Dive into this inspiring story and discover how a miraculous change in Leah’s life creates a ripple effect. Now her daughter Beatrice is on a brand new trajectory of hope and celebration because of the care, love, and support friends like you helped set in motion. You can read Leah’s full story (“When Love Comes Home”) at empoweringlives.org/love.
This story is based on real events and circumstances. The names have been changed for privacy purposes. Special thanks to Lydia Ho for her beautiful illustrations, to the World Changers in East Africa, and to you for investing the time to read, share, and support these stories of hope-filled transformation that are being multiplied in families and communities throughout Africa.
If only, Beatrice thought to herself as she walked the dirt road to her family’s small home. If only I could go to school with the other children in the village. village. Beatrice dreamed of attending school, but it was not an option for her. She and her siblings spent their days helping their mother with her business instead. They collected water from the river a couple miles away and were responsible for stirring Mom’s boiling pots of smelly, yucky liquid. As Beatrice neared the door, she heard her mother moving around inside. “Uh, hello, Mother,” Beatrice humbly greeted her. “Beatrice, I’m leaving,” her mother, Leah, said. Beatrice watched as her mother stuffed her belongings into a small bag. Panic rushed through her veins. “It won’t be for very long. I’ll be gone less than a week. I know that I’ve never done anything like this before, but I’m going to meet the people who helped our neighbor Betty. I need you to be responsible and take care of things. Beatrice, if there’s an emergency, your aunt is available, and maybe your father will show up soon.” Leah continued, “Tuck these three dollars away to buy something for you and the others to eat before you go to bed at night. Only use it if you absolutely must. There is no more.” Beatrice felt unsure about the week ahead as she watched her mother climb into a taxi and disappear around the bend.
Later that evening, Beatrice’s father, Peter, stumbled home. She worried about him. Is he sick? she’d wonder. And why does he always smell so bad? He often fell asleep outside in the bushes. Sometimes he would disappear for two or three days before he came home. Tripping through the doorway into the house, Peter lost his balance and grabbed a small cupboard, knocking it to the ground. Shattered pieces of pots and cups scattered across the small living space. The noise startled Beatrice, whose conditioned response was to pick up her father’s mess. “Where is your mother?” he demanded. “I’m not sure, but she should be back soon,” Beatrice’s voice trembled. With a suspicious look on his face, her father scoffed. “She probably got herself arrested and dragged to jail again.” Furious, he grabbed himself a cup of “medicine” and stumbled back outside. A few of his village friends were waiting for him. “We’ll have to find somewhere else to drink tonight. My wife is away.” Beatrice cautiously let out a deep sigh as the disappointed group wandered off to find another home that might have what they wanted.
Four days had passed since Mom left. Beatrice walked down the road toward the local school. Students running on the field during recess caught her eye, so she sat under a tree to watch. She gazed longingly at them, imagining herself making up games with new friends. She dreamed of reading and doing math, learning all sorts of new things. Then a familiar hopelessness filled her heart. She was too busy working at home every day to make time for school. Her mother was away, she was hungry, and the small amount of money she had was almost gone. What if Mom never comes back? Beatrice worried. What will I do? How will I take care of my brothers and sister? How will I care for our home or find a way to buy food? How will I...? The sound of laughter snapped Beatrice out of her thoughts. Across the road, a gathering of schoolgirls pointed at her, making fun of her torn clothes and bare feet. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Beatrice jumped up and ran away. I won’t ever be able to go to school! She felt overwhelmed knowing that her siblings woke up hungry every morning and there was no food to give them. Beatrice found a quiet place to be alone as her tears began to flow.
