A Prayer

Oh God, You are my God,
And I will ever praise You.
I will seek you in the morning.
And I will learn to walk in Your ways.
And step by step You'll lead me,
And I will follow You all of my days.

Ahh these words make me rest and sing them up to our Lord.  Especially the part that says, "I will learn to walk in Your ways."  It doesn't say, "I will know instantly how to walk in Your ways."  It's a learning process whether we like it or not.  At times I wish I would just already know how to do so, but then again I find it comforting to be reminded that it is a learning process.

 

"Lost Face of Somalia's War"

For those of you who know me personally and have heard a story or two about my adventures in Kenya, you may have heard me mention the boy from Somalia I met at the hospital who pretty much had no face, and literally a hole for a nose due to Somalia war violence.  After looking up pictures of "Kijabe, Kenya," for fun on google I stumbled across this article and my first thought was, "I know him!"  This is the story taken from msnbc.com about Ahmed, the boy I met from Somalia.

NAIROBI, Kenya — The bullet hit mother and son as they walked through Somalia's capital. She felt a sharp pain in her palm. Then she saw her 8-year-old: The bullet tore through his cheekbones, nose and mouth. Blood gushed down to his waist.

Two months later, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud's nose is a small hole. His mouth is always open because he has no upper lip and his right eye is gone. He can barely speak.

His is a lost face of Somalia's war.

Like so many other victims of a savage war, Ahmed was caught in the crossfire between Islamist insurgents and government forces, struck as he walked home from a Mogadishu market with his mother, who says a barrage of bullets poured out from the presidential palace.

Unlike Afghanistan and Iraq, there are few images of the bloodshed in Somalia, where thousands of children have been casualties without the world knowing. Most foreign journalists stay away because of the danger.

On Sept. 24, an Associated Press photographer was present after Ahmed was shot and took pictures of the boy, bleeding profusely as he was carried from the scene by two bystanders. During the weeks that followed, AP journalists kept tabs on Ahmed and his mother, who are still struggling with his grievous wounds.

"My heart bleeds whenever I recall his former face, whenever I compare the two faces," said Safi Mohamed Shidane as she inspected her son's scars at a hospital in neighboring Kenya, where Ahmed was flown for treatment after a Minnesota-based Somali immigrant group intervened.

"God will judge those who did this to my son," she said.

Heart-tugging story The lack of basic medical care, much less specialized doctors, has worsened the plight of children wounded in Somalia, a country mired in chaos since the last central government was ousted in 1991 and warlords turned their guns on each other.


"Ahmed's situation represents the crisis faced by many, many children in Somalia," said Katherine Grant, a child protection specialist with UNICEF who has visited the boy in the hospital outside Nairobi. Her agency will soon release a report accusing all parties in Somalia's conflict of recruiting child soldiers.

There are no reliable casualty figures for children in Somalia, according to Grant and Susannah Friedman, emergencies director for Somalia for Save the Children U.K.


"It is one of the most dangerous situations we've seen for children," said Friedman, whose agency has aid workers in southern and central Somalia, but has pulled out of Mogadishu.

Yet even in violence-plagued Somalia, where the U.N. says one child in 10 dies before his or her first birthday and only 30 percent of the population has access to clean drinking water, Ahmed's suffering tugged at heartstrings.


Doctors at Mogadishu's Medina Hospital did all they could: They inserted a tracheotomy tube for Ahmed to breathe and a feeding tube for nourishment. Doctors stitched together the horrific wounds to his face and wrapped it in thick layers of gauze.

But medical supplies — and expertise — are scarce in Somalia. When heavy fighting hits the seaside capital, tents go up at Medina to accommodate all the casualties. Inside, bloody footprints track down long corridors echoing with screams.

Face reconstruction at a cost
Appeals went out for help for Ahmed, including on Somali Web sites.

In late October, a Somali immigrant aid group, Healing the Children of Minnesota, had the boy flown to Kenya, where there are specialists and more advanced equipment. The Nigerian physician treating him there, Dr. Igohwo Etu, said the boy will need surgeries costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to reconstruct his face.


