After Nelson Mandela died, I posted this photographic tribute to South Africa .. a land that has seeped into my veins after a decade of sipping Rooibos, stirring pap and attempting to decipher the myriad of cultures that comprise the rich, red soil of that breath-taking country.  The country my children and husband call home. 

Today, an amazing thing is going down in cyberspace.  A ginormous chain is being created, with hands joining from every corner to make one woman’s dream a reality.

Lisa-Jo Baker, blogger, author and believer that every mother should have a superhero cape, has launched a vision to fund a five-stage community project for orphans in South Africa.

Women I’ve come to admire and respect have stepped alongside Lisa-Jo to hold up her arms as Aaron and Hur did for Moses in Exodus 17.  Like pillars of grace, these women are standing in the gap for people they don’t know — all for the glory of God. 

Alia Joy, Tonya S. and Crystal Stine are three such women using their voices to make a difference.

I encourage you to read their contributions to this cause, to see ‘carrots as the new chocolate,’ to ‘refuse to ration your voice,’ to ‘plant a garden,’ and watch the Lord cause it to grow. 

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” ~ 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, ESV

May God indeed cause this garden to grow.