My Name Was Charity, Until Jesus Called Me Queen
(5 votes, average: 4.80 out of 5)
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My mother died and I never knew my father.
I was insolent, arrogant, and completely out of control.
I had nowhere to go, until Maggie took me in.
My name was Charity, until Jesus called me Queen.
Poverty needs an eternal solution.
It’s a problem that seems overwhelming—too big to really make a difference.
But a difference is possible.
Meet Queen, born Charity, a 13 year-old orphan from Ghana, born into abject poverty:
She was nearly eleven—too old to be registered in Compassion’s child development through sponsorship program under normal conditions. But this girl’s conditions were anything but normal. Her mother was dead, and no one ever knew her father. She lived with her mother’s sister, a widow with seven children of her own and no job.
Her name was Charity, a child registered in the Saint Peters Methodist Child Development Centre in Ashaiman, one of Compassion’s more than 90 church partners in Ghana.
Behaviour problems are not uncommon for new children at a project, but Charity was different. She was insolent and arrogant. She would steal. She would disappear, only to return home days later without explanation. No amount of care and correction seemed to help. She was completely out of control.
Charity eventually stopped coming to the Compassion project altogether. The staff’s persistence led to the discovery of the young girl’s whereabouts: Her aunt had sent her away to work for a stranger—a situation that put her at risk of abuse, exploitation and neglect. They pleaded with the girl’s aunt, who eventually agreed to bring the girl home, and Charity returned to the project.
It didn’t last long.
Charity was missing again, sent to live with a relative in Afienya, about 32 km away from Ashaiman. Maggie Daitey, the project’s social worker, went in search of Charity, who was no longer attending school; no one was willing to pay her school fees. Maggie found a school in the community, paid the fees in full and Charity resumed school. Her relative even agreed to let Charity attend the Compassion project every Saturday, which she did.
Until she disappeared a third time.
Charity had stolen some money. Her crime had been discovered and facing the threat of being sent to the police, she ran away. Maggie urged the family to help look for Charity, but her relatives bluntly told her that they wanted nothing to do with her. If this nuisance of a girl was ever found, she was not welcome in their home.
Three weeks later, she was found in critical condition, badly injured by a fall from a third story balcony. True to their word, her relatives refused to take her in, instead sending her to Compassion. She was welcomed with open arms and immediately sent to the hospital. At that moment, Charity’s life began to change.
This girl needed a home and a family. Finding these proved easy. Maggie and her family took her in, where they devoted the first week to prayer and fasting, trusting that God would reveal His plans for the troubled girl.
As she prayed, Maggie kept getting the impression that she needed to change Charity’s name. “I felt that Charity [was] a good name so I didn’t take it seriously,” Maggie recalls. But the feeling persisted. “When we gathered as a family to pray. . . I asked God, ‘What name do you want me to call her?’ The response was quick and clear. ‘Call her Esther. She is a queen—Queen Esther.’ I announced to the family her new name. We prayed for Queen . . . and she accepted Christ as her Lord and Saviour that day.”
Charity—now Queen—is living up to her name. This once insolent and arrogant young girl is now very respectful and humble. Her peers are eager to be close to her, and younger children are eager for her attention.
“I do not do those bad things that I used to do because I now belong to Jesus. I know that He loves me and He feels hurt if I sin. I do not want to hurt Jesus. I [want to] be good and he helps me all the time,” says Queen.
She has hope, a plan for the future as a fashion designer, and the help she needs to make it a reality. Three years ago, this would not have been her life. But today, Queen, truly, is a new person.
“[Queen’s] own family denied her what she needed most,” says Maggie. “What she needed most was [our] prayers and the love of Jesus. That is what we gave her.”
by Vera Mensah-bediako, Compassion Ghana with Aaron Armstrong, Compassion Canada
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March 11th, 2010 at 2:47 PM
[...] My name was Charity, until Jesus called me Queen Originally published at TheDifferenceisJesus.com [...]
March 12th, 2010 at 12:56 AM
What a wonderful story to bring home the truth that the difference truly is Jesus! Praise God that He continues to change lives, no matter how messed up they are. Keep up the great work, Compassion, and know that your labor is not in vain. Your reward in Heaven will be measured by the numerous lives you have touched… and not just the sponsored children. Blessings upon you all.
March 13th, 2010 at 11:39 AM
I want to tell you how thrilled I was to read this is the Maclean’s commemorative Olympic issue. WOW the testimony for Jesus! The thousands upon thousands that will read it -He changes lives. This is where God is at work, I get goose bumps thinking about it. This story puts compassion at the top of the list for working for righteousness and Justice together. Jesus be Praised for your relevant witness in Canada. Glory to God. Thank you Compassion for being faithful.
March 21st, 2010 at 2:20 AM
Hiya from Argentina! I have found your article on alltheweb. Useful content! Jessica A. Wheeler x
March 24th, 2010 at 10:34 PM
I stumbled upon your site while on Bing and I have to say that I’m very happy about your post.
March 31st, 2010 at 9:39 AM
[...] Compassion – The Difference is Jesus » Blog Archive » My Name Was Charity, Until Jesus Called Me Queen >> http://www.thedifferenceisjesus.com/?p=117 >> http://www.churchofthe.net [...]
April 19th, 2010 at 12:19 AM
I really like the fresh perspective you have. Really was not expecting this when I searched Yahoo. Your concepts are easy to understand and I wondered why I never found your site before. Glad to know that there are individuals out there that definitely understand what they are discussing. Great job!
April 19th, 2010 at 12:31 PM
Scary story. The ignorance that this website holds that Jesus alone can solve the problems in Africa is troubling and it seems to me that Queen was brainwashed by her family.
April 20th, 2010 at 1:18 AM
Hi, I really admire the design of your site. What template are you using?
April 20th, 2010 at 8:30 AM
@Richard Press75’s On Demand
April 21st, 2010 at 8:48 PM
Не верю….
My mother died and I never knew my father. I was insolent, arrogant, and completely out of control. I had nowhere to go, until Maggie took me in…..
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Hi Carroll, by all means. Thanks for asking!
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