As we invest in peoples lives here, there is joy. There is also sometimes sadness.
As we get closer and closer to people here, we find out about the difficulties that hide behind their smiles.
One of our new friends (I’ll call her “Oksana” but that’s not her name) is truly searching for the Lord. She doesn’t realize that’s who she is searching for yet, but we’re trying to help her see that. We first met her at the camp this past summer and she has been attending our Friday night Bible study. While she doesn’t understand much yet, and all of it is new, she is passionately interested. So much so, in fact, she has begun attending a Saturday Bible study and even church on Sundays.
Last week, she showed up for Bible study on Friday night and she was pale and her face was chiseled with pain. She told us that she had been in bed for the last three days without getting up due to the serious back injury that she has. However, she was determined to come to Bible study and she did. I felt sorry for her because of the great pain she was in, but so excited that she wanted so badly to study God’s Word. She actually ended up laying on the floor with her books for about half of the time in order to get through it.
We found out that this same dear one is probably in need of a serious surgery for her back, yet her and her two kids (one of which has Down syndrome) live on their government, disability stipend (generally around $100 per month). Our hearts break for her. She one of so many. But this one, we know. This one we are trying to lead to Him. How we’ll be able to help and even if she will allow us…we don’t know.
One story of so many that we know.
We are so glad to be here. So glad to be able to invest in lives in a real, meaningful way. God is good.
