Today was the first day of our projects, as well as the visits to the widows in the neighboring villages. By the end of the day, we were all taxed emotionally. James 1:27 tells us that religion at its "finest" is when believers look after the orphans and the widows in their distress, and keep themselves from being polluted by the world. Today we were honored to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we split into teams and drove off the beaten path to the villages surrounding Zomba.
 
Each village woman was there for a reason. Their spouse had died, leaving them with little hope for their future. Many suffered from AIDS. Several were crippled and one lady had to be carried out of her home each morning, where she would spend all day laying on the ground outside her hut, and then carried back in at the end of the day, only to repeat the process the next day. Another lady had gone without food for days because their society has deemed her as the "lowest of the low" as a social outcast.
 
The look on their faces when we gave them the bags filled with sugar, beans, salt, oats, soap, and health supplements for those who suffered from AIDS was absolutely priceless. One lady opened her bag and told the group "I'm rich!" They were so grateful that it made each of us wish we could do much more. I was able to share with the ladies at my widow visit that it was a group of ladies from Northwest Bible, who also were widowed, who helped donate these bags of supplies. The widows could not say thank you enough, and they wanted me to be sure to pass on their thanks to those women. (Hugs are coming, ladies!) More importantly, we were able to share the gospel with these ladies, telling them that yes, we cared for them, but there was a Savior who cared far more, and He was all the hope they needed.
 
Back at the Residency Center, Andy and his construction crew were hard at work. The boys' room has now been completely redesigned, and they're working on the girls room, giving each girl a little more privacy.  The goal is for each child to have a place of "it's own".  Each bunk now has its own cubby.   When the boys came into their "new" room last night, they were ecstatic! A couple boys had already hung a sheet from their bunk to the wall, creating a makeshift door, asking the other boys to "knock" before entering! Not one of these boys has ever had their own room. Even when they lived with their families, they were sharing with siblings, aunts/uncles, and grandparents. To us, personal space is nothing out of the norm, but to these children, it's something new and they love it!
 
Again, I wish my words could do this trip justice, but they won't, so you're just going to have to come over here and see it for yourself!
Brooke