Way of the Path Ministries

It was time for our Vacation Bible School and all the children gathered in their chairs.  The small chairs in front, then the medium sized chairs and then the large chairs in the back of the room. Each child chose a chair that fit them.  It was one of the most organized groups of children I’ve seen.

The service began with singing and when it was time, they brought little Rosa to the front and put her on a chair.  Then they handed her the microphone.  Her voice rang out as she led the other children in worship.  Our team was blown away and I think half of us were filming the event.

What made this so surprising is that Rosa is a quiet, polite, unassuming, little girl.  She’s certainly not someone you would expect to stand in front of her friends and raise her voice the way she did.  But, boy did she sing!  She put her whole voice and heart into it.

God raises people like Rosa up from the most unlikely of places and gives them the ability to do things that are inconceivable.  He doesn’t conform to our patterns or molds. He makes them and breaks them to get our attention and uses us in ways that are amazing and sometimes even beyond our comprehension.

The Children

Rosa

I had an opportunity later in the week to talk with Rosa (pictured above on the left with her teacher).  I asked her what her name was and she spoke so quietly, so unassumingly I still couldn’t reconcile how she stood there and raised her voice to God the way she did.

There have been so many times I wanted to stand like Rosa and speak out, but I allowed my peer-fear or excuses to stand in the way and didn’t do what I know I should have. Her courage and her willingness to stand firm and lead are an inspiration.

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. — James 4:17

But it is also sad because like the other children in this village Rosa’s opportunities are very limited by the lack of resources, basic healthcare and an education. Undernourishment has taken a serious toll on the development of these children. Even though they come from hard working families, their lack of resources make it a struggle to have their most basic needs met.

The pictures here inside a new church don’t show what’s just outside the walls.  These children live in conditions that we would describe as primitive camping here in the US, but without the transportation, grocery stores, water purification, bathrooms, electricity/generators, and modern conveniences we bring with us, and they don’t just live it for a few days.  It is their life EVERY day.

This is why our church has partnered with CH Global’s child sponsorship program here and in Ethiopia.  We’ve worked to build the preschool and support roughly 1/4 of the 120 neediest children in the village.  There are many others that qualify if we are able to find people who will support them.

Join with us HERE and help children like Rosa learn about the life saving message of Jesus and escape the cycle of extreme poverty.