God’s unfailing love

“Life is not easy,” says Gladys, a widowed grandma who is raising six grandchildren, including these two – Sithabisiwe (grade 6) and Azlom (grade 8). Azlom is a diligent student who loves math, and dreams of becoming a dentist. Sithabisiwe, described as “playful” by her grandmother, enjoys studying English and says that her favorite Bible stories are those about the life of Jesus. She hopes to someday become the wife of a pastor.

They are two of the 14 children their local church is supporting through its custom plan, with funds from Forgotten Voices. The community is challenged by a prevalence of grandmothers caring for multiple orphaned children after their parents have either died or abandoned them; a high rate of unemployment; and prominent abuse of alcohol and drugs by desperate young people.

The church is concerned with meeting the physical needs of community members – for example, a special “Deacon’s Table” collection provides needy families with supplemental food… But the pastor also worries about the emotional and spiritual health of children he visits. He puts great thoughtfulness into his family care visits, often taking the time to ask questions such as, “How do you feel with your mother not being here anymore?”