Meeting Henry

Goodness. I was trying not to bounce in the truck seat or squeal through my excitement. I was going to meet Henry Muchingami! When I saw Henry walking towards me, I wanted to run up to him and give him a hug, but what 10 year-old boy wants a girl to hug him in front of all his friends? So I “calmly” shook his hand and introduced myself as his sponsor.

“David Jones?” he asked confused.

“No, I’m Emily. David is my dad.”

After that he didn’t talk much. Cephas said Henry was a bit shocked and overwhelmed (I was too). At one point, Henry’s headmaster was trying to wipe away Henry’s tears before I saw. I was wearing sunglasses, or else he might have seen my tears too. We got some pictures together and I gave him the small gifts I had brought (he smiled really big when he saw the sweets). He gave me a letter he had written to our family and then he returned to his exams. Our meeting was less than 10 minutes (I wish it had been all day), but it made my year and I hope Henry enjoyed it as much as I did! Seeing how much he had grown since his picture (one we have on our fridge) had been taken was amazing, although I shouldn’t expect anything less from a growing boy! I am so thankful that Henry is a part of my life and that our family is able to sponsor him through Hippo Valley Christian Mission.

We began our sponsorship of Henry last year through a program run by HVCM called “Living Proof.” $20 a month is put towards Henry’s education. Very few children in Zimbabwe are able to finish high school due to the school fees, so the Living Proof Program is providing underprivileged children an opportunity to go beyond grade school and high school onto college. This program is changing the futures of children in Zimbabwe. Meeting Henry was a special moment that I will treasure forever, and I know that he will do great things for the Lord. He is Living Proof.