Monday and Tuesday we went to the Neema house. Sunday night, we spent some time in prayer asking for God to bless our time with these women and ease our interaction with them. And let me tell you, the days were beyond blessed. God is faithful to answer. We met Olivia, Catherine, Elizabeth, Rebekah, Metrin (Mrembo), and Sharon. They are beautiful. Olivia is the most recent addition to the Neema house and she is flourishing there. We also met Joanne, Janet, and Joyce who are the teacher, house mom, and seamstress.
The night before we made our first visit we were told that the girls are very shy and not to be surprised if they didn't welcome us in with open arms. That night as we prayed together our hearts were encouraged and refilled for the following day. And do you want to know how God answered our prayers? They literally welcomed us with arms that were wide open!
Isaiah 60:1
"Arise shine for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
60:3
"Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn."
We came from the US to their light. Before we came to Kenya, I was reading my bible and read Isaiah chapters 60-62 and the Lord was telling me all throughout that these verses were promises to the girls of Neema. The Lord is clothing these women with a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair! These women were taken from the streets where they were made to believe that their lives and their bodies were worth little to nothing. A little over a year ago, the first girls were brought into a house of grace (that is what Neema means in Swahili). Now "Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land and everlasting joy will be theirs." These young women are learning to speak English and are doing very well but communication is still difficult. Nevertheless, the Lord has called them beautiful and that word we have all learned to translate - "Mrembo" They respond with a giggle and shy "thank you" to this praise, but I believe that they know it is truth. I pray that they do and that it is the Lord who is speaking it to them.
Isaiah 62:2-4
"The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married."
Hephzibah means "my delight is in her" and the Lord delights in his daughters of grace. We have been blessed to meet and spend time with these women and we pray that their hearts will be encouraged by our company as our hearts have been encouraged by theirs. We plan to see the Neema girls again this week. Thursday will be another day to play and build relationships and friday we are having a joint baptism and then ending the day with lunch in town. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, this trip and everyone on it has been abundantly blessed. Please, continue to pray!
Hebrews 13:21
...may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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