Sarah's heart ........ Zuleika

“It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

Until this experience, I am not sure I ever understood how much I have been walking around like I am so well and that I can fulfill all my needs. But what that says to Jesus is, I don’t need you because I’m righteous. Every experience that we had while in the Dominican continued to break that “righteousness” down to show me that I am insufficient for anyone else especially myself. Never have I been so broken down to understand that the worldly things that we have will never be “enough” because they will go away, but Christ will always fill all of those needs. As we would walk around to villages giving out clothes or food, I had to look at so many little children pointing to there feet and asking me for shoes. All I could do was say, “No lo tengo nada,” “I don’t have anything.” I’m not used to saying that. I always want to fix things and honestly, I am pretty good at it. When I could not do that with the people there, all that was left to turn to was Christ. Then and only then could I truly look into that persons eyes and say, “I do not have shoes, but what I do have will change your life forever and that is Jesus Christ.” Only that will meet the needs of every individual, but I can honestly say I did not believe that until this trip.

One of the children that impacted me the most was this sweet little girl named Zuleika. I actually looked up what her name meant and it is an Arabic name meaning, “fair, brilliant, and lovely.” If I could have used 3 words to describe her those three words would be exactly what I would have used. Interestingly enough, she has beautiful Arabic features which you can see in some of these pictures. I know I have never met a 8 year old girl that had this much passion and care for other people. In those big brown eyes, you can see so much brilliance and thoughtfulness. She immediately clung to me within one of the first days and gave me the best hugs every day. Around the second day, she pulled me aside right before the bus was leaving and held my face making me focus completely on what she had to say and told me that she really wanted to go to school but that her family did not have enough to pay.I cannot describe the look in this child’s eyes when she told me this. It was sincere, it was thoughtful, it was filled with desperation, and love. What little 8 year old girl wants to go to school other than Matilda, the fictional character??? This little girl was telling me with all that she had that more than anything in that moment she wanted to go to school. What a sweet, sweet request. I could not tell her at that moment, yes we will get you to school, but what I could do was practice what I had learned about my insufficiencies and turn to Christ. I asked Zuleika if we could pray about it together and pray that God would provide those needs for her, whatever that meant. So I took her aside before the bus pulled out and we prayed in Spanish. She, with wonderful zeal, would repeat every prayer that I said and after the prayer ended she looked at me and squeezed my neck with what seemed like all the love she had in her. She was not mad that I did not say that I would give her the money, or that I would find a way, she loved and thanked me for praying for her. Zuleika understood that Christ is all that she needed.

I found out later that week that it costs 100 pesos (about $2.87) and a uniform to get into a public school per year. I am happy to say that part of our money that we raised is going to go towards Zuleika’s education. We are hoping to get her into the Christian private school for a better education than the public schools. I know that God will use her desire to be educated to raise her up as a leader within that community. Her thoughtfulness and care for others especially for the younger children is so inspiring. Zuleika, in her brilliance, in her loveliness, and in her fairness will always have a dear sweet place in my heart. She gave me the cross that she made one day in crafts that I will look at daily as a reminder to pray for her and pray that she continues to understand, as I continue to understand, how God is sufficient for my needs. Thank you Jesus that I am a sinner in need of a Savior!

( Addendum by Joelle: The photos above are captured only because we prayed before leaving that the Lord would use this gigantic camera as a blessing, to serve Him. Just that interaction, my happening to be standing there, is such an answered prayer among many. The third photo reveals Zuleika's servant heart, holding the blind baby, who is of no relation to her, simply loving the child and the mother. )