Kenya captured my {heart} Part 6

Tune my heart to sing thy grace. This song Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing comes to my mind when I think back to Shangilia Orphanage. Shangilia Orphanage is a private orphanage and school that is located just outside of Kangemi slum. The children live and attend school at the center.

The minute we walked into their center which is shaped exactly like an “O” you could hear the joy of the children and then we got to see the joy of the children on their faces. They were anxiously waiting for us to arrive! J They couldn’t wait to teach us things, talk with us and play with us. Every afternoon they break into different clubs and we had the privilege of being a part of the clubs! There was an art club, environmental club, skateboarding club, girl’s and boy’s scout club, and music club! And I was placed in the music club. So my college class Music for Teachers exactly came in handy and was used. Emmy and I were asked to teach the children a worship song with motions. Was I ever thankful that Emmy was there!? She quickly thought of a song and motions. We taught “Here I am to Worship”. It was a joy to see these children worship God. We then asked them to teach us a song in Swahili! They laughed and laughed with us as we learned the dance and motions. We sang and danced for an hour worshiping God. His presence was so felt. After about an hour all the clubs gathered together and each club had one person tell what they did in the clubs. Little did we know that we would have to perform our song in front of everyone! Oh, dear! The performance was “beautiful” and then we had the opportunity to teach all kids the song.

 

I think what stood out to me the most while being at Shangilia was the joy that these children had. No matter what their circumstances were/are they were filled with JOY! They count every blessing they have and walk in thy grace of God.

 

Oh, how easy my heart is prone to wander in hard circumstances. Oh, how easy I try to take charge instead of binding my heart to my Savior who lifts my eyes heavenly ward instead of self-ward.  These children have experienced more pain, grief, hardship then I have, but they still choose to express JOY. These children were far more of blessing to me than I am sure I was to them. God used them to minister to my heart and remind me that my JOY can only be found in Him. Yes, my heart is prone to wander, but I pray that it will be sealed for thy courts above! That my eyes will turned heavenly ward and my heart will overflow with JOY no matter what circumstance comes my way.

 

Let’s seek JOY this week in all that we do. No matter what comes our way. Ask God to overflow you with a deep JOY that can conqueror anything!!!! Seek JOY!

Love, Daniella

P.S My mama coming to Korea this week so everything is going to just be great and it is soccer tournament on Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

And here is the whole song if you want to sing it or just read it:

COME, THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING
Robert Robinson, 1735-1790 

Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.