Match Made In HEAVEN!!!

On this Valentines Day, 2006, I want to tell a touching story of matchmaking that I share as a praise to God for His unending faithfulness and provision. There are three people involved in this story; all in need of love. First, let me tell you about Asanda...

Asanda (pictured on the right) is 17 years old. She is an orphan who has been attending the orphan support group. She has had an incredibly difficult year. Her mom was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and she and her dad together cared for her mom. One night as Asanda's dad was coming home from work he witnessed a rape and tried to intervene and stop it. He was killed. Shortly after her dad's death Asanda's mom also passed away. During the time that all of this was happening, Asanda was in the beginning stages of pregnancy. Asanda gave birth to a healthy little girl (top left photo) in August. As of last week, Asanda wasn't enrolled in school, had no diapers or food for the baby, and was living alone in a shack without even a mattress to sleep on. Bridges of Hope desperately wanted to step in and help Asanda and her baby, but has committed to not sponsor a child without a responsible adult care-giver also living in the home. This is in order to make sure the funds are responsibly spent and to try and discourage child-headed households. So, we started praying that a caregiver would step up who would be willing to move into Asanda's shack with she and her baby. We were also praying that Asanda would be excited about this potential caregiver moving in. God answered our prayers...
Mama Lulama has been involved with Bridges of Hope's beading microbusiness for quite some time. She is living with HIV/AIDS in a small shack that is too small to fit two parked cars inside of it. With its rickety tin-roof the shack is roasting in the summer under the hot sun and very cold and wet in the winter rainy season. Lulama lives alone. When approached and asked about the possibility of moving in with Asanda, Lulama's eyes lit up. She is a loving, nurturing, compassionate, woman who saw an opportunity to move out of her small shack and into Asanda's bigger shack where she could really help another person and make a positive impact in Asanda's life. Asanda was also excited about having Mama Lulama as a caregiver. In a meeting that was held, Lulama told Asanda, "Now... I am a very nice woman... BUT... I will not let you do whatever you want!!!" This really brought us a sense of relief because, truly, this is what Asanda needs. Love and discipline. A parental figure. Someone who will take some of the burdens off of Asanda and allow her to be a kid again.
This has been such a neat development, one that I really believe was orchestrated by the Divine Conductor. It is an answer to prayer. An American donor has stepped up and committed to support the household financially. Asanda is now enrolled in school, the baby is in day care, the shack is furnished, and everyone living in the shack is well-fed and provided for. Please pray that this transition would go smoothly (as it has so far) and that Asanda and Lulama would come to really love each other. Pray that Asanda would have a soft, humble, heart and be open to having a "mother" figure in her life again after living on her own for quite some time.

Thank you, Lord, for being so good! Thank you for meeting our needs in ways that we couldn't even imagine. Thank you for working for good in a world that is full of pain and heartache. Thank you for your deep, unconditional, love for us.

On this Valentine's Day may we reflect on the love that our Father has for us, and how we can spread God's love to those around us!