In the Bible, in the book of Daniel (chapter 5), there is reference to a story where a hand appears in a room full of people and begins writing on the wall...
Lately though, I've been learning a lot from the writing in the fog... Let me explain:
We have recently opened a new soup kitchen across the street from the poorest of the poor in Shutka. 90% of the 60-70 kids we feed daily are new to us and present a new sphere of influence for us to work in. Most of the kids come from very difficult circumstances that most Americans couldn't even fathom. We have amazing opportunities every day to shine a light of hope into their lives and have already started to see changes taking place. Their attitudes are changing and they are always full of joy, not to mention a ton of energy! The kitchen we are serving them from is being rented from a Muslim man, his only requirement of us is not to put a cross on the building, and it is full of windows. Every day we cook our soup on a wood stove, and for me that means that I get to play with fire, I mean, start and keep a fire going every day. As the water heats up though, it steams up the room and without a ventilation system most kitchens have, the steam clings to the windows. As most of the kids we serve there know less Macedonian than I do, I've started trying to learn Romani a little at a time. Romani isn't a written language, so taking a class like I did for Macedonian is pretty much impossible. Fortunately, there are 3 believers from our church that are paid staff and work with me every day, and know Macedonian and Romani. One of them has a 12 year old daughter who has probably gone farther in school than most of the other kids will ever go, and knows Macedonian quite well. She has started to teach me important words and phrases in Romani through writing them in the fog on the windows using Macedonian letters. It's so exciting! I've learned the basic greetings, basic counting, words for bread, water, juice, how to ask if the kids want different things. I know some languages can only be learned through full immersion but I never would have imagined that would mean learning a language from the writing in the fog! Hopefully, learning Romani little by little will open doors to changing the lives of these kids. I learned a long time ago that if you are trying to share God's love,you should try to do so in the heart language of the people, not the most common language. I just wish I had begun to learn Romani sooner, but at least I can learn it now, thanks to the foggy windows!
If you ever need to learn a language, just find a foggy window and start writing in the fog! It may take longer than a class, but in some circumstances, it may be the only option, and believe me, it works!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Children's Christmas Service
Every year we hold a special children's service for Christmas. This year was a bit more adventurous than it was last year. Last year we were in the smaller building able to fit maybe 80 people total. This year, we didn't quite have as many chairs out as we could have, but there were many people standing. We packed in around 140 kids and numerous parents for the service. It was a blast to say the least, a little difficult to maintain order for those of us with the crowd control/security job.
The format was thus:
We opened the doors at 2 PM and Dustin and Britney, two other MA's serving in Macedonia, were playing Christmas songs.
The kids would enter a few at a time and get a plate of cookies and a cup of hot chocolate, then find their seats.
Then we started the service with some singing for the kids, lead by about 8 puppets and Brian.
Finally, the tradition at Shutka is to read and have some of the kids from the crowd dress up and act out the Christmas story from the Bible. We may have had between 15 to 20 kids involved this year so it was far more involving for the kids!
After the Christmas story, we had about 30 of the kids help perform a song. It was great, there was traditional dancing in a circle with the group of girls, some break dancing by the guys, and a couple of girls sang the song in Macedonian!
After all our activities, we passed out all the packets. After past experience, we waited 'till dark the night before and snuck in our van load of Christmas packets. It felt a little like Mission Impossible when we had to park the van at the top of the hill out of site and have me walk down (wearing my hood) and unlock the gate, then signal the van to come with a wave of my cell phone. The night watchman across the street wasn't even sure who was there last night until he asked me today if it was me! Any way, we got 150 packets for this year so it was a close call having 140 kids show up. Some of the kids left before the end of the program 'cause they still didn't know that we were giving the packets out! Praise God the word didn't get around this time! We gave a packet to every kid who showed up and stayed to the end, and we had only minor incidents with people trying to get packets after the fact, ranging to include one boy trying to jump the fence and ask for one when we were cleaning up. When we were passing them out, I stood guard at the door so once people went outside they couldn't try to come back in and get a second packet, and our pastor was outside at the gate holding the random other people at bay who thought they might be able to talk their way into getting an easy handout.
The kids loved the packets and enjoyed the service, it really was a great time. I think a lot of the kids really felt what is so special about Christmas this year. Thanks again to all who pitched in to help! It would have been so much more difficult without you!
The format was thus:
We opened the doors at 2 PM and Dustin and Britney, two other MA's serving in Macedonia, were playing Christmas songs.
The kids would enter a few at a time and get a plate of cookies and a cup of hot chocolate, then find their seats.
Then we started the service with some singing for the kids, lead by about 8 puppets and Brian.
Finally, the tradition at Shutka is to read and have some of the kids from the crowd dress up and act out the Christmas story from the Bible. We may have had between 15 to 20 kids involved this year so it was far more involving for the kids!
After the Christmas story, we had about 30 of the kids help perform a song. It was great, there was traditional dancing in a circle with the group of girls, some break dancing by the guys, and a couple of girls sang the song in Macedonian!
