“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.”
Romans 5:2-5
Today the team spent another day at Beam Africa. I have a wonderful time meeting with Erika and hearing her heart for the children God has placed in her life. Unfortunately today as we met with Erika to see how
we can be serving at Beam in greater capacity, we received some unsettling news. The church I spoke about in my last post on Beam is continuing to present struggles for Erika and everyone at Beam. Before I share how you can be praying through these struggled with us, I would like to share an encouraging story.
Last time we talked with Erika, her and her husband were looking for chairs for the center to replace the ones that were taken away from them by the church. Our God is so faithful! With all of the chairs gone, there is nowhere for the children to sit and eat the meal provided for them everyday. When the church took the chairs away from the children, it presented some serious problems for Beam. It made everyday activities quite difficult. Despite the fact that there was little money available to get new chairs, Erika made the decision to look. She spent the entire day looking for affordable chairs and just before she quit a man told her about a warehouse where she could possibly find a good deal. When she arrived at the warehouse she honked her horn at a closed gate until someone came out to help her (I love this woman). She stayed outside the gate for quite some time just waiting for someone to hear about her need. This warehouse had exactly what Erika needed. She picked out the chairs she wanted and set a date for delivery. The chairs at this warehouse were significantly cheaper than anywhere else she had looked. It was the blessing she had been searching for all day. Just as she wrote the check the man who owned the warehouse started asking about why she needed the chairs. She explained where God has her with the children in Nellmapius. Once she finished explaining the situation the man asked for her invoice back, and he torn it up! This man donated 60 chairs to the center! Erika told us this story with tears in her eyes as she experienced God’s faithfulness. It was amazing to see how God provides always. Thank you for your prayers over the last week.
Please continue to pray for all of the children and staff at Beam. Unfortunately there are some significant struggles ahead of them. The team learned that the land Beam Africa sits on it actually owned by the church, and sadly the church has decided to significantly raise rent. They are essentially forcing Erika and the kids off the land, leaving them nowhere to go. Erika is determined to find another piece of land inside the township, but it has been extremely difficult. On top of rising the monthly rent the church refuses to let the children use the bathroom facilities on the land. Beam Africa raised the money to renovate those facilities and are now no longer allowed to use them. As Erika was sharing all of these details I couldn’t help but cry. It broke my heart to hear the church is not working for justice, but against it. I write this now with tears in my eyes, because I know this is not how God intended it to be. I have to remember that Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick…For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt 9:12-13). I know that all of us fall short of the glory of God, but it is extremely challenging to watch all of this happen to children. In the midst of something so broken and hard, there is still hope. God continues to provide for Beam, and these kids are so joyful. Beam has hit some hard times, but we trust the Lord that he will take care of everything. When we encounter suffering we will have hope in the King who did everything to be with us. Hope in Christ doesn’t disappoint. Please join me in praying for Beam! The best thing we can do it lift them up to God. Thank you, it means more than I could ever express.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from our time at Beam!
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