Answered Prayers?

It’s funny how, when we pray for God’s Will for our lives we already have the answer envisioned in our minds, and that is usually not at all how the prayer is answered. I have prayed over the years that I could be a writer, and speaker. You know, the next Beth Moore or Lisa Bevere, helping women to grow in God and travel the world speaking and writing. I have prayed that many times, started many books only to be stalled and sent in other directions.

I have prayed many times, God just use me in any way, wherever you want me I will go and do. And most of the time that God used me and sent me, it was not at all what I had envisioned! I never in a million years would have believed if you told me I would adopt a 2 year old – girl no less – at the age of 48. And then two years later move to Uganda Africa. At 50, I had been fretting that my life was on the downhill slide, but God had other plans for me!

I have prayed day after day since I found out we were moving here, and everyday since we got here for God to show me my place here. Christian has his physical work, and the spiritual I know I am a part of. But what exactly is my place? Keeping the home like I have all these years? Raising and teaching Raelee? I want to be used, in any way God, just show me where my place is.

Well, this is the part about answered prayers not always being what we envision. A few days ago I was brought 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl who is about 12 and she is having to be the mama to the 3 boys who I would say are 6-7 and 4 and a baby around a year. None of them know their ages. These are just 4 of 7 children, 3 had to be given out to other family because  mother died recently after a long illness that the witch doctors could not heal, and dad not in good health. I asked what could I do? Get them some clothes, some soap and cleaning supplies. Then, I was shown the baby’s hands and feet. Jiggers. Let me introduce you to Jiggers:

I am only going to post one picture, it is really hard to look at some of the ones I have seen.

Now, I had read about this before we ever came, and the two illustrations above come from the website I had researched http://www.solehope.org. They are located not so far from us and their whole ministry is taking these out, educating families on how to prevent them. We even have to spray and use a powder called (of all things) Du-Du powder. The best thing is to wear closed shoes, but that is not always reality here. This ministry I mentioned does try to provide shoes for children. Most everyone here knows how to remove them but because of the stigma of it, I’m finding that people don’t want to help because it is those peoples fault for being dirty. Sometimes they get so infested because they bring their animals inside to sleep – their goats and chickens – so they aren’t stolen. So now I am asking God, really? This is it? But if it is, I will gladly learn all I can from the ministries that have been doing this. I am praying that Sole Hope will help me in learning how to remove and then to educate the families. I’m told by Bakali that people he has helped and followed up on have been successful in keeping them away, and no more jiggers in their bodies.

So I ask you to pray with me, that if this is what God has for me to do, He gives me the ability, opportunity to share His Gospel as I do it, and that all the Glory goes to Him. In my own strength, I fear I can’t do it, but the bible says:

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.