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Refugee mother and son find Hope!

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PRECIOUS FREEMAN and her 10 yr. old son Maxwell, waited patiently,  as we met with countless people from the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana.  Everyone had their desperate story.  Finally Precious ventured to ask, “when will it be my turn to receive prayer”?   I answered, “When everyone else is gone, come to my room”

     

Precious in her room across from the camp.       Maxwell & Precious one year later back in Liberia

I will never forget that night, when Precious came to our little hotel room, across from the camp.  It was the night she met Jesus, when “Everything changed!”  Precious, like many others, fled from Liberia, during the tragedies of the civil wars.   She vowed, ” I will NEVER go back to that God forsaken land, Liberia, where the rebels killed  my mother and my father!”  Precious left our room that night, with a new found hope.  Her face was literally glowing!  I too could feel the peace, and the presence of God everywhere in the room!  I knew from that moment on, Precious and her son, would always be part of our ever-growing Liberian Family!  The next morning, she  met me still smiling!  She could hardly wait to share her heart.   “Usually I go to sleep, and  sleep small.  Then I wake up and I worry, HOW WILL WE MAKE IT?  Last night I slept ALL NIGHT LONG!!  and the PEACE, IT IS STILL WITH ME!”  Maxwell was not in school.  Every day he would go about looking for food.  His mother had a low paying job at the Hotel we stayed at, across from the refugee camp.   We bought her a bag of rice, put Maxwell to school and bought him a new uniform, black shoes and a book bag.   Today he is one of the top students in his class!

  

Maxwell having chicken dinner with Mama Karen                   Sitting on their bed in Liberia

It was so much fun inviting Maxwell to dinner.  “Tell Maxwell he doesn’t have to go looking for food tomorrow, I am inviting him to have dinner with me!”  I ordered him the biggest plate of chicken and rice,  possible.   I whispered, “You don’t have to finish it, we will package what you can’t eat, and you and mama will eat that later tonight”   I always remember the words of Mother Teresa, “IF YOU CAN’T FEED A HUNDRED PEOPLE, THEN FEED JUST ONE”

  

Today with a MICRO LOAN,  Precious Freeman has been able to run a successful food stand outside her home.   She has managed to enroll herself in a vocational school where she is taking a 2 yr. course in Business Management and Accounting.   With her profits, Precious is starting to build herself and Maxwell a  house!

 

Brick by brick, with her little profits, Precious will buy another few bags of cement, so the brick layers can continue to build.  However long it takes, I know she will finish.  “Precious, I am so proud of you!!”  “Whatever your hand finds to do, I know you will prosper, because God is with you!”