Do you ever think you know the definition of words but in fact have no idea? This happens to me a lot. I often struggle with matching the right word with the right meaning. However, I felt confident I knew the true meaning of Freedom and Resilience. The reality is, I did not.
The dictionary tells us Freedom is the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved, having the right to act, speak, or think without hindrance or restraint. Resilience is the capacity to recovery quickly from difficulties and toughness.
On my recent trip to the Touch A Life Care Center I saw the true meaning of Freedom and Resilience when I met Emmanuel.
I will never forget our arrival at the Care Center. We had been traveling for many hours and as our van pulled up, many kids and adults came to welcome us with open arms. After almost ten minutes of hugs, smiles, and introductions, I stepped back to take in my surroundings. It was in that moment that I realized that I had a child still hugging me. I looked down and saw the warm eyes and smile of Emmanuel.
Over the course of the next couple of days, as I learned more about the great work done at the Care Center, I watched Emmanuel interact with his Touch A Life family. I was overwhelmed by his pure joy, his ability to play, create, and embrace the love shown and offered to him. It was hard for me to understand how he could truly live in this “Freedom” knowing the situation he was rescued from.
So here it is, what you have been waiting for…Emmanuel is living the definition of true Freedom and Resilience. You see, what I didn’t know then, that I know now, is that Emmanuel is one of the four new children who had only called Touch A Life home for about three weeks upon our arrival.
The work that Touch A Life is doing to Rescue, Renew, and Restore doesn’t take years to make a difference it happens almost immediately. These children long for Freedom and truly embrace it. In order to continue this great work we need your help. Join me and together let’s make a difference for Emmanuel, all the Touch A Life children, and those in Ghana who still need to be Rescued, Renewed, and Restored. Find out more about how you can be a part of these beautiful stories.