Mary

This was written by Polly. I added a few pictures I had taken of Mary's work. Tina

Mary lives just outside the NEGST property with her children. She came from the Sudan as a refugee. She has nine children of her own, one of whom is still missing. In addition, she's taken in three orphans. Mary is amazing. Her business is rolling beads from magazines to make beautiful jewelry to sell. She not only supports her family, but uses her ministry to help single mothers with AIDS and Nairobi street boys. She openly and willingly teaches them how to roll the beads and pays them for their work. She's got such a strong ethic, requiring that they commit to learning skills and working hard. No handouts, as that doesn't help them help themselves. But she's always willing to share her last shillings to have juice or lunch for them when they come to bring her the beads or roll them.

Mary is friends with a woman here at NEGST, Christy, who is our on campus contact for vacation Bible school. Christy told us that Mary was worried this month about how she would be able to the next tuition payment for her children (three are currently in school), as all the Christmas orders for beads had been filled and January was a slow selling month. So, we had Mary come to show us her beads. They're beautiful!!!!! She has a gift for taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary. We bought lots of jewelry from her. I wanted to keep buying just so that I could help her as much as possible.

When I had made my purchases, I paid her. My purchases had come to 3,850 Kenyan shillings, about $50. I gave her 4,000 shillings and said, "No change." She looked me in the eyes and took my hand and said, "It's time to pray." We joined hands, Mary, her friend Florence and three of my teammates, and she prayed for us. I was so profoundly humbled. Mary, who is a Sudanese refugee whose husband was murdered in front of her and her children, who was cut by knives by rebels, who came very close to starving to death, who has nine children and a heart for helping those who have nothing … she prayed for us and thanked God that He has brought us to Kenya in her time of financial need when she'd been praying about how to buy food for her family. Mary, who loves the Lord, depends on him wholly to provide for her, who even lived in a church (God's house) when she had no home of her own. Mary, who believes in "sucking it up" (my words, not her's, although I think you get the picture) and depending wholly on God. Mary, who opened her heart to us to share her story of oppression and survival. Joyous, laughing Mary, prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God. That's a powerful prayer, my friends. I'm privileged and honored and humbled to have met her.



The women of the team looking at Mary's beads.