Stuff!

The Why of Stuff

Imagine yourself an orphan or in the hospital or prison. A bus load of foreigners comes to see you one day, and they tell you of God's love. Then what do they do? They get back on their bus and drive away to their happy lives, leaving you to your difficult circumstances. "God loves me, huh?" you ask. "I don't think so."

Something is wrong with that type of evangelism. It's just a bunch of high and lofty words that turn people off. For hearts to be opened to Christ, we have to model His love by caring for the physical and emotional needs, of which there are so many in the Former Soviet Union. With this in mind, we sit on our suitcases, getting everything possible crammed into that limited space!

The How of Stuff

It's a God thing from beginning to end...

1. The stuff appeared from here and there and everywhere! Sales (I didn't know crayons got so cheap!), friends (thank you!!!), business paraphernalia (we only need so many pens for ourselves)... Our family alone headed out with 10 suitcases, 70 pounds each!

2. How to get the stuff there... We were given special luggage allotments to bring in humanitarian aid. Would the airline actually honor that piece of paper? We huddled in the airport to pray when it was looking like the answer was, "No." Then God changed hearts; each and every piece got to its destination!

3. We might have looked like we knew what we were doing, but in reality, we didn't! We did our best to divide the gifts we had, but only God knew what was needed where. He directed our "warehouse" and what we brought with us each day. When one person didn't have what they thought they needed, someone else had something better!

Sorting Stuff

Serious work! All done on the severest of jet-lag.