Hope's Promise & Brenda Johnston
What a remarkable story and all I heard was a small portion of it.I met Brenda Sunday at CCA's early service where she told part of her story and how she came to be involved with Hope's Promise and how God guided her to Namibia. I could have listened to her for hours (and yes Darin, I know.... it could be for at least two weeks!)
I'm thankful I had the chance to speak with her before and after the service.
It wasn't until this week that she actually saw, for the first time, the videos from Namibia. She said tears kept streaming down her face as she watched our girls with the children.
She said it means so much to those children to have someone pay attention to them, to hold them, hug them, bend down to talk with them, put them on their shoulders and dance with them.
To give them some sense of love.
She commented on how the children there are merely possessions; to be done with whatever the parent(s) pleased.
She wanted us to know that the time our daughters spent with these children will be forever remembered and does make a difference in their empty and loveless lives.
Sadly still, the reality of it is...things can and do change daily for these children.
Yes, even in the short time since our daughters were helping bring joy to their lives, some have had their lives turned upside down because of one turn of events or another.
What may have been a happy and smiling face is now a haunting reminder of innocence lost. The senselessness of how their precious lives are not so precious angers me.
Are they resilient enough to bounce back from these setbacks? Lord, help them...
Brenda thanked us for allowing our girls to come to Namibia. It was such a heartfelt thanks from a remarkable woman.
I am waiting for an email address or link for Hope's Promise and for Brenda that I would like to included in the links section here on this site.
It is my hope that if any of you out there have a spare dollar or two or five or ten, that you send it her way.
I know I will try...it's the least I can do to help.
posted by Don @ 7:58 PM
2 Comments:
I also enjoyed listening to Brenda's story yesterday at the later service. It's true---I could sit and listen to her for hours, days, maybe even 2 whole weeks!! Her journey is amazing---from Disney to Namibia! She was thrilled to see some of the dancers while she was here! We will definitely be supporting Hope's Promise and will most likely be seeing her in Namibia next July!
Interesting reading some of these postings from the archives! Don and I both met Brenda last October at CCA (at different services) and we will be meeting up with her in Namibia this July as we are both venturing there on the "Hope's Promise" team!
How great is that!
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