Hope

Today when I saw Mary she was radiant! She had put on a little bit of makeup and some jewelry, but it was even more than that. She was hopeful, expectant.

I gave her a hug and asked, "Why are you so happy today?"

She said, "You promised to give me work today."

Mary, HIV+, has a husband, HIV+, a 4 year old child and 16 month old twins. One twin appears to be severely malnourished. We have been encouraging Mary with a one-time handout, food, Bible study, prayer, and basic sewing training. The Hillcrest Service Team even went to visit her in her home on top of a rocky outcropping. They carried a huge bag of raw food items for Mary's family. Mary treks for one hour to get to Bezer Home so she can save her transport money for food.

The first thing she learned was how to embroider letters with the chain stitch. She has one of the finest stitches I have seen. Today, as promised, I wrote out some Bible verses on cloth for her to embroider. She'll be back in a couple days...and I'll have more work ready for her eager hands.