Balama Girl

I live in Balama, Mozambique,

It's a pretty large village comparatively

Yet dirt is still the substance of our main street.

Compared to you I must have nothing,

But can you see the joy in my smile and in my eyes?

May this serve as a reminder -

That joy comes not from the external

But from “He who dwells inside!”

(See Ephesians 3:16-17 )

This drawing was the 3rd and final one I did while attending Iris Ministries Holy Given International School of Missions in Pemba, Mozambique during the summer of 2006. As part of an overnight outreach I traveled to the village of Balama in the back of a large truck. It is approximately 260 km from Pemba with the final 1/3 being traveled on dirt roads. To draw this picture I looked at her image in the 1.5” x 2” screen on the back of my camera.