On her way home, Beatrice thought more about her mother’s work. She found it strange that her mother provided “medicine” for dozens of men. Drinking this liquid didn’t seem to make them feel any better. They acted bizarre and often fell asleep on the ground, leaving Beatrice and her siblings uneasy and frightened in their own home. Beatrice wondered if there was something else her mom could do to make money. Maybe I could help Dad, Dad, she thought, hopeful the help would end the constant fighting between her parents. Who am I kidding? What can a young girl do to fix grown-up problems? Will things ever change? That evening Dad angrily burst through the door. “Where’s my dinner?” he scolded. Beatrice looked at the small amount of rice and beans left in the pot, the last of what she’d bought with the money Mom had given her. She hadn’t eaten yet, but she knew if her father kept drinking on an empty stomach, things would get worse. So she dished up the remaining amount. He snatched the bowl and stormed back outside. Beatrice looked at her brothers and sister who had stopped eating. She watched as they scraped a few bites together and offered it to her. Looking at the half-eaten food, tears welled up in her eyes. Beatrice was not crying because she was hungry but because of the love her siblings had shown her. “I love you,” she told them as she ate the few spoonfuls of dinner.
The following afternoon, Beatrice was trying to figure out how to get more food without any money. She was really scared. Then she heard a familiar voice . . . “Children! Come out here—HURRY!” Beatrice couldn’t believe her ears. Is that Mom? Her anticipation grew . . . but then she got nervous. The voice sounded different. The children cautiously peeked their heads out the front door. There stood a woman in the bright blue dress Mom had left in, but this woman wore a big smile on her face and had a sparkle in her eye. Her nails were even painted a soft color. “Hello, my children!” Mom exclaimed, as she burst into laughter and opened her arms to them. “Is this our mom?” Beatrice questioned. She was so confused. This can’t be our mother. But that voice, those eyes—it is our mom! Mom looked so different. Even her smile was something Beatrice had never seen before. “Come here and let me give you a big hug,” Leah said to her children. They looked at each other with wide eyes as they began giggling with joy. Then all four ran toward their mother, wrapping themselves around her in a huge embrace.
“You children come with me,” Mom directed. Leah led them behind their house where many bushes and weeds had grown tall. There she lifted up a piece of dirt-covered wood to reveal a large hole in the ground that had six five-gallon containers hidden inside. “Help me lift these out of here.” The children obeyed and then dragged the full containers to a nearby ditch. Upon removing the lids, all four of them gagged. “BLEGH!” This stuff is so gross, Beatrice thought. Who would want to drink this? “Now, help me pour it all out!” Mom exclaimed as she turned a large container over and watched the liquid run down into the dirt. Beatrice noticed her mother’s straight face lift into one of pure joy as the five of them poured every drop of the illegal alcohol into the ditch behind their tiny house. Then they witnessed her do something they had not seen for years: she spoke to God and prayed a powerful prayer!
Walking back toward the house, Beatrice was stunned by what had just happened. A mix of emotions remained. “But Mom, isn’t selling your medicine how you make money to buy food?” “That is how I used to make money to care for all of us but not anymore. I have been shown a new way. I now know God is with me, so I will never make that terrible stuff again! “My new friends taught me new skills while I was away. I now know how to grow a healthy vegetable garden in our small space. I also learned how to raise chickens and build an oven to bake delicious bread we can sell at the local market. And if all those things don’t make us enough money right away, I will take my hoe and go work on our neighbors’ fields. I promise you: I will work hard so you are fed and can also go to school. Things will not be easy for a while, but if we all work together, guided by God, we can have a better life.” Beatrice was thrilled, every ounce of anxiety gone. “Can we really go to school? We will help you, Mother!” she exclaimed. “We can learn how to do these things too!”
After another hug for their mother, the children wanted to get started right away. So they used whatever they could find to dig a small garden patch. As she was digging up chunks of earth, a sudden fear came over Beatrice. She went to her mother and quietly asked, “What about Dad? Won’t he be angry that you won’t be making his medicine anymore?” “Probably,” Leah replied. “But you let me worry about that. Let us love him and pray for him. I believe that he will find Jesus again too. Beatrice, I want to explain something to you.”
