Our last group of travelers returned this morning.  Yesterday was a glorious celebration of the 60^th birthday celebration of St. Monnica’s Parish in Midrand where Fr. Xolani is now the rector.  The 3-hour service was capped with planting of trees to honor current and former rectors of the parish.

We boarded later that evening for a 16-hour flight to Atlanta and then home to Nashville this morning.  I’ll post more stories this week as I sort through pictures, but we have one question in our minds:

“How will we know that we made a difference?"

The easy answer is to talk about the family of five that has a new washing machine, a lovely yard with flowers and grass to make their house a home and full pantry and freezer of food.  Maybe it is the extension of the vegetable gardens to grow potatoes, adding a third area of sustainable growth for the feeding scheme. Perhaps it is new activities for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, or discussions with new schools.  But, these are all material things of this world.

"But, how will we really know that we made a difference?"

"If we increased their faith in God,

If we gave them hope for a better tomorrow,

If, by our actions and our words, we demonstrated to them how much God loves them, and,

If they continue to feel God's presence even after we are gone."

Then, we will know that we really "made a difference."

Blessings,

Agatha