Out Of Africa

Meagan moved back to the United States this weekend. My niece, the daughter of my brother Dave and his gorgeous wife, Sally, has spent four years in Zambia working and living at the Namwianga Mission with babies, many of whom are HIV positive or afflicted with AIDS. Meagan will resume her teaching career in Oklahoma in the fall but it is safe to say much of her remains on another continent. It will be a tough transition to return to life in her homeland, a country of wealth and often waste. I cannot tell you how many lives Meagan has touched here in America through her efforts overseas. One of her gifts is the ability to share her vision with others and her vision becoming theirs. She will return to Zambia, Lord willing, either short or long term in time but she has made her mark. You sacrifice to do the work of the Lord and she made that sacrifice. Meagan missed the funerals of her grandparents and her niece, Harper, because of her mission. The children she lived with were the beneficiaries of her commitment.

Several days ago, my blog talked about the mural on the life of Christ painted in my school classroom. We wanted to include a scene of Jesus interacting with children as part of the picture. On a bulletin board highlighting relief work, I had a photo of Meagan sitting with about eight of the babies in the orphanage, a little boy at the end blowing her a kiss. Karen Keese, our AP art instructor, incorporated that shot into our wall. Karen took the image of Meagan and made it into the image of Jesus. How fitting that someone would see that when she held those babies, many of whom would never see their fifth birthday, Meagan would be taking the role of the Christ. There is a school term from Latin, en loco parentis, which means in place of the parents. In this case, I would classify the portrayal as en loco jesus, or in place of the Savior. Jesus was there in the form of my niece, Meagan. That is one beautiful picture!


Do me a favor. Take a moment and pray for the twenty three babies shown above that Meagan lived with. All have TB or are HIV positive. I know saying good bye was excruciating for Meagan so please say a prayer for my wonderful niece as well.
Back row: Sam (with Meagan), Mary, Dorsi, Kim, Christine, Catherine, Bethany
Middle row: Choolwe, Thomas, Amanda, Matt, Dennis, Sidney, Shelby, Bennett
Front row: Kurt, Linny, Lee, Lydia, Rachel, Cintia, Don, Seth

Applicable quote of the day:
''I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.''
Jesus (Matthew 25:40)
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com