Ba abinci

In hausa it means "no food."I hear this phrase every single day no matter where I go. Whether walking down the street or in the market many people are going hungry. Muslim children roam the streets begging for money and with their hands to their mouths they repeat "ba abinci, ba abinci!". I see young children crawling on the street begging. Some of them intentionally mamed at birth so they can be permanent beggars for life. These children don't ever see the money except only to hold it in their hand for a while. At the end of the day they hand over what they have begged for to their master. I am constantly reminded of how I take for granted the simple basic necessities of life like food, clean water, and money. Everyday I see the faces of those in despair, and hear the cries of the desperate, destitute and needy. Words can't describe the hopelessness and poverty that permeates this city. How can I help those in need??? Should I just give them the gospel and walk away? I can't possibly walk away because I see Jesus' face and it is His example that leads me to love these people. Even when I don't want to give I remember that God has called me to serve and to share my life so that others might see HIM! Today one of our clients found out that her husband died from AIDS. She herself is positive and growing sicker by the minute. With little immune system left she is trying to fight this deadly disease and failing. Meanwhile she has shrunken down to a mere 90 pounds. She mentioned she had not eaten any food today and appeared hungry. I had some biscuits in my bag but hadn't eaten yet and wanted to save them for later when I was hungry. I gave her a soft banana that seemed unappealing to me but kept the biscuits hidden for myself. Over the next few minutes God kept pricking my heart to give the biscuits to her. I rebelled for the first minute then realized how selfish I was being. I gave her the biscuits but still felt like it was a sacrifice. I am thankful for how God shows me my sin and is slowly refining me so graciously. I am always amazed at my wicked heart and yet God still loves me and forgives me. I pray that next time I see someone who is hungry I will immediately give without thinking about myself. Oh that my hearts instinct would be to give selflessly. May God continue to scrape away my sin and make me more like HIM.


The Valley of Vision:

"THERE IS NO TREASURE SO WONDERFUL AS THAT CONTINUOUS EXPERIENCE OF THY GRACE TOWARD ME WHICH ALONE CAN SUBDUE THE RISINGS OF SIN WITHIN: GIVE ME MORE OF IT!"