HOPE in the DARK

Stephanie gave me this amazing book full of photographs from Africa and quotes that go along with them. The photographs are by Jeremy Cowart and they are simply stunning! 

Here are some of the phrases I read that stood out the most:

"When Jesus commanded us to care for the widows and orphans, He wasn't speaking in metaphor. He really meant it. In Africa, that's the greatest thing anyone could do."

"In this world, God has given us the gift of choice. Injustice threatens to take it away. They can drink the filthy, bacteria-ridden pond water or drink nothing. Clearly, that is no choice at all."

"When she gave birth to an HIV-positive child, she named the baby 'No HOpe,' for there was none. The mother's life was an isolated tragedy of stigma, abandonment, and fear. But her community began to shower love instead of judgment, support entered into the darkness of the pain, and hope made itself present. She has changed the name of her child to 'Jesus is my hop'."

"Everybody smiles in the same language. And for that, I am so thankful."

"There's something incredible about African skies. It's as if God said, "I have so much beauty to give to my world. And I'm going to shower it on this place because I can."

"She told me once that most women have several children with the expectation that at least half of them will die before they grow up. She had ten children. Only five remain. Though the pain of loss is severe, knowing that they are in God's hands comforts her, and she praises God for those she still has."

"You know something is deeply wrong with the world when you meet a mother who prays that her babies will die before her. As an HIV-positive widow, Pamela's biggest fear is that she will die and no one will be left to care for her three children. Despite the battle for survival, Pamela has worked with her community to bring a well to the village. So perhaps if they do live, they can have a better life."

"If you want to know the pulse and strength of Africa, spend a day with the women of a village... the women are the stability of Africa. They will carry the buckets upon their heads, touch the wounds of the sick, accept the burdens of helping the village survive- and all the while, they will be singing praises to God."

"Hope makes itself known in different forms..."

"...In Africa, His people never dance alone"

"If I've learned anything from my time in Africa, it's that thought the suffering is overwhelming, so too is the hope."

*incase you didn't read my comment for this picture, I burned my thumb for this picture. Just so you know