More than sticks and mud…
Once upon a time…. It just wasn’t supposed to happen. There was no rational way when looking at it. Financially, the resources weren’t there, and besides, Kerry didn’t have that burning desire to go to Africa like the rest of the forming team. Maybe I am not supposed to be on this trip, maybe I should NOT step out into this unknown?
Despite everything Kerry kept thinking and planning, a last-second out of nowhere donation of $1500 showed up. His faith began to grow and he knew that God had a bigger plan than he did. He pushed through the doubt of his heart and continued to pray from the complete amount. Somehow all the monies he needed trickled in from the most random of places. He ended up on that trip to Nkobe, Mozambique. A place that is the pictorial definition of the word “without.”
A woman of the area, named Raquel, had reached the end of her rope. She had no way of finding a job in such places as these so she continued to show up at the local church and serve the community. She soon found herself with no one to turn to but a missionary, Deborah whom served along side of at the Healing Place Church Mozambique team. Raquel told Deborah of her desperation, that her children were hungry and that she could not come up with a way to feed them anymore. Deborah did the only thing she knew to do in this situation- she came together with Raquel in prayer: “Lord, please make a way to take care of my family.”
She repeated this prayer daily and I am sure even momentarily until 13 days later there was a sort of a collision. See Kerry arrived in Mozambique and his team was hosted by Deborah. One day while working construction with the team Kerry saw a small boy from across the room. His name was Junior, one of Raquel’s children. Their meeting was not just coincidence, it was a God collision.
Kerry fell in love with that boy that day. Like many of the team members that visit these Care Points Kerry wanted to be a part of this ones life. Through Deborah, Kerry told Raquel that he was going to take care of her and her family. He knew nothing up to that moment of the prayer she had started to pray just days before, yet all the same he was the answer to her prayer. As we interviewed Kerry he said these words, “there is no reason these people have to go another day without food” and so he committed to help change their story.
Raquel’s life has not been the same since her meeting Kerry- but recently there has been a major change in her life. About a month ago she and her children were kicked out of the “mud and stick makeshift house” they had been sharing with ten other family members cause of a problem with one of the sisters. Without anywhere to turn she went to Issac, the pastor Deborah works with, and since then he has taken them in temporarily.
Like Kerry, STORY wants more for Raquels family. We want “more than sticks and mud”. We want more than hopelessness and hunger for this family. We want shelter, refuge, and safety. We want cinder-blocks, about 3,000 US dollars worth of them.
We are presenting you with an opportunity to help build, to help change Raquel’s sad story into one with hope, to change her story.
STORY wants a “happily ever after…” for this family.
Mother Teresa said once, “I never take care of crowds, only of one person. If I stop to look at the crowds, I would never begin.” We at STORY believe the same. We believe that we can change someone’s story, one life at a time. Crowds overwhelm but one life is tangible, one life is possible to change. And so we are inviting you to participate in changing someone’s story.
By purchasing a tee shirt for $20, every bit of the proceeds go to building Raquel a home… Consider helping to write a happily ever after for this family….
