i stumbled across pictures on flickr when i searched "Africa". the pictures were of women and children. more specifically, the pictures were of prostitutes and their children. some of the pictures were of orphans who have survived the civil war in Rwanda. these pictures do two things to me: at first look they break my heart into a million pieces. when i look further i see hope and a desire for a better life... a desire to be loved, to fall asleep to anything but the sound of machine guns, to know what peace is and hold onto it for dear life. i have a passion for the people of Africa and it continues to grow everyday. i will go to Africa. I will hug the children of Rwanda. clothe the people of Sierra Lione. look into the eyes of the hurting in Uganda. i will tell them Jesus loves them and so do i. i will wash bare feet and give them shoes.

When Mother Theresa was asked about what it was like to live in poverty and love the lepers of calcutta, she answered with three simple words: "come and see". i believe that we were made to go and see. when Christ said to go out into the world to serve and love people, He meant it. we read and do not act. we talk with great passion, but we sit idle. i want to be different. i want to be revolutionary.

this was written on the walls of an orphanage in Uganda...

"but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of dark."




these are the faces of the hurting. these are the faces of the prostitutes and orphans. these are the faces of Christ.

when i look at these pictures, i no longer see pain and agony. my heart no longer breaks. it continues to beat with a passion to love these people. when i look at these pictures i see beautiful faces, their eyes searching for hope and rescue.

these are the faces of Africa.



she is beautiful.




if you look closely, you can see JESUS written on the wall.




2700 people die every day in Africa from malaria. that's 2 deaths per minute.




He washed us white as snow.




she smiles, even without great reason.





eyes that have seen darkness.





clinging to the only thing they have left: each other.




knees to the earth.