Sophia/Hope

I connected with some beautiful children at Sonrise. One little girl named Sophia touched me deeply. I’m not sure if she has a sponsor or not. She may have a group sponsorship. I think sponsoring one of these beautiful children would be an important part of our tithing. She sat near me in church on Sunday and came up to me yesterday and today and began a conversation. She didn’t ask me to sponsor her. I’m sure they are told not to ask, but there is a real sense of self-worth associated with personal sponsors. I asked Sophia to sign my little notebook so I could remember her name. She passed it around and many children signed. She asked before we left if she could have my pen (again, I’m sure they are told not to ask). I said “sure” and she slipped it out of sight in a second. These children at Sonrise represent the hope of this country. Three languages by the time they leave, among the highest test scores in the country, computer knowledge, etc. When we were walking up to the chapel from the school there were about twenty workers making gravel from large rocks. With hammers. Their arms swung methodically and tiny chips flew from the big rocks. It was to create a gravel road bed. Making little rocks from big rocks. No glasses, gloves or masks. Just swinging a heavy sledge all day long. That is so Rwanda. Sophia was walking by my side. She insisted on carrying my guitar. It was big for her. It banged heavily against her little legs. “That looks like really hard work,” I said as we walked from the school to the sanctuary where Cindy and I planned to do our singing and dancing with the kids. “That is why I am going to school,” she said. “So I don’t have to do that kind of work.” The big rocks had been dumped by the entrance to the school. It was perhaps a kilometer away. Uphill. Women were carrying the big rocks on pads their heads up the hill to where the men were breaking them. Rwanda. The eyes of Sophia shined. She held her head up high as she lugged my guitar case. This little girl will make a difference in Rwanda. So will the others at Sonrise.