Phoebe

There is a little girl named Phoebe who lives on the other side of the world, but has somehow worked her way into the hearts of a family in Iowa and made us think. Last summer Jody's sister and brother-in-law, Joanna and Taylor, spent 3 weeks in Sierre Leone, Africa, visiting a friend and working with Children of the Nations. Upon their return, they had hundreds of amazing photos to share. One photo/story stuck out to me and I couldn't stop thinking about a 5 year-old little girl named Phoebe. Phoebe has cerebal palsy. She lives in a home that Joanna's friend, Sarah, worked at for a year through Children of the Nations. Phoebe does not talk and rarely interacts with the other children in this school. When I saw a photo taken of her my heart broke. And now, I cannot erase this little girl from my mind. A couple months after Joanna and Taylor's return, they informed Jody that Phoebe was available to be sponsored. That night I got online and signed up! We were sent a packet in the mail and we introduced Brigg and Nalani to Phoebe through her photo and a short introduction that told us about her. Over time she captured their hearts as well. Not a day goes by that we don't pray for Phoebe. I find myself thinking about her and praying that she feels an overwhelming sense of love blanketing her in her small room in Sierre Leone. We send letters monthly and they get read to Phoebe. We tell her she is loved. Funny how we thought we would do a good deed by sponsoring this child and in all reality, she has changed our hearts forever. Everytime we walk by her photo, we send up a prayer for her. Tonight I am thanking our Father for allowing this 5 year-old little girl on the other side of the world to break our hearts...
"Throughout history, an authentic faith has been marked by a compassionate reponse toward those the world tends to forget." (Gary Thomas)