Vivian

Have you ever met one of your sponsor children? It's really an incredible event! While in Uganda I got to meet one of ours for the second time. I also got to witness someone else meeting his sponsor child at Bethany Village. His name is Larry and he is from California. It was beautiful. The sweet smile that oozed out of the little girl was precious as she hugged her sponsor. A few steps back was a younger girl, about 6 years old. As we went about our day at Bethany Village we ran into the two girls again right before lunch time. The sponsor child front and center and the younger girl a few steps back. The younger girl's name was Vivian. She was not sponsored, nor did she go to the school her friend was allowed to attend because of her lack of sponsor. She had about a 20 minute walk back to her house. Yet she didn't go home until her older friend finished school each day at 4:30. That is a lot of waiting with nothing to do for a young child. Little Vivian watched as the sponsored school children ate lunch. Little Vivian just sat patiently waiting for her older friend. The two girls were sweet friends. You could tell from quite a distance. My new friend, Larry, was so happy to see his sponsor child several times that day. We both started asking questions about little Vivian who was always a few steps away. We were told about her family life, her situation. God bless Larry who boldly said, "I want to sponsor Vivian". Now, Larry had several sponsor children, but he knew Vivian needed his support. And he freely gave it to her. Vivian really didn't understand what was happening, but her friend kept whispering details to her and the girls were holding in the giggles. I kept thinking how fun it would be to have a slumber party with those two sweeties! As we went to sit down for lunch I couldn't let go of the girls hands and brought them to the table with me. The two girls sat around the lunch table with many important officials eating away like it was a Thanksgiving feast. I don't think it was in the adults who were touring us around Bethany Village plan to have the girls eating with the adults at lunch. But it was God's plan for those girls that day. And I was so thankful to see their plates heaped high with food, to see the smiles on their faces as one rejoiced for her little friend and one processed the gift which was laid in her lap this day. And to see Larry as he allowed God to use him for a purpose that is so much bigger than $30 a month.