After all our activities, we passed out all the packets. After past experience, we waited 'till dark the night before and snuck in our van load of Christmas packets. It felt a little like Mission Impossible when we had to park the van at the top of the hill out of site and have me walk down (wearing my hood) and unlock the gate, then signal the van to come with a wave of my cell phone. The night watchman across the street wasn't even sure who was there last night until he asked me today if it was me! Any way, we got 150 packets for this year so it was a close call having 140 kids show up. Some of the kids left before the end of the program 'cause they still didn't know that we were giving the packets out! Praise God the word didn't get around this time! We gave a packet to every kid who showed up and stayed to the end, and we had only minor incidents with people trying to get packets after the fact, ranging to include one boy trying to jump the fence and ask for one when we were cleaning up. When we were passing them out, I stood guard at the door so once people went outside they couldn't try to come back in and get a second packet, and our pastor was outside at the gate holding the random other people at bay who thought they might be able to talk their way into getting an easy handout.
The kids loved the packets and enjoyed the service, it really was a great time. I think a lot of the kids really felt what is so special about Christmas this year. Thanks again to all who pitched in to help! It would have been so much more difficult without you!
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Year and Christmas Packets
The new year will obviously bring changes to my life as it will to most people, and as others surely are, I'm looking forward to it, but am also a little apprehensive. God's brought me a long way but I begin this year not knowing a lot about what God will have me doing and where I'll be doing it at this time next year. Hence the apprehensive feeling. I've recently had a conversation with a friend where I somehow had this philosophical thought that we need to be passionate about where God has us now, and I know I plan on doing that. Hopefully I will only minimally be distracted by what will be and be able to thrive in what is.
On another note, the kids in Shutka are eagerly anticipating their yearly Christmas packets that people have taken the time and love to put together and send to them from places all over the world. Many times they come from the states, other times they'll come from some other place in Europe like Germany or Holland. Nonetheless, they bless the kids in many ways each year. If any of you have ever participated as a church or VBS or children's camp in something called Operation Christmas Child, know that it really does make a difference in kid's lives. I've had the privilege of seeing both sides of this project. I've seen kids and adults take special care, love, pride, and joy in packing the shoe boxes and I've seen the reception the shoe boxes. I've seen the kids enjoying it's contents for months after they've received them. Wearing the winter caps or gloves, or enjoying a special stuffed animal. They're always joyful. Many of the kids I see wouldn't know what a Christmas gift is without it as they come from Muslim families, not to mention they're often very poor.
Thanks to everyone who gives to this specific ministry. You're really being a blessing and this ministry touches thousands of children and parents around the world every year.
Please keep us in prayer as we give the gifts out. I'm not sure yet when we will but we always see people crawl out of the woodworks looking for a handout when we do give them out. Pray that we will be able to give them to those that need them most and have discernment with those that only come this one time a year for their quick handouts. Pray that those that receive the packets are truly blessed and will be moved by the love of Christ, and that they'll come back to see and hear about the love of Christ. Pray that even one or two might make that commitment to Christ and begin to make an impact in their communities to start the change we so long to see in that community.
Again, thanks for giving to our ministry and blessing the kids.
To learn more about Samaritan's Purse and their Operation Christmas Child program, check out the following link: Operation Christmas Child. I'm glad there's people striving to do ministries like this.
On another note, the kids in Shutka are eagerly anticipating their yearly Christmas packets that people have taken the time and love to put together and send to them from places all over the world. Many times they come from the states, other times they'll come from some other place in Europe like Germany or Holland. Nonetheless, they bless the kids in many ways each year. If any of you have ever participated as a church or VBS or children's camp in something called Operation Christmas Child, know that it really does make a difference in kid's lives. I've had the privilege of seeing both sides of this project. I've seen kids and adults take special care, love, pride, and joy in packing the shoe boxes and I've seen the reception the shoe boxes. I've seen the kids enjoying it's contents for months after they've received them. Wearing the winter caps or gloves, or enjoying a special stuffed animal. They're always joyful. Many of the kids I see wouldn't know what a Christmas gift is without it as they come from Muslim families, not to mention they're often very poor.
Thanks to everyone who gives to this specific ministry. You're really being a blessing and this ministry touches thousands of children and parents around the world every year.
Please keep us in prayer as we give the gifts out. I'm not sure yet when we will but we always see people crawl out of the woodworks looking for a handout when we do give them out. Pray that we will be able to give them to those that need them most and have discernment with those that only come this one time a year for their quick handouts. Pray that those that receive the packets are truly blessed and will be moved by the love of Christ, and that they'll come back to see and hear about the love of Christ. Pray that even one or two might make that commitment to Christ and begin to make an impact in their communities to start the change we so long to see in that community.
Again, thanks for giving to our ministry and blessing the kids.
To learn more about Samaritan's Purse and their Operation Christmas Child program, check out the following link: Operation Christmas Child. I'm glad there's people striving to do ministries like this.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
