Weekend Project
Some folks
redecorate, paint, landscape their yard, or build something for a “weekend
project”. This past weekend God had a project for us to do.
We have a
mother of 5 children in our church. She has been very faithful to attend and
serve in the church whenever possible. They live with her husband who is also
the father of these children in a 1 room section of a house. They have no
running water in the house and no bathroom facilities. We have been helping her
survive (i.e., food, wood, clothing, prescriptions) for some time as her
husband, a very violent alcoholic, has little income left after drinking away what
he does make. From time to time he may bring home a day or two worth of
groceries, usually accompanied by sexual expectations required from mom, then
it’s right back to violence and abuse. We have been praying for this family for
over 2 years that her husband would change and surrender his life to Jesus, but
we have yet to see the fruit.
The children
are two boys 11 and 9, and 3 girls 8, 4 and 5 weeks. Yes, she has just given
birth with the promise her husband would change and start taking care of the
family. After the birth of this baby he seems to be getting worse. He has told
his children he would cut them and that he has no love for any of them. Because
of their minority status, and lack of women’s facilities, she has little hope
of going to any shelter. Here you must prove the need to the police, and usually,
they call the husband to come and get her. This only fuels the violence because
of the shamed based society.
This family
has recently been plagued with lice, roaches and sickness for several months.
The baby started having respiratory issues at 2 weeks old, and 2 of the other
kids, along with mom developed respiratory illnesses. I believe it was due to
the roach infestation.
We felt prompted
to do something more to help. With our
exterminating background we knew this was a very unhealthy situation for the
whole family. We gave instruction to the mother on how to prepare the house for
extermination of the roaches, and invited her and the children to stay with us
for two nights they would need to be out of the house. On Friday we picked them
up and brought them to our home where they stayed until Sunday when we took
them to church then home. Friday I, Al, bought chemical for the house and the
lice. Then I took one of the young men from the church with me, training time,
to exterminate this home. Kathi worked with the mom to treat the lice, bathe
the kids, and launder everything from the house. Saturday 5 of us, including
mom, went and cleaned the house. Someone had broken the window over night so we
replaced that also.
The kids had
a blast while in our home. The boys found the laminate floor a true field of
play. Sliding on their socks as well as sitting back to back and having pushing
contests were just some of the creative ways they found to occupy their time.
The 4 year old girl found a collapsible magazine rack a true pleasure, folding
it, putting it on her head like a helmet and sliding it across the laminate
floor provided hours of fun for her. The girls were very attentive while Kathi
prepared meals, and with the step stool they could get high enough to watch the
preparation and cooking. They also enjoyed helping set the table, do the
dishes, and sweep the floors. The 8 year old girl would come out of the
bathroom and have Kathi smell her hands every time because she loved how the
soap made them smell.
They were
all very blessed to have 3 hot meals a day, including homemade pizza on
Saturday night, as well as having one bedroom for the girls and one for the
boys, not to mention they each had their own bed. Kathi was able to minister
the Word and encourage this mother to count her blessings and be faithful with
all God has given her and done in her life. She encouraged her in stewardship
of her family and home and charged her with faith to believe God will take care
of her.
Before we
left for church Sunday morning the mom told me neither the children nor her
wanted to go back to their …home. We again encouraged her to be faithful where
God has her and so we took her home after the service.
We received
a call late Sunday night because she still had no food in her home and what
little she had was thrown out because of the infestation. Monday when we took
her some food supplies she was out in front of her house cleaning the yard and
working to make the place look better than it had. Previously there was a big
piece of carpet, urine stained and nasty, on her patio area. With no bathroom
the kids don’t go far at night when they need to go. That had been disposed of
as well as an old couch that sat outside. The couch was being disassembled, the
usable wood split for burning, and the rest thrown out. The garbage that once
filled the yard was being picked up and properly disposed of. She was making a
home out of her one little room and small yard. Stewarding what she has with
the hope that God will provide something more. She is working to be grateful
for what she has and praying it will be blessed.
These two
boys have been seeing visions of angels and Christ Himself speaking to them and
promising His protection and love for them. The 9 year old, whom is usually
very quiet, prayed out Sunday during worship and prayer time for all those whom
God would have to come to know Him as well as the churches in Kosova and our
fellowship. His prayer was sincere and heartfelt. I believe a spirit of intercession
was upon him as he prayed out for near 5 minutes blessing and asking Jesus to
touch certain people and the nation in general. It was awesome. These kids have
been praying for their father for quite some time now. Will you please join
them in praying for the transformation of their father by their FATHER?
So……… that
was our weekend project!
