The Story

Hey All,

So these past weeks have been a waiting game. I have been praying about what to do, where I am going, and how to accomplish these things God has laid on my heart. The reason for all this praying is because God has been stirring my heart. Literally. I feel it. Its hard to breathe sometimes and thats how I know God wants me to stop and be still in his presence. As these moments have come, I felt led to type my story. The one that started with my first sponsorship and led me to where I am now.

In sixth grade I sponsored my first child. I was passing by a compassion booth at a youth conference and found a young girl named florence. I remember her eyes, they told a lot about her. I saw pain. Something I did not understand. So I sponsored her, without asking my parents. I just decided that it was something I should do. So I took her picture, filled out the form, and gave the lady the $30 my dad gave me to buy t-shirts and things. That began my affair with Florence and Africa. I was given an opportunity with two of my friends to present her picture to the class and read her letters that she wrote me. That in itself was a blessing. I was able to tell the Jr high about this child! I fell in love with the thought of Africa, I googled pictures of Rwanda and sucked up all the information I could get about it. I thought, in my little sixth grade mind, I am going to go to Africa one day.

Fast forward to Junior year, God was stirring my heart again. He does this usually at night. I lay my head on the pillow and I am wide awake. Then I am like, OK God what do you want to tell me. He usually shows me some pictures in my head. All I saw were t-shirts. I felt that I should design something to raise money. I had no idea what it would be for or what the shirts would look like. So I prayed about it for a while. It took a few months of thinking and praying for me to actually get a design down. I asked a friend to draw out a picture of a small village lit up by the moon with some hills in the back. That is all I saw in my head. That is what God gave me.

A few weeks later I went to a girls night in at my church. There was a woman and a man that performed a skit. This was to bring awareness to us little girls about the prevalence of sex trafficking. Boom that was it! God wanted me to give the money to them! Fast forward a few weeks and I sat down with them over coffee. They showed me some pictures, but what stood out to me was one picture. The exact same vision God gave me of the moon lit village. He was confirming the lead I took for him. As if to say "Child, this is my plan for you. Follow me."

So the t-shirts went and many people were able to hear about Gods loving ways. The ways he leads his children and cares for each of us. Family members held a garage sale and raised an extra $800 for me. All of this from one vision that God so generously gave me that one night. I raised about $3000 for Kenya.

My dad approached me with an opportunity to continue his organization in my name. He saw in me what God placed in me, a passion for "the least of these." I started the organization under the name my father gave it "The Samaritans of Mokena", and presented One Light with a check. This is how the organization started. From the picture of a little girl, to donating enough money to place a roof on a school, God had a plan.

Taking this full circle to now... the waiting game I was in recently. I now have been to Kenya and the Czech Republic and will be returning to Kenya again in May. I cannot tell you how in love I am with those people and the place. Yet, I know that I still have much to accomplish through God for the organization. I transitioned it to have its mission "To be on the front lines of abolishing human trafficking by restoring Gods children." I know that I need to change the name to fit this new mission. I have been waiting for what to do next. How can I start to accomplish this goal of fighting against trafficking? I still do not know what to do, but he is working and encouraging me through his people. Thank you for the prayer because I feel it and see it working. God has been showing me glimpses in his timing of what to do next and where this is going. So thank you all so so much for the support. Its overwhelming and I cannot help but thank our father for this all.

To those of you who have donated to my next trip to Kenya, THANK YOU! You are so generous and supportive. I cannot do it without you. If you would like to donate, please write a check out to The Samaritans of Mokena and send it to: 11646 Kluth court, mokena, Il.

XOXO,
        Maddie