NicolesLetters.org

Last November, Keith and I decided to sponsor a child from Uganda after our friend Nicole returned from Mukuno with hundreds of profiles of children who needed sponsorship. We decided to sponsor one of the very few children who Nicole said was on her “top ten list”. When she pulled out Enock’s photo, I asked her why Enock was on her “top ten list”. She said, because he is one of the older children, 13 years old, and many of the older children have a hard time obtaining sponsorship because they are beginning to outgrow the precious, childlike faces that sponsors are drawn to.

Looking at Enock’s picture, I saw a boy with a story of hardship in his eyes. He looked worn out and worried. He looked like a person, not a child, who had no indication of what card was going to be dealt next. In reading his profile, I learned that both of his parents recently died and he was the oldest of several children being raised by his grandparents. I learned that his one dream in life was to have a sponsor. I learned that he wanted to be a doctor when he finished school.

I knew that sponsoring Enock would be a fulfilling experience not only for Enock, but for myself and for Keith. Keith is an African American man in a different life, experience, and culture; but similar in ambition. I knew that selecting Enock would inspire both Keith and I to be better people, and to look beyond ourselves to see how much so little can really mean to someone with such potential and aspiration.

Just a few weeks ago, I saw another picture of Enock, and a video that Nicole brought home from Uganda for Keith and I to see. Enock looked so happy, and he is such a handsome young man. We really look forward to seeing his faith in God grow, as he continues to live knowing that he will be provided for by two people who he has never met. It is our faith in God, in our different worlds, that allows us to know one another, trust one another, count on one another, and to thank God for our many graces.