The young woman stood before 50 people she had just met and began to sing. The words were Arabic. The joyful sound filled the room. Psalms were read in multiple languages. Morning devotions for the Heart to Heart cross cultural pre-convention gathering had begun. The joy was evident even though the words were foreign as Ayen Kok led the group in song. The song reminded us that people will let us down, but God never lets us down.

Life was not easy for the Kok family in Egypt. Moving to the United States seemed best, but there were so many decisions to make. Ayen, her father and her sister were ready to leave, but Ayen's younger brother was still in school. Ayen's mother decided to stay in Egypt with him so he could finish school. The other three left for a nearby country. The plan was to wait for Mom and Brother and then leave for the United States together. Ayen, her father and her sister waited more than two years, but there was no word from Ayen's mother or brother. Finally the three came to the United States, settling in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Other family and friends already lived in the Midwest, so they were not alone. Ayen's cousin lived in Missouri with her husband and five children. When the cousin died and her husband was unable to care for the children, Ayen went to court to gain custody and became an "instant" mother at the age of 27. She now cares for all five children, ranging in age from 6 to 18. It has been almost three years since Ayen, her father and sister arrived in the United States. They have not heard from her mother or brother in almost five years.

Ayen's life still is not easy. Each day she deals with the challenges of raising five children, working in a hospital, studying English and adjusting to life in America. Ayen shared how concerned she was when the younger children were sometimes sad. She told how frustrating it is to help with homework when her own English is not strong. And she smiled when she told that recent report cards were good. Through all this, Ayen knows she is doing what God would want her to do.

Ayen treasures the support of her church family, and she supports others by being active in music, membership and Bible study. She is a prayer leader in her community. Ayen was blessed by meeting other Christian women through Heart to Heart and she, in turn, blessed each of them. Ayen is an LWML member, living as salt and light, shining and joyfully sharing God's love with everyone she meets.