Dearest Friends,
Hamoudi’s Balloons
Today, I met a little boy named Hamoudi which is short for Mohammed. I taught him to tie balloon animals and he waI was in a very old part of the city that is considered a slum. Once, it was a most beautiful place. I climbed many floors of marble steps that wound about a central shaft with a rosewood stair rail. I felt I was climbing into a tower. We climbed in the dark as there are no lights. It smelled like a bathroom. A family of 10 people shared 2 rooms. To get there, I had to ride a boat, a subway, a taxi, and walk a lot.
Refugee children do not get to go to school. They do not have enough language to go to this country’s schools and there are few other options. More conservative Syrian families will often not consider this country’s schools because they are co-Ed, so language is not the only problem. Most are losing hope that the war will go home and they struggle with the uncertainty of the future. However, for 2 hours today, they were simply families enjoying laughing and smiling with their children.
I go on home visits where we take a huge backpack filled with storytelling supplies and balloons and funny hats and Gospel illusions. I told them a Bible story and shared how I came to faith. The adults listened as good as the children. They thanked me several times for coming. In the past, they described these weekly visits as the light in their week. One of the hardest things about being a refugee is that all you were is stripped away. You become invisible to most people. If they do see you, they often look at you with distrust. My heart breaks for these friends.
Please pray for Hamoudi and the other children and their parents. Only Jesus can rescue them!
Two Shows and a Ladies’ Meeting
Yesterday was a beautiful day. I did 2 programs for refugee children from many countries. There were children there from Syria, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Congo, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and many other places. They loved the stories about Jesus! What an honor to tell these children about Him!
The ladies meeting was very sweet! With the children, we had translated into Farsi, but with the ladies we needed another language. With them, I was speaking to English and French speakers from all over Africa. We sat out on a porch with a commanding view of the city. It was so beautiful but their responses to what I shared were more beautiful. They were a tough crowd and it was finally my husband’s testimony that softened their hearts. These ladies come with terrible stories. They are broken and tired and only Jesus can comfort them.
The Most Important Day
Tomorrow, Wednesday, I am teaching many friends here how to do what I do. This is the most important day as what happens for so many children here depends upon them. Please pray for this time!
In Jesus, linda