Amazing day! We just finished the workshop. Over 500 children and 200 hundred moms. I have so much to share but feel as if a letter I received today from one of our children pretty much says it all.
“To Excellent President Barack Obama, Hello! I am Faraja Muhigirwa and I would like to tell you somethings. Many greetings to you, your children and your wife. I am Congolese. I would like to tell you that every day our country is troubled by war, but I do not like war in my life. That is why I want to study for my country so as one day I solve my country, the country of my parents.
I like very much my country. I will study for my country, and by the will of God, I will succeed it because there is an expression in French which says, in forgiving one becomes a blacksmith. Dear Honorable President of America, this is what I wanted to tell you. With love, Faraja.”
At first I couldn’t really understand the blacksmith quote, but the more I thought about it during the day and discussed it with our team, I began to realize that Faraja was simply saying, “Forgive others and you will be able to bend steel.”
Big love to Lynne & Sophia Heslov, and the amazing and heartwarming Archer families, for the 300 pairs of shoes that we distributed today. I have enclosed a picture of a little girl receiving her new pink sequin slippers. I will never forget the enormous smile on her face when she was presented with her shiny new shoes.
Peace,
Lysa