Losing your husband is tragic. Being left with eight children is almost incomprehensible, but that is what happened to Grace, now aged 40. ‘When my husband died of malaria life became very hard. Feeding my children became difficult. We would go without food.'
Understandably she had questions. ‘I kept asking God, “why me?” I felt like God had rejected me. My life was confused. I didn't go to church.’
Something changed: the local church came to her.
The local church - how they brought about change
Tearfund partner Pentecostal Assemblies of God started to offer fresh, practical and spiritual help to people like Grace. ‘Through it, I learnt about the seasonal calendar – that I can plant crops at a certain seasons for a good year-round harvest,’ Grace explains. ‘This has enabled me to transform my life. I came back and planted three gardens. Before this I was just worried all the time as I knew we needed food but I didn’t know where to start.’
Grace now draws strength from her church community – though life is not easy. ‘What makes me weep is when problems arrive together,’ she says. ‘Sometimes one of my children will be sick and need money for medicine. And another will be sent home from school because they don’t have the right uniform or books. This happens often. When I am feeling so bad the church members come and encourage and pray with me and also given me material assistance, particularly to help the children.’
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