May 10th - MONDAY (Mike)

Today Marie-Eve is quite sick and did not get very much sleep last night, but she decides to come with us as for a “day trip” to another town close by to hand out Orphan packs her and Heather made on Sunday. They were made with the accumulations of gifts from people and slit into 60 packs. We also had enough to hand a few things to the kids who were not getting a pack: one tooth brush, one pencil and a balloon.

The children in this community are very difficult to look at, there are 123 orphans, they are wearing clothes worse than what we would use for rags, and so many have swollen bellies, ruptures, massive belly buttons and are clearly not only in poverty but are starving. It is so hard to see. Why did God choose to have me born in North America, where there is soooo much, and these children to be born here where there is nothing? I think at home it is so easy to think that we have earned the right to our stuff as we have worked hard to get whatever we have. But the truth is, as I watch this 16 years old girl, slaving away with an axe, these people are working very hard as well, but because of where they were born, not only do they have less than me, they are on the verge of death. It makes me so sad that we have reduced the gospel to personal salvation, instead of the primary message Jesus preached, the Kingdom of God. I just happened to read today during devotions that to those who much is given, much is expected, and to those who very much is given, very much is expected, Luke 12 or 13 I think. Anyways, we in North America, by the millions have very very much compared to millions and millions of others. How am I planning to some day stand before God saying that I spent $500 on a cell phone or a computer, or so many other things I don’t need, when so many are dying here? Somehow I am so rutted in sin, that I must believe that I am entitled to wealth, and therefore my consumption is as high as it is. But what will God ask of me in return? Do I really love him more than everything else? Would I really choose to live here if he asked me to? Rick and Heather feel similar, even though they live here, cause they still live nothing like the locals, they have a house, a truck, lots of food, a Wii, etc. Because of where we were born, it is impossible for us to truly relate to the people here, because we have resources so deep that they will never have or understand.

The kids are all freaking out as we hand out the orphan packs, they are all so pumped for what they have received. We head back, Marie-Eve is really sick with some stomach problems, I hope she is able to get better and that she doesn’t have anything serious. I’ve been trying to take care of Raph by myself, lets just say that things are not quite the same…. He needs his mom ;)