Take Care of the Widows

Yes, the Bible talks about taking care of the widows as being an important thing for Christians to do. I personally met these 2 widows on our trip and was amazed at how hard they have to work just to survive. Their stories touched me. My heart breaks for them. And, now I understand a little bit more why the Bible tells us to take care of the widows.These ladies could not tell us how old they were. They don't know the year that they were born in because birth certificates weren't exactly common when they were born. But, they do know the heartache they have experienced in their relatively young lives. The lady on the left in the above picture never had children. She was married and her husband died and then she married his brother and he died too. She was living in the southern part of the country at the time but returned home to Tenzuk Hills after his death. There were no more family members to take care of her. The lady on the right has lost her husband and SIX children. I cannot even imagine losing one child much less SIX. Can you imagine her heartache? She told us that she considered suicide on numerous occasions but then she realized that there was a reason God had allowed her to live so she was going to do her best to make the most of every moment. Wow....what a testimony.

So, what do these sweet ladies do? They have no skills, no money, no one to support them to gain skills or give them money, so.....they walk and walk and walk to collect firewood to sell for whatever people will buy it for just so they can eat. And, their hands and feet look like this because of all their hard work.
They told us their stories for a video that we were making on this trip......a video to begin telling the story of the need for SonRise Village. And, let me tell you - this is going to be a high tech video. Scott (one of the guys we were on the trip with) is serious about his video equipment. Check out our set up.Filming on another day:So, in the vision for SonRise Village there is a center for widows to come and learn job skills such as sewing or basket weaving or painting or something like that so they can support themselves a little bit easier.

Oh, and here's the picture of Thompson I've been promising you:
He's such an amazing guy. He preaches for 2 churches in the district AND he is the fire chief of the district AND he hung out with us the whole time we were there driving us everywhere we needed to go and serving as a translator AND he loves God with all his heart AND he's got a pretty great smile, don't you think?

Oh, and just so you don't think it's ONLY the widows who work so hard.....