The Rochester, Minn.-based aid group is now trying to arrange treatment for Ahmed overseas and has contacted hospitals in the U.S., Britain, Italy and Mexico, its associate director, Abia Ali, said Monday.

The group, which is funded mainly by contributions from Somali immigrants, has helped 56 Somali war victims, mostly children, obtain medical care, according to its executive director, Abdi Gaal. These included two children treated at the Mayo Clinic and one at Fairview University in Minneapolis, Ali said.

Despite his uncertain future, Ahmed is a cheerful little boy who likes to play with a toy helicopter and spends time reading the Quran while lying in his hospital bed, his left eye twinkling as he scans the pages.

At the urging of his mother, he uttered a few words during a recent AP interview: "hooyo" — or "mother" in Somali — and his name.

But at other times the boy's spirits sink.

'Hard to be optimistic'
His mother consoled him and wiped away tears that streamed from the swollen spot where his right eye once was, even as another tear dropped from his good eye and rolled into the opening where his lips and nose once were.

"With the help of God, you will recover and go back to your school," his mother murmured, stroking her son.


Doctors had planned to remove Ahmed's feeding tube Monday, but delayed the procedure until Nov. 30. Shidane says she was told that American or Canadian doctors might operate on Ahmed after the new year, but isn't sure about future plans for her son.

Tens of thousands of Somalis have fled the fighting in Mogadishu, where gun battles occur daily and the Islamist insurgents hold public amputations and executions within shooting distance of the headquarters of the embattled government.


"Right now it's very hard to be optimistic that the situation will improve, let alone that the violence will end," said Chris Albin-Lackey, a researcher for Human Rights Watch. "In Mogadishu the situation is one of a bloody military stalemate. Neither side can gain the upper hand and the civilians are caught in between them."

I am thankful that I found this article because I have forgotten to pray for Ahmed.  It's one of those things where the memory fades but the need is still there.  He still needs prayer and he still needs Jesus Christ.  I lift him up to you, Father.  Allow him to look forward to the day where he is in Heaven with you and his face is restored anew. 

Write On

Thursday morning was a sad one.  That was the morning Christianna left.  As we were standing outside at 6 am saying our goodbyes, I was handed an envelope.  After Christianna left and we all went inside I looked at the envelope to find that my dear friend, Kristen had sent me a letter!  This is the first letter I have received since being here.  How perfectly does God work?  I was super down because one friend had just left, and then my spirits were lifted because a friend a half a world away sent me a letter ten days before.  It was great to hear from her.  It reminds me how much God has blessed me and continues to bless me.  In the letter she also put a picture of us from a mission trip to Mexico in 2008.

 Below the picture you can see a dried flower.  She also put that in there because I had mentioned before how I will miss the colors changing.  With that she reminded me that, "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8

 

She also brought up 2 Timothy 1:3-7.  Dang girl, God is using you to impact my life big...even through a letter.  2 Timothy 1:7 was sort of a theme verse before I left and so many people shared it with me before I left.  I had forgotten about the "spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline" God has given me and I thank Him for using Kristen to remind me.

This was two nights before I left at my going away bon-fire. =)

I love you so much Kristen!  Thank you for your encouragement and your beautiful friendship.  You delight my life and I thank Jesus for blessing me with you.

Love, Sarah

"Beloved" Enter the Worship Circle

"Those who put their hope in you will never be turned away,

And those who place their trust in you will never be put to shame."

I was listening to some music just now when this song came on.  It sent me back a little over a month ago.  I was on a plane, heading to India.  There were lots of emotions during that long flight from Chicago to New Delhi.  At times I was perfectly at peace, knowing this is where God told me to go, while at other times I would hold back tears and ask myself, "What the heck am I doing?"  That pretty much sums up my entire flight, well that and sleeping.  Other than that, from time to time I was overcome by what was going to happen when I arrived at customs and was asked, "What are you doing in India?  Who are you staying with?  How do you know them?" and so on.  You see I am on a tourist visa and that made it open for complications when I would say, "Yes it's a tourist visa, and yes I am volunteering with Freedom Firm."  The two don't go together and I was told that early on, but was also told just continue with applying for a tourist visa.  I would then start to think about the other questions they might ask me about who I'm staying with and whatnot, why was I nervous?...because I really didn't know how to answer that.  "Uhh, I'm staying in a guest house...I know some people in India, but only through email?"  I wasn't feel quite secure in my answers.  As I was freaking out in my mind the song, "Beloved," bye Enter the Worship Circle came on my ipod.  When I heard the sweet words, I was at peace.

