Hope and Inequality

Tonight, I went out to buy some vegetables but arrived too late. The women had already left their stands and the neighborhood grocery store was closed. I had my mind set on a salad, so I decided to buy a carry out salad from the restaurant across the street. The salad cost me the equivalent of 6 US dollars and could have bought me a weeks worth of vegetables for myself. I didn't feel like that was a good use of my money, but at the same time I wanted something healthy. Anyways, on my way back I met a group of women sitting on the sidewalk. A few of them had buckets with onions and other miscellaneous items, it was too dark for me to tell exactly what they had with them. One of them pointed at my salad and asked me for help. We started talking, in my broken French and few words of Wolof, and I began to learn their story. They come into the city, almost everyday, from the outskirts of Dakar to find help for their families. They go around asking for aid or trying to find work. Evidently, I do not fully understand their lives or specific situations, but it made me realize the difficulty people have here just to provide food for their family. I told them I wanted to help them and am going to meet them again next week. Lately, I've been thinking and praying that God would bring women into my life to serve. I don't know if I'll see these women again or how much I'll be able to encourage them. I feel inadequate in my knowledge of the system here and the potential resources available to them. Despite this, I believe God has placed them in my life and would ask for prayer and guidance as I think about how best to serve them. Yesterday, when I was overwhelmed with gifts from home, I was sweetly reminded of the many people who are partnering with me in this ministry. Thank you!