Meeting Mercy

I waited all day to meet Mercy, Tabi and I's sponsored child. I felt anxious...what would the meeting be like.
At the end of the day, we walked from the World Vision Koro-bobi office to the largest remaining Internally Displaced Camp in Gulu. There, was Mercy's little hut. Her grandmother was inside and waved us into the hut. There were 5 chairs waiting for us, and there was Mercy hiding in the dark behind the door. There were 4 children there, and at first I couldn't see Mercy because it was so dark. But out she came with BIG eyes watching this white person enter her world.
She was so warm and sweet---and very little. Mercy lives with her grandmother, mother, big brother, and two little sisters, and mom is expecting soon. I gave Mercy the gifts Tabi had picked out for her and showed her on the globe I brought where we lived, and where she lived.

From her letters, I knew she liked to sing. I asked if she would sing me a song. She stood proudly and sang.
One gift we gave her was a jump rope. The children in the camp tie together long pieces of grass and use as a jump rope.
We went out side, and she showed me how she could jumprope.

It was a great meeting although I left overwhelmed by such poverty, and concerned for Mercy's future. I prayed for Mercy before I left and asked God that Mercy would grow up to know Jesus as savior, because Jesus is the only hope she has. Tami