A Reality Check from Tanzania

I have never been to Tanzania, but I want to go there now.

Today as I was scrolling through the Twittosphere, I landed on a link that led me to this beautiful account of an average American mom meeting the fifteen-year-old Tanzanian boy that she and her family sponsor through Compassion International.

I'm totally stealing her story and her pictures to share with you, but if you scroll to the bottom of this post, you will see that I'm including the link to her original account.  (It's way better than mine....I just want to give you a taste of what she wrote.)

OK, so the blog I am swiping these photos from is called The Nesting Place.  The lady in the picture is the writer, who refers to herself as "The Nester" because her real name is supposedly strange and difficult to pronounce.  [For some reason I want to call her "Keely" .... maybe that's her name on Twitter or maybe I dreamed it .... if that IS her name, then I don't find that strange or difficult at all.  I prefer Keely to "The Nester" any day.  But just in case I invented the name "Keely" and it really isn't her name at all, let's refer to the pretty lady as The Nester.] 

Please don't leave yet.  This will get better.  I promise.

So Keely and her family sponsor (through Compassion International) that adorable Tanzanian teen pictured below. His name is Topiwo. 

The Nester and several other sponsors were invited to be Compassion Bloggers, which means they are given the privilege of meeting and hugging the children they sponsor, and they tour all of the Compassion facilities and see how Compassion works in their "children's" villages on a daily basis.  While they are traveling and touring, they blog about their experiences.

The Nester explains it all so much better than I, but please, hang in here, OK?

So Keely The Nester wrote about meeting this beautiful boy that she and her family sponsor.  Follow the link to her post and see for yourself all the great pictures.  The ones below are the ones that grabbed my heart.  These are pictures she took on the way to Topiwo's home.  See?

These are the roof-tops of Topiwo's neighbors' homes.

This is the inside of Topiwo's home.

The Nester explains that before Compassion International found Topiwo's family, they had little, if ANY, food to eat.  Now they have food, and Topiwo has a new faith and a fresh start in life.  This next picture KILLS me.  KILLS ME DEAD.  Look at that. 

These are The Nester's words from her original post entitled "Decorating Truths from a 15-year-old Tanzanian Boy":

 On the outside of the home Topiwo had painted Psalm 23 and then his name and the names of others who live there.

Topiwo lives in a mud hut.

Do you remember how the 23rd Psalm starts?

Did I happen to mention that Topiwo lives in a mud hut? And that his family lives in Tanzania and didn’t have any food until Compassion stepped in? This young man quietly declares his faith and I wondered about what message I am sending people when they walk through my front door? Do I really believe that I have everything I need, or do I immediately launch into declaring what I don’t have and what isn’t good enough as soon as someone walks into my home?--from The Nesting Place, May 10, 2012

Did that grab anyone else's heart besides mine?  Talk about a reality check, right? 

I'm so convicted because I DON'T often invite people to our home because of its many flaws (like paint peeling on the front door, stained carpet, damaged dining room flooring, and I could go on and on....).

However, I should be thankful because we actually HAVE a front door.  We HAVE carpet on the floor.  We HAVE a room used just for the purpose of dining together--at a table.  AND, we have running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, air conditioning, a refrigerator and cabinets full of food, a roof that doesn't leak, and I could go on and on.  And so could you, right?

If "The Lord is my Shepherd," then I should be able to relax and revel in the knowledge that He has provided all that I need.  So what if my carpet isn't as clean or as nice as yours? I have Jesus.  He makes me lie down in "green pastures."  He also "leads me beside still waters."  Most importantly, "He restores my soul."  [Who needs carpet, anyway?]

Lord God, please help me learn a lesson from Topiwo.  Help me rest in the knowledge that as long as my Lord is my Shepherd, I will have everything I need. 

And truly, isn't HE all that we really NEED?

Maybe one day I'll invite you over, and maybe I won't make excuses or complain about my carpet (and door and dining room, etc.)   Instead, maybe we will just sit down for a hot cup of coffee and enjoy talking about how sweet it is to trust in Jesus, our Shepherd.

To read The Nester's own account and see her other pictures of Topiwo, visit http://www.thenester.com/    Her post was written on May 10, 2012, and is entitled "Decorating Truths from a 15-Year-Old Tanzanian Boy."


My understanding of how Compassion Int. sponsorship works is a little fuzzy, but I believe that it is a ministry that provides food, clothing, education, vocational training, and THE GOSPEL for children in poverty-stricken environments all over the planet. Compassion sponsors like The Nester send monthly contributions to aid specific children from specific locations.  Please visit The Nester's blog for a better explanation.