Miles In Missions

My mom accompanied us back to Nigeria to help us set up our home and learn more about our ministries. I realized while she was here that I have grown very accustomed to the poor and needy around me. Everywhere you go in Jos you are confronted with street kids, the disabled and the poor. I have grown so accustomed to them that they have become part of the African scenery for me. I have come to terms with the fact that I cannot save everyone and thankfully God hasn’t called me to Nigeria to do that. God has placed people in my life over the past 4 years to help and show his love to. Those I am blessed to serve are represented as 47 orphans along with their 30 caregivers, my 8 staff at CARE Africa, our house help and several Nigerian young people that are like daughters and sons to me. These relationships I have steadily built over the years and they go very deep, but the burden of saving the world I had to give over to God- otherwise I was going to go crazy.

I have been content in this until the pain in my mother’s eyes one day caused me to realize there is a cost to having given up the burden of saving the world.  I no longer feel the overwhelming emotions of sorrow, compassion, sadness or hopelessness when I see the faces of poverty. I don’t feel guilty walking out of store with my cheese and boxed cereal purchase while street kids, Jolie’s age, come with their empty bowls begging for food. My mom’s eyes were sad and hurting for these people every time she would see them. All this is not to say that I turn a blind eye.  We keep small denominations of Niara (dollars) and biscuits (food) to discreetly give to those we can, but there are always more hands then we can possibly fill. It is a gaping hole with no end in sight

The Bible says in Deuteronomy 5:11 that the poor will never cease from the land. The book When Helping Hurts tell us that by giving small Niara or food to the poor we are just putting a band aid on a problem that needs mentoring and discipleship to break the cycle. I can’t build relationships with every beggar so should I just do nothing? Do I just continue putting Band-Aids on a bigger problem so I feel better about myself?  I don’t know, but I am in prayer about it. Pray with me and for me. Pray that God will show both you and me His will regarding the poor and needy. The Bible calls us to do it, but the question is “how to do it in a way that satisfies God – not man” . Pray for me and I will pray for you as we both seek his direction in this.