The
bible says ‘Love your Neighbour’, So in the last year, we have really tried to
love our neighbours, all 72 of them! You see we live right next door to The
Salvation Army’s Kabete Children’s Home, which caters for 72 children aged 3 to
18 years. Like many countries around the
world, The SA is committed to supporting children to reside within a family
environment in their community. The SA does a great deal of family support and preventative
work in Kenya in order to ensure this happens in a great many cases. However
with high mortality, largely due to HIV/AIDS, road traffic accidents and poor
medical care there are times when this is not possible. That’s where Kabete
comes in. But they struggle!
Many
Salvation Army institutions around the world like Chikankata (Zambia) where I
was before and Kabete Children’s Home (Kenya) live on a hand to mouth
basis. They are often short of money, lack basic facilities like water, have huge
debts, and generally struggle. However, the personal pressures of this situation often lead people into much higher levels of commitment and trust. I experienced that at Chik and live it with my neighbours. But I also see that Jesus still does miracles today through ordinary people. I have
seen that at first hand at the hospital and the children - many who
go on to lead inspiring lives and hold down professional jobs. Helped and supported by ordinary people.
Bill Hybels, writing in his book Courageous Leadership about setting up the Willowcreek church testifies;
“Nothing deepens trust in the goodness, grace and miracle working power of God like financial pressures that we have faced every week”
This has been my experience and I know the experience of other who run places just like Kabete and Chikankata.
I also wanted to write that I have really kind friends. For instance they have given to the Playground project our children having been raising the money for.
The Salvation Army is a great international organisation and we continue to give thanks to people like those in Sweden who paid for this Christmas trip. We also give thanks to God for His continued provision through his people.
People around the world really do care about the poor and poverty. The media warps the view of the world. For every war, there are churches and aid agencies helping people who are displaced. Where there is hunger, there are people who handing out food. Where there are sick, there are hospitals and clinics. Where there is Orphans, there are children’s homes and OVC programmes . Where there a people who are poorer, there are richer people giving a lot of money and supporting their brothers and sisters.
But it is important to remember that responding to poverty is not just a justice, fairness and giving issue. It is also about love! Promoting justice and fairness and giving resources changes things for others, for sure, but love changes things for the giver or the campaigner and makes the experience so much rich. It bring people together in their relationships and brings us closer to God.
‘If I give all I possess to the poor…..but have not love I gain nothing’ (Paul)
Bill Hybels, writing in his book Courageous Leadership about setting up the Willowcreek church testifies;
“Nothing deepens trust in the goodness, grace and miracle working power of God like financial pressures that we have faced every week”
This has been my experience and I know the experience of other who run places just like Kabete and Chikankata.
I also wanted to write that I have really kind friends. For instance they have given to the Playground project our children having been raising the money for.
The Salvation Army is a great international organisation and we continue to give thanks to people like those in Sweden who paid for this Christmas trip. We also give thanks to God for His continued provision through his people.
People around the world really do care about the poor and poverty. The media warps the view of the world. For every war, there are churches and aid agencies helping people who are displaced. Where there is hunger, there are people who handing out food. Where there are sick, there are hospitals and clinics. Where there is Orphans, there are children’s homes and OVC programmes . Where there a people who are poorer, there are richer people giving a lot of money and supporting their brothers and sisters.
But it is important to remember that responding to poverty is not just a justice, fairness and giving issue. It is also about love! Promoting justice and fairness and giving resources changes things for others, for sure, but love changes things for the giver or the campaigner and makes the experience so much rich. It bring people together in their relationships and brings us closer to God.
‘If I give all I possess to the poor…..but have not love I gain nothing’ (Paul)
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