Saturday, March 19- Let’s get some shoes (IMPORTANT NOTE AT END)

Well today was a blast.  Natalie and I got to surprise the 4^th year students with a trip to Marbel to buy new shoes for graduation.  Doting on these kids is what I love the most so we really had so much fun.  We got their shoes and then Natalie went to print some pictures while I stumbled into a book store (yay!).  I thought Hastings was bad at organization, but man was I wrong (well, no, they really are; but still).  This place was about 10 sq. ft. and was just stacked with books upon books in no specific order, with no rhyme or reason.  They had a ton of romance novels (bleh!) so they got their own wall and the also had just about every “______ for Dummies” book (including French Wines for Dummies, Pregnancy for Dummies and Politics for Dummies).  One of the most ironic books I found (but did not purchase) was Culture Shock: A Guide to the Customs and Traditions: Australia. Seriously? I’m surviving the Philippines and you want to warn me about Australia? Very cute.  I did pick up a couple books, perhaps to read but I’ll be leaving them here for the older kids.  I got Marley and Me, which I have wanted to read since I saw the movie, and a book by Gene Wilder that just looked interesting.  I also found another one of Francine Rivers’ books for Mama Lyn (she LOVED Redeeming Love, of course) and a book entitled Beautiful Boy written by an ex- New York Times journalist that goes through his heartbreak as he watches his son enter into an addiction to Crystal Meth.  I’ve had it suggested to me before and thought it was a random find.  I’ll probably read that one next.

After books and photos it was time for lunch; the kids had the choice of anything in the court and the all chose chicken and rice.  To be fair, it was fried chicken which they never get and they also got sodas, but still; It was a little amusing.  Natalie and I welcomed the change of Greenwich Lasagna and pizza.  Namit na gid!! After lunch I went with the guys and Natalie with the girls and we let them chose out one more item that they wanted, not necessarily needed.  The girls got rings and earrings and the boys got hats, shirts, belts and cologne.  I love getting to give something that seems so tiny and yet I know is rare for them.  I hope they had as good of a day as I had.

When leaving the mall I saw something that always breaks my heart.  Two tiny girls with bare feet and tattered, filthy clothes ran up to me and held out their hands.  I want to cry every time this happens.  I could never even begin to imagine what life is like for them; complete loneliness; utterly miserable as they silently beg for the opportunity to eat.  Or, like others I’ve seen, they are expected to get a certain amount throughout the day to bring back to their “guardians” and will be physically reprimanded if they don’t deliver.  I thought about the sports teams pouting and refusing to play until their millions of dollars are promised.  I thought of myself and my full belly and my place to stay and my loving family back home.  I don’t feel guilty about having a wonderful family or any of God’s blessings, but it absolutely rips my heart out that I can’t give these kids more than a few coins and booklet saying Jesus Loves Them, which they’ll probably never be able to read.  I wonder where they are right now and if they were even able to eat today.  These are the images that Americans need to see.  I know that not all of us are lost in the material world, but I’m sure the majority of us don’t think of these precious children’s reality even half as much as we think about our own “misfortunes.”  I know I don’t; but tonight I’m thinking about those girls and I’m praying that they are shown love—and that someday, somehow they find Jesus.  I’ve been struggling a lot lately with the “why do bad things happen to people who don’t deserve it” thing, and though I hear the answers and try to reckon with them, it just doesn’t seem to be enough.  Things are just so broken and I’m finally starting to understand what it really means to look forward to Christ’s return.  It’s always bothered me when people say “Come Quickly, Jesus” because I think of all of the things I want to do and see and be a part of before “the end.”  But when I see those girls every time I close my eyes or I watch the news and see governments massacring their own people or I think of the 4-year-old girls being shoved in a duffle bag and sold into the sex industry in India, I can’t help but beg the Lord to come back and fix this sick and broken world and to take these innocent children to a safe place.  I shudder to think of what the fates of these kids would be if they didn’t have Uncle Dick’s Home.  Oh how I wish all the lost and wandering children of this world could be in the safety of this home. 

This seems to be an appropriate time to move to my closing and very important note.  I mentioned a few weeks ago that there are seven 4^th year students who need funds to go to college next year.  The price per student per semester for tuition is Php10,000 or $200USD.  Already many of the kids are filled with doubt that the funds will come in and some of them are already being told to make arrangements to return to a family member if they can’t be supported (which is obviously not a stable or safe alternative or they would already be there).  I understand that financial times are difficult but this is an opportunity to not only help these intelligent and wonderful children get a better education and then a better career, but also to allow them to remain in the safety and the love-filled environment of UDH.   God blesses those who give what they have to help others.  James tells us that faith that doesn’t work itself out in love is dead, it’s nothing.  What good is it to say that we have faith and we have love and yet we do nothing when we see a need that we can meet?   Now maybe you don’t want the government to tell you where to spend your money but see that God has already given us instructions as to what to do with the money that He has given us.  I am not trying to guilt anyone into giving money, but I want to implore those of you who maybe just haven’t given much thought to giving to please pray, please think about it, please consider what you are able to give.  We are going to talk to Mr. Tebow about the possibility of sponsoring one of the kids so that you can get to know them more and strengthen them and support them spiritually and financially though college, but until then if you are able to give, PLEASE DON’T WAIT!  They need to have the funds in full by June for all the kids to be able to enroll.  These kids are precious and I believe completely that they are all going to be in school next year. 

Alright, well it is after midnight… noise starts in mere hours.

This is dedicated to Kate Miller.  One of the kids today was talking about a puma and was trying to imitate the sound; I recalled something about you talking about “their hooves” in theatre class and I started laughing! I love you and miss having you in my life. See you soon, babe!

A pic of our group at lunch.