As Beatrice and her mother worked side by side, Leah shared with her daughter. “During the training I remembered the time we used to go to church and worship God. Do you remember how we would often talk about Jesus? How we felt as if He was walking alongside us, guiding us through life? Do you remember living this way when you were a little girl?” Beatrice nodded her head, remembering when things were like that in their home. Her mom continued, “I lost sight of Jesus and became very lost. But now I have been found, forgiven, and set free! I praise God for my new friends and the wonderful people at the ELI training center I went to last week. What I learned was wonderful and has the power to change our future.”
Three months later . . . Beatrice couldn’t believe how different her mother was. Leah had opened a small shop to sell vegetables, eggs, bread, and other items she was growing and baking. Many members of the village—neighboring women, the local pastor, and even the village chief—saw the changes in her life and family and now asked her many questions. Leah used these opportunities to teach her community about different projects and business ideas. Beatrice felt proud to be her daughter.
One of Mom’s new friends, Ruth, brought immense encouragement to both Leah and Beatrice. Ruth was once famous for the alcohol she produced. But she left that lifestyle after learning from ELI how to start successful businesses. Now she too spent much of her time educating women about new ways to support their families instead of brewing illegally. Beatrice was inspired by Ruth’s strength, her confidence, and how she stood firm in what she believed. Lord, help me to be like Ruth when I grow up, up, Beatrice prayed. She could see her mother becoming more and more like Ruth too as Ruth was mentoring her.
A few weeks later, Beatrice was sitting at a school desk still feeling overjoyed. Just a few months ago, this opportunity was simply a dream. By the work of an ongoing miracle, she was in a classroom, wearing a real school uniform. I love my new shoes, and this shirt is so clean and white. And look how nice . . .
“Beatrice—BEATRICE!” her teacher called, awakening her out of her thoughts again. Some of the children giggled as Beatrice’s face blushed with embarrassment. “The headmaster of the school wants to see you.” Beatrice’s heart pounded as she walked toward the office, not knowing what this was about. Her mother was standing there in her pretty blue dress, along with her friends Betty and Ruth and someone else Beatrice didn’t know. As they entered the office, the headmaster explained. “Beatrice, this is Mr. Dennis. He and others from ELI helped train your mom a few months ago. He has shared that the ELI staff would like to host a special event for the school children later this year. There would be games, arts and crafts, skits, special testimonies about God’s love, and even a movie. Do you think your classmates would enjoy that?” “Yes! I think everyone would love that!” Beatrice answered, unable to contain her enthusiasm. Ruth stepped forward. “Beatrice, you have done a fabulous job working alongside your mother as she helps train different village families. You have shown true leadership skills in the community and in church youth group. We would like to ask you to help lead this event. What do you think?” Beatrice couldn’t believe her ears. What an honor to be able to help with such an exciting, important event. I’m becoming a leader just like Mom. “Yes! I would love to!”
The Empowering Lives team called the day “Give a Child a Chance.” Beatrice loved that name! The past two months had been a busy time of planning. Not only had Beatrice overseen making the event announcements and distributing them at school and the local village homes, but she also shared about it with several local churches and Sunday schools. She gathered a group of her new friends to help prepare the school field, clearing it of sticks and large rocks and filling up any holes so nobody would get hurt while playing games. Beatrice also worked very closely with the ELI team planning the crafts and games and creating a fun skit to present to the crowd.
When the special Saturday arrived, the team was excited to welcome the children. At first only around 45 kids showed up. But within the hour, they counted over 340! What a turnout! Beatrice led the games for each group as they came through. “Duck, Duck, Goose” proved to be a favorite. After a wonderful skit and Bible lesson, Beatrice was honored to lead a small group of kids her own age to discuss what they had learned. She invited many kids to Sunday school, and the following day there were 13 new children—in her church alone! It was such an exciting weekend! After the day was over, Beatrice couldn’t wait to plan the next one.
