Just the other morning I was on my way to the grocery store and I noticed a young girl literly eating and drinking out of the trash. I stopped to talk with her and found out she is only 13 and that her father had died a few months ago, leaving her mother with 5 children to care for. She was sent to the city to dig in the trash for food. I gave her some money to go and buy bread and a few items.
I headed to the store, but I could not buy groceries for our famlily, and found my self tearing up every couple of minutes as I kept thinking of Mona. This 13 year old girl has a name and family. Her needs are real and immediate. There was a "God conversation" going on in my head. THE NEEDS ARE SO OVERWHELMING, and it was like God was reminding me- ONE by ONE, See the hungry- Feed the hungry. See the naked-clothe the naked, help the sick... "what you do for the least of these, you have done unto me!"
Simeon. age 5, was with me and he kept talking about the young girl also. He knew that we were buying groceries for her family and not for us. Simmy said, "I have some money and I want to give all that I have to help her."
I LOVE CHILD LIKE FAITH!
We continuted through the store, buying items for her and then we drove down every street, but she was NO WHERE to be found. Remember, our city has 250,000 people, plus.
So I returned home, left Simeon with Lanie, my 13 year old daughter, and got Caleb, my 17 year old son, to come with me into her village about 35 minutes away. I had taken a photo of her and had it on my camera. When we reached her village, it was a "typical" gypsy village; poverty, naked children, broken down homes, mud and "stuff"....
When we arrived a small crowd emerged. We showed the photo and talked with many . Someone ran to get the mother up the muddy/snowy path. They were gone for over 30 minutes. We met lots of villagers; so many needs. I wished that I had packages for everyone, but we only had one.
The people were so kind. They refered to the widow as "poor"; which always amazes me, when people who live in dire need and extreme poverty themselves, refer to others as poor, but I guess she is even more poor than the other poor people...???
When the mother came, she was SHOCKED and SO THANKFUL. There was no riot. No one tried to steal her food... NOTHING. They were just kind and helpful to her.
We told her it was a gift from God. She confirmed that she sends her daughter out to find "food" in the dumpsters of Oradea; a 45 minute bus ride, if the bus driver will let her ride.
We will go back and visit... I don't know what is next, but for today--One by One, we continue to share his love with the people of Romania.
Mona is 13-- My daughter is 13!