Once again this Travelling Tuesday is filled with a gift I’ve been eager to unwrap. The gift of giving, and finding again and again, that you cannot out-give God. Even in giving, you find that you receive more in return — and my cup is overflowing.
As I shared last week, we visited an area called Overcome Heights on Thursday. We had the awesome privilege of teaming up with a ministry there called Living Hope, and we put shoes on the feet of close to 70 children. Many of those children arrived with bare feet and left with perhaps their first pair of shoes.
I’ll try not to wax on too long about this special moment since Travelling Tuesdays are about photos, but I have to say that it was just such a wonderful gift to give away shoes in Overcome Heights. When you come face to face with the reality of poverty, you find yourself newly aware of how very, very much you have to be thankful for. How very, very little cause you have for complaint. How very, very privileged you are if you have a roof over your head… a few changes of clothes… more than one or two pairs of shoes for your feet.
It is a gift to come face to face with the reality of poverty, to let it become more than just pictures on TV and in magazines, to let it become the faces of children that you pick up, touch, hold, talk to — it becomes more than just an idea. It becomes real. And if you let it, it will change you for the better. You can’t have the same outlook you had yesterday. Contentment, and joy, should be easier to grasp.
I hope that as I take a moment to share these realities with you, that you’ll receive this gift, too. That you’ll unwrap it, think about it, hold it in your heart for a while, and maybe even let it change the way you look at life.
As always, saving my favourites for last, check out this awesome wagon!!! These boys were having a blast.
The little one going for a ride received a new pair of shoes, but I think he took them home and kept wearing his old worn-through ones because he didn’t want to mess up his new shoes.
These boys were looking at each others’ shoes for ages. So sweet.
My prayer is that Overcome Heights will be a prophetic name. That these children, who are being ministered to by the awesome volunteers at Living Hope, will overcome heights, and will grow up to change the world for the better.
This is what it’s all about.
I hope you were encouraged this Travelling Tuesday! May you enjoy your journey today, and out of all that you’ve received, find ways to give!
xCC
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This post was linked up to Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting at the Sky.
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I absolutely love these pictures. The closeup of the little girl smiling…all those orange crocks…the creative wagon. I am reading “The Hole in the Gospel” right now (by Richard Stearns. Have you read it? It’s amazing), and these pictures and your words reflect what I am hearing in his book. Thank you so much for sharing today!
Michelle, I JUST started reading The Hole in our Gospel last night! I am excited! A friend of mine sent it from the States and I am excited to get into it. Thanks for the encouragement!
Dawn, I am so glad you were encouraged. A mission trip I took a few years ago began to “change” me for the better, but after a few months back in the States I was back to materialism and me,me,me! I am thankful to have another opportunity to be challenged to live differently.
Kathleen- Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for linking up on my first Linky ever! 🙂
Laura Anne — LOVE YOU! You rock!
so many bits touched my heart today. that you can’t out-give God. and this… And if you let it, it will change you for the better. You can’t have the same outlook you had yesterday.
I want this… so much. and oh how i love these faces. the more i think about my summer trip, the more i realize that i need to learn to do with less, so i can bring more… to share.
Wow…it is amazing to look at these photos. The happiness, the sweetness, in the middle of conditions that we can’t even imagine. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for taking over Travelling Tuesday!!! Yay!!!
This is truly impacted my heart:
“You can’t have the same outlook you had yesterday. Contentment, and joy, should be easier to grasp.”
He is overcoming there…and here.
Thanks,
Stacey
found you through Tuesday’s Unwrapped
What a lovely post. It’s really putting things in perspective for me. Beautiful pictures too.
found you from chatting at the sky….so encouraged by your photos…what a beautiful journey you are on….
Stumbled onto your blog somehow. I visited Overcome last year, while working with Living Hope, with a team and am planning on going back in August to minister to the kids and teens. Great photos and oddly enough I recognize many in the photos, looks like Gail in the blue praying over the boy. I understand exactly what you are experiencing and know that the Lord must be speaking loudly to you through your experiences. It is difficult to leave there and not be changed.
That’s awesome, Aaron!! Glad you’re coming back!! You really can’t leave the same way you came, that’s for sure. Praise God!