, but then I realized that none of that mattered. It was all about getting to the City of Hope where the work was! 

While there, so many experiences took me completely out of my comfort zone and were very humbling. Soon, I was dubbed the “team crier’ because every night during the team briefing, something was shared that led me to tears.  

One memory that comes to mind is about Solomon*, a young boy at the City of Hope. On our second day, I noticed he was waiting for one of the other team members, but he was busy and not able to see Solomon. So, I said, “Solomon, I’ll play with you.” He politely declined. The next day, I saw Solomon sitting on the steps with his head hung low. I walked up to him and asked him what was going on - but he didn’t respond. When I suggested we take a walk, he agreed. We didn’t make it three steps when he grabbed my hand and held it tight. He started to tear up and explained to me that his mom was very sick and his dad was having a lot of troubles. I redirected the conversation to the power of prayer, and I asked him if he believed that if we pray to God, would God hear us? And would He help us if we asked Him? Tearfully he shook his head yes. So, I grabbed both of his hands and immediately started praying. What I learned was what he needed. Solomon didn’t need me to go get a soccer ball to play with him ... he needed me to pray for his mom and dad, and more importantly, for Solomon to have the strength to be the light in his family.  

Fast forward to the very last day at City of Hope. The children put on this beautiful (but very emotional) program for the team members. The children or the leaders would put a ceremonial garb around the neck of each team member. Solomon chose to put that around my neck! And Solomon made me a friendship bracelet and gave it to me. Having Solomon choose to give that gift to me was priceless…I’m gonna remember that for the rest of my life. 

Is your church interested in sending a team to serve our kids and staff in East Africa? If so, we would love to hear from you! You can find more information below or contact Kristi Smith, our Mission Teams Administrator, at kristi@joinhopeco.com.