Our family "sponsors" her as an orphan child through a ministry called Vision Trust - very similar to the ministry of Project Hope and Charite' toward orphans - helping her get food, clothing, and basic life needs met... while also helping her learn about the great love and salvation God offers through Jesus Christ.
I got to spend about an hour with her. They think she is between 4-6 years old. She lives with her mother in a house with lots of kids. Her mother works all day, trying to sell peanuts and other things to be able to get food.
Ursulla was sweet, trusting, and a little bit shy during our visit. I shared some gifts with her, including the yellow stuffed bunny that she absolutely loved. With the help of the translator, I was able to tell her about my family and how much we love her and pray for her. I played a sound clip of Allie and Luke saying hi to Ursulla.
We went for a little walk, took lots of pictures, and sat together on a swing. I didn't want to overwhelm her, but I did want to communicate that I was a safe person and that I care for her. Our family has been praying for her for months and months now.
The whole "helping orphans in Africa" thing just became a thousand times more personal, more urgent, and more in-my-face REAL when I got the chance to meet kids and hear their stories and witness the needs in their lives.
Multiply that by the investment of time, prayer, and money that our family is making... and the chance to meet this precious little girl who was born into a life without hope...
Then, to think that God may have blessed me with the opportunity, the responsibility, and the means to be an "agent of hope" in the life of a child on the other side of the world?
All thanks and credit to God, and praise and prayers for the work he's doing in Ursulla's life... and the work he's doing in mine.
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