With an End...A New Beginning

We have less than a month to go with so much excitement yet to come as we come to completion of this phase of the project. This week we’ll have the last distribution in Ulongwe and in early May we’ll be in Chipoka for the last distribution there. There will be celebration as this is the time when the harvest of the maize crops will also be happening. The good and plentiful rains have been there at the right times. It’s amazing how quickly things change. No more rains, cool nights (great for sleeping) and beautiful, warm, sunny, clear days. Winter is coming…  And then we must leave… the on-going work, the hope and the anticipation of other harvest, of food security, all in the care of the communities themselves and our partners who work in these communities.

This week at church we heard a pastor from an organization called Visionledd tell of the work that a few paid staff but many, many volunteers were doing in so many different countries working with widows and orphans. He so challenged us all to be redeemer kinsmen for the vulnerable and the marginalized. Remember the story of Boaz and Ruth? He was the redeemer kinsman. We just celebrated Easter. Jesus is our redeemer kinsman. Whose redeemer kinsman am I? Isn’t that the challenge of living in the Kingdom of God? I am so taken by the challenges that continue to be laid in front of me in what I see and what I hear. Maybe because the challenges are more evident here but they are surely there in North America! I do not always want to see the need, or possibly it is easier to blame the situation on those involved. Again I am always given lots of things to reflect on but more importantly, challenges to act on.