My "A-Ha" Moment

Pam holds baby Musa

Bucket brigade building the church . . . fun with a team of friends!

Reflections by Pam Beauvais, Kulea USA Board member

      It is a picture perfect summer day today here in New England. There is a cloudless blue sky, gentle breeze, flowers in full bloom and the garden has begun to yield its seasonal offerings. On this day I strive to slow things down, to savor each moment, and to give thanks to God for this wonderful gift of life. But don’t get the wrong idea. Most days are not like this for me. Too often I am caught up in the tyranny of the urgent, rushing from task to task and getting impatient with everyone and everything that gets in my way. Sound familiar?

     On this particular day I was voicing my frustration to God (yes, we talk often) about a situation that wasn't progressing fast enough for my liking. For four years now I have served on the board of directors for Kulea, and the plight of orphans and vulnerable children in East Africa has deeply tugged on my heart strings. Many of you reading this already know that Kulea’s outreach in Tanzania and Kenya is modeled after a wonderful rescue mission in Uganda called Watoto (www.watoto.com).  The foundational piece of this model is that any rescue effort needs to be borne of an outreach from a local church. This model resonated with me because it has local people helping other local people, and is a very sustainable model. It is also faith based, another important factor to me.

     So why the frustration?  In 2010 Kulea provided funds to purchase land in Chalinze, Tanzania to build our first orphan village. To date, we have drilled a well, installed a pump, have a caretaker and quick house on the property, and the beginnings of a crop of maize. But before the dream of the village can be realized, and in keeping with the Watoto model, we have also committed to help the Chalinze Baptist church replace their mud and stick church with an actual building. And even in Africa, church buildings are expensive. I have been to Chalinze. I have visited in homes there and seen situations that would break your heart. The need for orphan care is urgent. Yet we are building a church, brick by brick. So I inquire of God…“Is this really what you want?” “Shouldn't we be concentrating more on all of those children who are in peril now?”

     And in His gentle manner I can faintly hear Him whisper in my ear, “This church will be a sign of hope for everyone who sees it. They will come and hear about me and know that I see them, that I care about them. Out of this church will come life and hope for generations to come.” Don’t get me wrong; I am still anxious to be about the business of building orphan homes to rescue vulnerable children, to teach them about Jesus and to enable them to grow them up into responsible adults. But on this day I rest contented that God sees, He knows all this and He has a plan. And I am humbled and feel exceedingly blessed to be a part of it.

1. Preparing the church foundation

   

2. Beginning the church walls . . .

3. The walls are going up!

Note from Deborah Brown, Executive Director: 
Visit Africa Teams are forming now to travel to Tanzania in 2014 and continue building on this site as well as to begin building on our land,Ubazi Village. We also have our first team forming for Kulea Kenya!  Sign up today!