Jesus’ kids!
April 2003 Volume 6, Number 4
“He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy.” Psalm 72:4
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Jesus’ kids! April 2003 Volume 6, Number 4 “He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy.” Psalm 72:4 |
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Do I write about this beautiful and lush tropical island with the beautiful palm trees; the bright green rice fields; all the dikes; the strong thunderstorms and extensive lightening; and the plentiful papaya, banana and guava trees? Do I write about some of my experiences with the new foods I am eating; ie. the big bite of sonjo that I took which immediately caused my throat to swell and felt like I was swallowing a cactus? (Hint: you can only eat cooked sonjo!) Do I write about the famous Madagascar bus rides I must take every day in order to get to the Betikara Center? Ok, maybe I’ll start there. First of all, a Madagascar bus is really a large van. It is crammed to the ceiling with as many men, women, and children (and sometimes, live chickens) as they can fit. Once I dared to count the people on one of my buses. There were 28 people! Various arms and legs were hanging out the back door of the bus because it was so full of people and the helper who loads the passengers had to hang on—outside and ride on the running board! He couldn’t even close the back door! Having ridden the buses nearly every day since I arrived here, I can tell you, this is certainly not unusual and has really become quite the norm. Because I am a bit claustrophobic, I try very hard to get a window seat. But you have to be careful! No arms (or legs) can hang very far outside the windows because as your bus is winding its way around the various curved streets, there are only a few inches between your bus and any oncoming traffic! Fortunately, I only have to take 3 buses and ride between 1 and 1 1/2 hours in order to reach my destination: the children. Do I write about the terrible road conditions which only tends to make the comical bus ride more interesting? One thing for certain—there is no Department of Transportation road crews here! If you are on a diet and want to lose weight, just take a few bus rides here. The bumps will eventually beat the fat from your body! Do I write about some of the things I see while riding the bus? Everywhere there are starving dogs, cats, beggars, malnourished and filthy street children. The poverty is extreme and I seem to arrive at the Center every morning with a broken heart. Do I write about how quickly my broken heart is mended each day when I arrive at the Center and there are 20 beautiful children running toward me, yelling hello, calling my name, hugging me with huge smiles on their faces? These beautiful, precious children—so glad I am there to read to them, play or draw, exercise or dance— it really doesn’t matter! They all seem to enjoy anything we do— even practicing math! No, I don’t think I’ll write about any of that. I think I’ll just write about how lucky I am to have been brought here and how I can’t imagine having gone through my life without ever having known these precious souls. I think I will just write and say how grateful I am to my sister, Cindy, for her help in getting me here; to the Rosie family for all their kindnesses and support while I am here; to the Betikara Lambs for giving me the reason to stay awhile; and to God for leading me here. My final thanks is to Dr. Douglas Snow of Lake Havasu City, Arizona for his generous financial sponsorship which will make it possible for me to stay awhile. Much love and blessings, Sandy
Swimming lessons
Phase II Matching Grant Update
One for the history books
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If you would like to help with a monetary donation, write your check out to BETIKARA and send it to: Indiana Church of Christ
“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him
for what he has done.”
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