Tears of Sorrow Turned to Tears of Joy

He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted ... to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Kyenjojo (personal emphasis added). Isaiah 61:1-3

Offering comfort to those who mourn is often not easy, but I thank the Lord I was able to impact the life of one girl and change her tears of sorrow to tears of joy. I wish I could tell her story as clearly and full of emotion as she presented it Sunday morning, but I will try my best to retell it the best I can because I believe it is a story that needs to be told. You are also part of bringing comfort to those who mourn in Kyenjojo.

Rose's life changed dramatically at the age of seven when her father died of AIDS and her mother, also diagnosed with AIDS, was left alone to care for five children. Rose knew that from this moment on everything in her life was about to change. Her heart was filled with extreme pain and hopelessness as she not only had to say good-bye to her father, but also to her dreams of going to school and becoming a teacher some day. There was no way that her mother could provide food for all of the children and pay for school uniforms, supplies, and examination fees.

The pain was just too much for Rose to bear, and many times throughout the day she would find herself shedding tears uncontrollably. She would continue to ask her mother if she could go to school, but her mother could only reply that there was nothing she could do. Rose tried to raise money by selling the crops from their garden. She had calculated how much money she would need to begin school again, but she always found herself short because the money she earned would have to be spent on kerosene, salt, and other needs at home. Her mother was sick and very weak most of the time so she also had to care for her younger brothers and sisters.

One day, a woman came to ask Rose if she would come and work for her as a house girl and caretaker of her children. However, when Rose saw what the woman was willing to pay she knew it would not be enough to support her family. She also did not want to give up her dream of going to school. A few weeks passed and Rose had almost lost all hope of going back to school when a teacher from her school came to visit her. He had a muzungu (white) lady with him. Rose could not believe her eyes and could hardly contain her excitement! She never imagined that a muzungu would come to visit her. She thought in her mind, "Who am I to have a muzungu come to my house?". Nevertheless, the muzungu had not only come to visit her, but also to bring her all of the school supplies she needed to begin school. Her dream of going to school was actually going to happen! She was overwhelmed with such joy that she could not help but shed tears of happiness. Rose knew in her heart that from this day on her life was going to improve for the better. To this day, Rose has never forgotten the day the muzungu came and continues to thank God for the miracle that He brought into her life.