topistar :: living in the light of hope

I’ve recently been thinking about joy. The beautiful thing about joy is that it’s not dependent on your circumstances. It’s a choice. When I choose joy, I see with fresh eyes. I see things in the light of hope and not the despair of death. On day one in Jinja, I met people who were choosing to live in joy. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

It was the second home we visited in Jinja and despite the crying baby at the sight of Mzungu skin, everyone was happy to see us. Topistar greeted us and welcomed us into her home like we were family. As soon as everyone was settled in the dark room with the beans drying in the corner, she told us her story. She was widowed over 10 years ago and left with 5 kids and an HIV positive status.

But she rose up from the ashes and embraced life.

With entrepreneurial skills, she started a business of selling vegetables. She’s slowly investing profits from her business to fix up rooms in her home so that she can rent them out and earn more money. Not only is Topistar living life, but she’s creating an inheritance for her kids. She’s teaching them to work hard and that your situation doesn’t have to steal your joy and your hope.

Light of hope or despair of death…I choose hope and joy!