Farewell Banchigize - We will miss you!

Today I have a young woman on my mind, someone I met on my first trip to Korah.

In 2017, I remember we hopped off the plane and went straight to the soccer field. (Who needs to recover from jetlag, right?!) Our team flooded the field, along with a group of young women anywhere from 12-15 years old. It was a blast. At 8,000 feet elevation, we ran and laughed and had a great time kicking a soccer ball around with these girls. I don’t remember who won, but it didn’t matter.

I cannot think of a better way to build bridges between such different worlds.

There were a couple girls who stood out to me during that time: one of them was Banchigize. She was fun, sporty, and had a sweet shy smile. For some reason I was drawn to Banchigize and her story. Here was a young girl who had sacrificed her own childhood caring for a blind aunt, far away from her own parents. When she entered our “Hope for Korah” Family Empowerment Program, she was excited to get the chance to go to school and soon was an active part of our Youth Program activities.

Soccer was one of her favorites. 

I feel sad to say good-bye, for now. Banchigize has recently chosen to return to the countryside to care for her mother. The pull is strong: to go back to her roots, to meet once again those who brought her into this world. It makes sense, but Banchigize will be deeply missed. She has grown and changed from a young teenager into a young woman. It is time for her to make choices about her own future.

Please pray for this sweet, caring young woman as she returns to her place of origin. Please pray for protection, for Godly influences in her life, for a warm embrace to meet her in the countryside. Please pray that she will be able to continue trusting Jesus with her life and choose Him above all else!

A parting gift for Banchigize - HFK fills a suitcase to the brim!