A couple of weeks ago, we introduced you to gogo Eliya. She was brought to our attention by one of our ministry partners who lives in the same community. To read the account of our first meeting with Eliya please read the blog entry entitled 'Manna For Eliya'. A few of you were so moved by her situation and generously gave of your resources to help this beautiful saint! Since then, we have been able to pay off Eliya's back medical bills and get her some much needed medical attention for her shoulder. She is still in a sling, but seems to be gaining more mobility and is in significantly less pain. We also have been able to provide food/groceries for Eliya and her grandchildren. A few of our ministry partners spent last Saturday clearing a small garden on her property. It had actually been fenced in, just needed some serious weeding! Thanks to Brandon Jones, another missionary living here in Nsoko for the next several months, for taking the lead on the garden clean-up project! We purchased some gardening tools, seeds, a wheel-barrow and watering jugs so Eliya and her grandchildren can maintain the garden properly. Before too long, they should be harvesting their own fresh produce and (perhaps) be able to sell some to neighbors!

Brandon, our ministry partners and even some of the older boys that hang around the Center, have committed to go back on a regular basis and check in on the progress of the garden. Praise God!

Today, we had the extreme pleasure of presenting Eliya with a wonderful gift! After visiting her last week, we discovered that Eliya was sleeping on a straw mat on the hard dirt floor of her hut. She has to rely on her 12 and 8 year old granddaughters or a visiting neighbor to assist her up to a standing position. With her still healing shoulder, as well as arthritis in her legs and hands, this was a very painful process! We decided that Eliya deserved and needed a more comfortable place to sleep...off the ground! So, using some of the money provided by our wonderful family and friends...Eliya got the surprise of her life this afternoon! She had no idea we were coming, until she saw us walking up the path to her homestead:

 

 

Eliya was happy to see us, but really didn't know what to think of all the attention:

 

 

We greeted her, explained why we were there, and then got to work inside! As you can see, this is no place for a gogo to be resting her tired body at the end of the day!

 

 

NOW!! This is more like it...a bed fit for a queen! Soft, up off the ground, and...pink!

 

 

Celmpilo, one of our ministry partners, helped Eliya inside to check out her new nest:

 

 

As she settled herself down onto the bed, the smile on her face let us know...she loved it!

 

 

YES! Her face lit up the inside of those mud walls...what a beauty!

 

 

What an awesome experience for us; a privilege, really!  Not to mention...Eliya is sleeping in (what she must think) is luxury! Something so simple. A soft bed. Warm. Comfortable. Off of the ground. She would never have asked for such a gift...yet God saw her laying on that hard dirt night after night and decided to orchestrate things in such a way that tonight Eliya sleeps on her new bed, in comfort...and (judging from her amazing grin) JOY! We were so blessed to play our part...thank you to those who listened to the Holy Spirit's prompting and playing your part!

Good night, Eliya! Sleep Tight!