Baraka (whose name means "blessing" in Swahili) is really an exceptional person, committed from her heart to serve the needy around her. (And in case you're wondering, she doesn't usually wear a red head covering like the one above! It was a gift from Bear when he was here.)
Before I left to go see Bear, Baraka was collecting clothes from anyone who wanted to donate them, and then she held a type of yard sale in her village, selling the clothes at a very inexpensive price.
For those who could not afford to come buy clothes, she made an offer to others to make a donation to the yard sale, and then she would give that donation to needy people in the community to use toward buying clothes.
The purpose of the sale was to raise money to pay for health insurance for needy children in her community (the government has a national health insurance plan that costs about $2/year for a child....but some families can't quite afford that, or have too many children to pay for all of them). It turns out that Baraka raised enough money to cover the cost of insurance for several children in her community....I'll find out how many exactly on Sunday. Awesome!! I was especially happy because the research findings from earlier this year showed that the number one reason families don't take care of their sick children in a timely manner is because they don't have health insurance.... Baraka, you are wonderful!
I also want to request prayer for Baraka's fourth lay counseling training this year, being held this week. As part of her ministry, Gate of Hope, she has been hosting a series of trainings for 15-20 Rwandans who want to learn to help others work through psychological needs, trauma, etc. This training week is always a busy but fruitful week for her....I know she would love your prayers. Here's a photo of her from the training back in May:
Baraka, thank you for being an inspiration to us and for serving those around you -- you are a blessing to us all.
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