Fruit from the Shadows
A poor, rural farming family had sunk deep into despair. The ground was tough and hard to plough. After hours of backbreaking work, there was little to show for it. Desperation had left them with nothing. Food was scarce. There was never enough to go around. A skinny, quiet little girl went unnoticed in the shadows.
Until one day, God led someone to the shadows… and they saw her.
This malnourished little girl who couldn’t even look you in the eye was brought into a loving Home of Hope family. Her name is Martine*. Her new parents gently showed her love and gave her the opportunity to flourish. A community of teachers, mentors and pastoral staff circled around her, and taught her what she could be.
In the last ten years, Martine’s story has taken her far beyond the shadows.
She’s a bubbly teenager who loves spending time with her sisters. She has dreams of building infrastructure and hospitals to help her community. Martine is learning about what it means to be a godly leader, and she’s intrigued. She knows the feeling of hopelessness and she knows what true hope is!
Martine and her sisters recently sang in front of church, “I Want to Bear Fruit.” It is a song that reflects on John 15. We think it’s a pretty good representation of how she is living today.
Jesus said he is the true vine, Christians are the branches.
It cuts off branches that are not fruitful
God help me progress, so I do not throw myself away
I want to grow fruit
Many Christians refuse to bear fruit
God patiently let me grow…. Let me say you never gave up, Oh God!
Let me participate
Someone looked in the shadows and saw Martine’s worth. The little girl who once went unnoticed in the dark is now living in the light of Jesus! This is just one story. Right now, there is another little girl who is fading into hopelessness. Her worth is so much more. Together, we can give her a voice. A future. A life lived on purpose for Christ. Will you join us in bringing this kind of hope to more vulnerable children?
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*name changed for privacy