For Grace

Six years ago my sister Grace started a journey. A journey that led her along a path of working three jobs at a time so she could pay for classes in college which she took as she could afford which led to changing colleges at one point which led to more working and more classes and more working…well, you get the idea. Some paths in life are long and arduous and there are many times that you wonder if you are getting anywhere, let alone to the goal that set you on that path in the first place. I’m sure Grace wondered many times.

But in May of last year, Grace graduated with her BA in education. And no debt. (That’s right – no student loans, no credit cards maxed out to pay for books. Plain and simple – no debt.) Now she could see her goal, but how would she get there? Where should she turn for the next step? And how long would this take? Months? Years? Actually, it took weeks. Through different people, the Lord placed Grace at the right place at the right time. And in July, she left the United States to see if her dream would be fulfilled. Three months later, she had her answer. After returning to the United States for a few months to put things in order, my sister Grace flew back to Kenya to work with a ministry called FAME (Friends of Africa Missionary Endeavor). She’ll be gone for a year, at least. After that, we’ll see what the Lord has in store.

Grace has wanted to work with orphans since she was seven or eight years old. Grace has wanted to be in Kenya since she was nineteen or twenty. Today she turns 26 years old. And she is celebrating in Kenya surrounded by orphans and other children. I am so happy for her, I’m not sure I could finds words to express that joy.

Happy Birthday, Grace! From your eldest sister who admires you determined endurance, rejoices in God’s path for you and can’t wait to see what your year holds!