Sunday 23 January 2011

The least of these

Friday was the last day of shoebox delivery and the first day of snow! We ventured out for one last time into the hills to deliver a final batch of shoeboxes to happy/bewildered school children. Good times. Here is a picture of me. That is me, in the distance. It's amazing to arrive at a school with bare walls and extremely basic classrooms and discovered that some of the children have trekked 5km in the snow to get there.

After emptying the van of shoeboxes we headed off to deliver some food and other aid to a collection of families in an especially poor and isolated part of the country. The missionaries here helped build their houses in the years after the war and have been going back regularly ever since. It's a really tough place to be, life is pretty brutal. The mother of the family we visited is about 45/50 and looks at least 20 years older. She has breast cancer - which she isn't being treated for - and high blood pressure. While hosting us she collapsed and although she came round and continued to make us eat biscuits and drink tea, it was really clear that she's very ill and not likely to live very much longer.

The UK team who are here to deliver the shoeboxes had also brought some tracksuits which were going spare at home. They were able to give these out to the older children of the family and we had a great time getting them to strike a pose:

These two are 15 and 22 and did a great job of serving us Turkish coffee and tea. They carry a lot of the responsibility, especially as their mum is so ill. I was really aware that they have practically no prospects, there's barely anything to do, and no work. I haven't really been able to shake them from my mind since. Their poverty is so complete but they are just like us, wanting the same as we wanted at 15 and 22, but with almost no chance of getting it. I'm an optimist, I like to find the positive spin on things but I'm really struggling on this one. So I'm praying for them, that they find riches in God, hope in Christ. If you want, you can join me.

3 comments:

  1. Riches in God, hope in Christ.
    That's good stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes life is tough and brutal for 99% of the world and it is no accident that God calls us to change the world!
    God bless you and the team for being a part of that change

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also pray God would strengthen you and the team for all he has called you to do out there

    ReplyDelete

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