Stored for eight years, a letter inside a personal Memory Book continued to give inspiration and courage to the young girl to whom it belonged. In 2006, Memory Books were delivered to hundreds of Congolese children living as refugees escaping the rebel war of their homeland. Each Sunday hundreds of children, including this young girl, assembled together, often times walking great distances through rainstorms to hear lessons about their worth and purpose. Pastor Iongwa, General Secretary Innocent, and dozens of adults held Memory Book Club every Sunday for eight years, growing to 1400 children - each with their own personal Memory Book telling their story.
Recently, we received a message from a 19-year-old girl who had received her Memory Book in 2006, and had recently graduated secondary school. Inside was the very letter a woman named Izetta had written and placed inside to encourage and inspire whomever the book eventually belonged.
The message from the young girl read like this, “I am remembering a letter I received from Izetta that encouraged me to go far and work hard on my studies…now my little dream seems to have come true.”
A Memory Book may look like a silly idea for children who have such desperate needs in a world of war, poverty, and disease. The words in the letter penned by Izetta may have been difficult to come by, but truly every letter delivered inside a Memory Book can inspire and encourage a child to overcome and achieve their dreams.