One of many church orphan homes flooded in 2013

Sometimes, terrible things turn out to be good, or at least, good comes out of terrible things. We had 27 of our church homes flooded this past month, our newly planted rice was in peril, we had more than a thousand cases of pink-eye, hundreds of cases of typhoid and strep-throat, and, we were broke, I’d maxed out my personal means to help. I was wondering, “What have I done to deserve this?”

Facing $120,000 worth of flood repairs, and $80,000 of orphan support payments due on Nov. 1st my bank balance at the close of Oct. 31st was $107.59. It’s one thing to lose a business, or a house, but 3000 kids looking to you for food and shelter when they are knee deep in disease-ridden floodwater? Not fun! And though my burden was light compared to Eisenhower’s, God had me think on his outcome and this gave me hope.