Later that year . . . Beatrice completed her final exams. She did very well, ending the school year with a B average. Beatrice also helped with two more special Saturday events—each one bigger than the last. At the end-of-the-year assembly a Kenyan senator joined them to give the main speech. He awarded Beatrice a medal for being an excellent student leader.
Beatrice stood among her peers, honored and grateful. As she looked at the crowd cheering for her, she noticed a special person beaming with joy—her dad! Seeing the transformation in his wife and home, Peter had asked if ELI could help him make some changes too. He wanted to feel the same joy he saw growing in his family. I can’t stop smiling! Beatrice radiated. She had worried her father would never change, but now his progress—no matter how slow—filled her heart with limitless hope.
As Beatrice and her family walked home that day, they took a shortcut through the avocado trees her father had recently planted. Her heart soared as she thought about the food and income they would someday provide. She was so proud of her father’s new desire to work instead of drink! After those initial months of drastic improvement, things had not slowed down. A few months ago, the trainers from Empowering Lives visited their family again and invited Leah to join the “Team of Change.” Now Mom and her cohort, which included 11 others, spent their time sharing knowledge and ideas in business, agriculture, and leadership with families around the village, igniting them to become World Changers. The cohort served as a catalyst for the change the community so desperately needed.
Beatrice would sometimes tag along and watch the younger kids while the cohort worked with parents. She knew these families needed God’s love, and it blessed her to have a small part in bringing change to her community. She felt joy in so many areas of her life now: going to school, becoming a leader, having her family back together. Hope was on the rise!
Beatrice’s home, which was once filled with fear, worry, anger, and sadness, now brimmed with trust, happiness, growth, and love. Her family continued to learn how to work together. The small house that had been a brewing den began to feel like a home where Beatrice could thrive. But then Beatrice’s heart grew heavy. She recently learned that Bernard, a boy she knew in her village, and Beth, a young girl around the bend, had both lost their parents. Their parents died because their addictions to alcohol led to weak bodies and malnourishment. She couldn’t imagine the pain these kids were going through, and it broke her heart. She offered these burdened thoughts to the Lord: Oh God, my heart is hurting for Bernard and Beth. Their lives were so hard even with their moms and dads, and now they are orphans! Please be near them. Thank you for the training my mom attended and for saving my family because I could have been an orphan too. Please help me see how I can help Bernard and Beth. There is so much sadness, loss, and pain. Show us a way to be a family to them so they don’t feel alone and hopeless. Teach us all as a community how to take care of those who have lost parents and are alone. Help our village also learn how to empower more families who are struggling so there will be fewer orphans in our village and world. Amen.
Life was so different now for Beatrice and her family. Each day, before and after school, the entire family pitched in with the chores. Beatrice was responsible for working the compost pile and tending the “live fence” which kept the goats out of the garden. Everyone worked together because the chickens needed to be fed, eggs collected, weeds pulled, and a fire started in the big brick bread oven. There was a lot to do, but as a family they built a new future with God’s help. On market day, instead of selling the freshly picked produce and delicious smelling bread from their shop, they walked together to their nearby village center to sell at the open market. It filled Beatrice’s heart with joy to see her mother’s broad smile. Mom clearly loved providing food to her neighbors while earning income for their family.
Beatrice was learning so much about life, leadership, and living as a child of God. She was incredibly thankful that Mom had gone to ELI all those months ago. What Leah learned and brought back home had changed her life, her family, and now the neighbors in the village too! The part that Beatrice loved the most, though? Wherever life would take her, she knew she could carry on the work her mother and the others in the cohort had begun—with Jesus always by her side. That was the greatest blessing of all!
Beatrice was on track to becoming an orphan. The hopelessness produced by poverty was rampant in her home. But when love steps into her mother’s life, the miracle multiplies in ways Beatrice could have only dreamed.
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