When God Answers A Child's Prayer

I wish you could have seen their faces when the bicycles arrived at the orphanage. One by one they were unloaded from the truck, 18 colorful bikes of different sizes. Could it be true that each one would receive his very own bicycle? When the realization hit them, there were squeals and giggles and laughter. And the most fun of all was trying to ride for the first time. Some of the riding was quite precarious and a few of the older children rode confidently, but regardless of the skill level, there was joy in the camp!

Back in California just over a week before this day of joy at TOA, a friend from Pasadena called me at the Hidden With Christ Ministries office. I was preparing to leave for Tanzania in just a few days. Her husband's 57th birthday was looming and she wanted to get him something wonderful...something meaningful. She told me, "He doesn't need a thing in the world, but he has a HUGE heart for kids and he is a bicycle enthusiast. So... I had this brilliant idea...." She went on to tell me that she wanted to honor her husband by buying all the children at TOA bikes as her birthday gift to her husband. Little did she know that her "brilliant idea" was really an inspiration from God in DIRECT ANSWER to a child's prayer in Africa.

Back in Moshi, Tanzania, twelve year old Rama (top picture on right) was dreaming of having a bicycle of his own. He approached Eli Kiwelu, the Assistant Director of Treasures of Africa Children's Home, and asked him if there was any possible way for the orphanage to buy him a bicycle. Eli gently explained that with the many expenses the orphanage faces each month just to house, feed, clothe and educate all the children, that there was no money for bicycles. But Eli told him the only thing he knew to do was to pray. So together they asked God to provide a bicycle for Rama. About a week later, Rama saw the answer to his prayer come through the orphanage gates in the back of a pickup truck. In amazement, he told Eli, "Now I know God is my father and He really does love me!"

You never know when that little "prompting" in your heart to do something for someone else or to give something for a specific cause may really be the Spirit of God wanting to use you to be the answer to a heartfelt prayer. Don't ignore it! It could change someone's life forever.