Tambo De Mora
Over the past 2 days our teams have
been getting to know some of the residents of a refugee camp in Tambo
De Mora. Just to recap, Tambo De Mora was a prosperous fishing
village that was hit the hardest by the earthquake in August 2007.
Literally thousands of families have lost their homes and family
members, their lives have been devastated. About 300 families have
been moved to a dirt field and they have put up make-shift shelters.
Families receive 9 kg of rice and 1 can of tuna per person per
month… did you catch that? PER MONTH. There are not even promises
being made to bring hope. They will soon be pushed off of this
privately owned land. They have no where to go. Some of the families
who owned land before the earthquake don’t even have the option of
rebuilding on their land because a tsunami has come inland and the
ocean is now covering what would have been their only hope at
starting over. Millions of dollars have been donated for the cause,
but has somehow been withheld by the government.
We have taken the initiative to get in
the middle of all the caos and bring some life to the situation. We
are getting to know the families.We are spending time listening to
their stories, hearing their hearts, and offering our comfort and
love. We are taking time to research our options for also making a
practical difference in their living situation. We are in
communication with Government and key people in the area to find the
best resources out there.
3 days days ago was our first full day
in the camp. We walked around talking with people. Everyone has
offered their story, knowing it’s an opportunity for others to hear
of the injustice that has been taking place. It is also a good way to
help them process all the greif that has taken place.
At one point during the day a lady came
to us asking if we would come pray with her sister who was sick with
cancer, as we began to walk towards the house, the lady received news
that her sister just died. Shock gripped her body and she fainted,
leaving her in the care of others we ran to her sister’s house.
Another World Race team arrived just minutes before us and were
present at the time of her death. In those treacherous moments God
rose up within us and called us to immediate prayer. Gathered outside
the make-shift house we prayed for life, to be honest we were all
praying for the woman to be raised from the dead and be miraculously
healed. I have never prayed so hard in my life. I have never prayed
so loud either, but it was necessary to bring hope in between the
screams of pain and shock from family members. We did not see the
miracle of complete healing take place, we all have peace that God
was with us and His will was done. The next day we visited the family
and brought our condolences to them, it also brought some closure for
us. I did not expect that on our first day of putting our feet into
the water of ministry, we would be faced with such a tragedy. I
praise God for showing up with abundant love for this family in their
loss, they were incredibly grateful for our presence and response.
Please keep them in your prayers.
We also had the chance to do a VBS for
the children. They loved it! And so did we! We played games, sang
song and taught a bible story. The children did not want it to end.
They are so precious. God has such a special place in His heart for
these kids and I can feel it. One special girl, her name is Mafair
(i’m not sure of the spelling). Something about her spirit is so
alive amidst such hardship and struggle, she is still just a child at
heart, who wants to laugh play and smile every moment of the day.
Here are some pictures of my time with her.
On the other hand there is Mafair’s
brother or cousin, we haven’t quite figured this out or how to
properly say his name, but he is the complete opposite of Mafair. He
is about 2 years old and is always by himself, often crying and
refusing any comfort other than from an older boy (either brother or
cousin). I maybe saw him smile once and his security is clearly in holding a toy. He always holds a toy tightly. My heart breaks when I
see this boy, I wish he could be free to be himself, playing,
laughing and interacting with those around him. There is deep pain in
his eyes, he holds a story that he is incapable of telling. Please
stand with us in prayer for the saving of his soul, that he would be
freed from the generational oppression that is evident in his life
and family. I talked about his family in my last blog, his
sister/cousin we prayed for and his Grandparents are deaf/mute.
Praise you Father for the great work
you are bringing into the lives of the families in Tambo De Mora.
Father you are beyond capable of redeeming what has been lost. Jesus
let your love and grace pour out into this situation. Help us find
favor with key people in getting sample practical things
accomplished. Thank you Jesus for my friends and family at home who
have, and continue to show me incomprehensible love and support.
Praise you God, for you are good.
