Poverty

Picture taken January 2011

Today is our last day at Shanto.  By now our team has had quite a week full of emotions, many good and many, many hard.  Seeing poverty firsthand is life changing.  When I returned home 2 years ago I was different person and I am thankful.  James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  I've come to realize that the 2 parts of that verse go hand in hand.  We are to actively care which helps keeps ourselves from being polluted by the world.  In America we have many luxuries but we don't often realize it.  It's so easy to get caught up in daily life and not think about the clean water coming out of our faucet, about the fact that needy children are provided for by our government through education and social services, that we have SO much to be thankful for each day.  Instead, we can fall prey to being polluted by lies that say we NEED more, what we have isn't enough and we forget.  Engaging with those in need helps US!

In the late afternoon we will say goodbye to many sad little faces.  2 years ago the children cried when our team left.  I am thankful that the plan is to return every year in March.  God is good and I am so grateful that He has allowed me to be apart of caring for these precious children.