"Those who put their hope in you will never be turned away,

And those who place their trust in you will never be put to shame."

"Well God," I thought, "It's time I put my hope and trust in you for this situation...You are much bigger than any situation that brings me fear."

It was such comfort and peace given from God, it was exactly what I needed.  

We eventually landed in New Delhi, I got off the plane, and followed everybody else to customs.  When it was my turn I stepped up to the Mr. Custom man, gave him my passport/visa, and the address and phone number of some missionaries here in India.  After a few short moments he returned my papers and waved me on with not one. word. spoken.  I laughed a little after I walked away because of the greatness of our God.  I have been through customs a few different times in different countries and each time the questions I was expecting were asked.  God is so good.  He calmed my fears, gave me hope to trust in Him, and worked everything out for His glory.  Praise be to God!

Hakuna Matata

"I Speak Two Languages - American & English"

I have been feeling sick lately.  Not because of the water, or the food I am not use to.  Not because of the different climate or anything else that is typical.  I feel this way because Christianna left for America today.

Christianna was one of the other volunteers with Freedom Firm.  She was here since May and I praise God that I got to spend (exactly) one month with her!  She had planned on leaving before I arrived in India but God had other plans and I am so glad He did.

Before I came to India I had heard a lot of great things about this girl.  In my mind I was sort of like, "Sheesh what's so wonderful about her that everybody I talk to with Freedom Firm raves about her?"  After the first time we met I figured it out.  She is AMAZING.  She is the kindest person ever, so personable and willing to do anything to help out.  She isn't shy which equals a great, "Welcome to India" person.  But more than that she become one of my best friends.  I love how friendship seems to come so much more easily when God is the base.  I learned a lot from her and ask God to be more like her.

I love you Christianna and I am praying for you right now as you are traveling home.  Can't wait to see you in Chicago!

Hakuna Matata

My Eyes, Their Eyes

I lift my eyes up,

Unto the mountains,

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from You,
Maker of heaven,

Creator of the earth.

Oh how I need You Lord,
You are my only hope,
You’re my only prayer.
So I will wait for You,
To come and rescue me,
Come and give me life.

We sang this song the other day with the rescued girls before starting school.  Usually we start off the day with a Bible study, prayer, and a couple of worship songs, but usually all of that is in Hindi.  On this specific day though, we sang "I Lift My Eyes Up," and we did so in English.  As we were singing I had a bit of an awakening.  I thought about what these lyrics mean for American Christians compared to what these lyrics mean for a third world Christian, or even more specific, the girls that were sitting right in front of me.

For an American Christian I can see it being, "I need you, Lord...I need you to answer me about which step to take next.  I need you to give me grace when I mess up.  I need you for some sort of physical comfort or pleasure."  Don't get me wrong, these are legit prayers and God hears them just as much as the next prayer, but I'm sure that while asking God for help a lot of the "Western" plea tends to be a bit selfish (not all the time, but I can definitely see it happening quite a bit).  

Then I think of the girls that I see everyday who were rescued out of the sex trade industry.  What does it mean for them when they sing, "Oh how I need you Lord, you are my only hope, you are my only prayer.  So I will wait for you, to come and rescue me, to come and give me life."  Asking God for hope, realizing that He is the only prayer they have, waiting for Him to come and rescue them out of the Hell that they lived in.  How different is that prayer from the prayer we lift up as we sing this song?  

It breaks my heart for sure.  It also makes me reevaluate my life as I bring myself before God, realizing that my "problems," may not really be something to get worked up about.  Sure God hears my cry no matter how petty it may be, but again, it makes me think and if that's all it does, that's great.

Hakuna Matata