buying bricks

On my first day serving in the community of Swaziland, a small group of us went to visit a gogo (grandmother) whose house had burned down a few weeks before.  We picked her up in our combi, along with her neighbor who had taken her in.  We drove along bumpy roads, mentally preparing ourselves for what we were about to see.  On our drive from the hotel to our church, we were still figuring out the world around us.  The country definitely looked poor and the children we passed on the street, though full of smiles and excitedly waving at us, were dressed in mismatched outfits. 

We got out of the van and walked slowly around the site of the gogo's house.  A structure barely my height was all that was left - all of her possessions were destroyed, the roof was gone, and the whole area smelled like smoke and fire.  She sat down on a rock outside her house, holding hands with her neighbor.  We took pictures, not because we wanted to remember the scene - I am quite confident I will never forget the scene and did not require photos to recall the images to my mind.  We had with us Paula, a staff member from the organization that had brought us to Africa and she was immediately trying to come up with ways for us to help.  The pictures were necessary for her to appeal to the organization for funds. 

Surveying the damage brought tears to my eyes. My emotions took over as we gathered around the gogo and her neighbor and prayed with them.  Prayers of strength for the gogo, prayers of gratitude for the neighbor who had offered the gogo and her granddaughter a place to stay and prayers of hope that we could somehow help. 

Throughout the rest of my trip, I saw more heartache and pain but I never forgot the image of the gogo, holding onto her neighbor, and considering all she had lost.  I emailed Paula upon my return home and said, "How can I help?" She returned my email today and informed that the organization was working with the community to rebuild the gogo's home. She told me I could donate funds directly to the effort if I wished.

I plan to write a check as soon as I get home tonight.  I am lucky that this terrible job of which I complain allows me the financial freedom to do that.  That used to be enough - I used to be content to just "throw money at problems" and hope they go away.  While I preferred action, action from me wasn't always feasible for a variety of reasons.  While I struggle with where I am going next, I am grateful for the check I can write tonight and the bricks that check will purchase.