Help for Julie

Because the road was so narrow, we parked the truck on a main road and walked down the narrow dusty road to Julie’s house. We were carrying live chickens, the bags of rice and beans and a bottle of oil. This was our last “Chicken Run” and the most memorable for me. We entered the tiny two room house. A baby lay on its stomach without clothing on a narrow make shift bed. The baby is blind. I am the first to enter the second dark room to greet Julie. Because she is blind I had taken her hand to touch the bag of beans I was giving to her. She winces in pain a moment as I touch her fingers but then she smiles warmly and thanks me as she realizes the gift we are giving her. She is also blind. I touch her hand again to guide her fingers to the fabric of a mosquito net I am giving to her. I bought the net from home thinking I might need it but haven’t used it. When I saw the baby had none, I felt God assuring me it was the place where He wanted it. The others came in the room to give her the bag of rice, bottle of oil and two live chickens. As I watched, I saw the same wince of pain followed by her smile and a verbal expression of gratitude. I suddenly realized she must have had burns on her fingers. I alerted Kristen, who is an EMT and she examined her hand and then cleaned the burns and then put on medication.

This single mother has two other children, an eight year old who is also blind and a four year old who has sight. Blindness is a genetic condition that runs in her family. Believe it or not, the four year old with the sight is the one who leads the family in the streets. Each Sunday, the four year old leads the family in walking to church at Danita’s Children’s Orphanage several miles away. She is a devout Christian who relies solely on God’s protection and provision. A very sad aspect of her life is the fact that all of her children are the result of rape because of her helplessness as a blind woman. Julie and her children continue to be vulnerable to attack and theft.

Before we left, we gathered around her and laid hands on her. We poured out our hearts to God in prayer asking Him to protect and take care of her. Julie and all of us were deeply moved. Several in the group then gave money as we were leaving to help meet some of her needs, even though we know our gifts can be easily stolen from her. We suspect some of her neighbors are already planning to steal from her.

As Bill our Missions Leader tells us more of her story, we realize that God has and will continue to take care of her. He tells us that other missions teams have also given her food and done repairs on her house.

God has promised to take care of the oppressed who call out to Him. God is using people in the body of Christ to minister to Julie and her children. We were truly blessed today to be instruments of His love to them. Although in our humanness, we fear for her but we also know we have an almighty God who will be faithful to protect and provide for her and her children. God’s love always surpasses our love for her and other people.

We were privileged today to share His heart of love for Julie and her children.

Richard Scandrette