The Labourers are Few

Hello all. I hope this finds you all doing well and defrosting up on the northern continent. We ourselves are quite warm, and according to Jim, experiencing the heat of ¨La Niña.¨ As for this little missionary, I´m livin´ it up and loving what I have realized to be the best job in the world (thanks Rya). I have only a week or so left with the people I love so intensely and so I am trying to take advantage of every moment and finish up a thousand little projects that will hopefully help them just a little.

I will admit, I have been a bit frustrated lately with my inability to really help this foundation with what it needs. Even if I stayed, I couldn´t be the experienced and fluent-speaking social worker that they need (or really, need about 5 of), I couldn´t be the psychologist they need, and I can´t be the family that every one of these children so desperately need. I don´t even have enough money to pay for someone to be that for them. All I can do is buy them the occasional clean water and fresh fruit, I can only give them hugs and hope that someday this world might wake up to the reality that my little brothers and sisters suffer every day. And even this little bit is coming to an end as I am being called back to the States, back to a life that I simply don´t want. I don´t want hot showers, I don´t want a comfy bed, I don´t want to pay 3.50 a gallon for gas or buy new clothes so I can look ¨professional¨ for grad school. In fact, the thought of all that money makes me sick. And I just don´t understand.

I was watching Hotel Rwanda the other day, about the massacre of the Tutsi people back in the ´90s in Africa. At one point in the movie, the main character Paul says to a reporter that he is glad he is here because now the world will see what is going on and will come to help. And the reporter replies that no, the world will see what is going on, comment on how sad it is, and keep eating their dinner. And he was right, no one came to help, at least not until it was too late, and over a million people died. I don´t want to be this pessimistic about this world I live in but when I watch this foundation fight day to day to give these children bread, eggs, clean water - and no one comes to help us. I have been writing to you all for six months now and a few of you have made your way to the foundation´s website and made a donation - and I thank you, I really do. But today I am not asking for another donation. In fact, if you are only going to make a donation and then forget about us, please don´t bother. What I seek is a change of heart, I seek for help to wake this sleeping world to the harsh reality that is life for the majority of the 6 billion on this planet, I seek long term change. I myself have decided for this change, I don´t know yet how I will accomplish it but I pray that the Lord might bless my feeble efforts. In Matthew 9 He tells us:

¨Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness. And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers to his harvest.'¨

I rest in this promise that the Lord will send more labourers, that He will not let these people languish like this forever, that He will continue to bless them with a joy that still inspires me daily. But I ask you too - what are you doing to help them? I ask you to think about that the next time you ¨need¨ a new pair of shoes or crank the AC up because 80deg. is just ¨so hot.¨ Please, search your hearts and help me find a way to help my little ones here, help me help the misioneras who have given their lives to working for these children. And not just here, if this mission doesn´t speak to you find one that does. Hundreds of millions of children are starving, are without clean water, are without families. Will no one help them?

Right now, I close so that I can get back to them, give them one more hug and maybe start a tickle fight that will help a few little girls forget for a little bit that their mom can´t take care of them. And as always, I remain faithful in my prayers for you all, until next time with more from the flipside...