Push aside all thoughts and feelings inside your head for a moment and ask yourself two questions.
1. What would make your life better?
2. What would you be willing to do to achieve it?
Maybe family came to mind- being able to spend more quality time with the ones you love. Maybe adventure came to mind- traveling to explore and see new sights. Maybe money came to mind- being able to afford a bigger house, a nicer car, the newest iPhone or shoes. All of these things are pretty feasible and within reach.
But now imagine your home has been bombed by the military, your town has been besieged, your country has been stormed by ISIS as well as cut off from all food and supplies, and you are now fleeing a war zone….. your answers might be slightly different.
A better life is a life in safety. It’s a life in dignity. A better life means not having your house bombed, not fearing being kidnapped. It means being able to send your children to school, go to university, or just find work to be able to provide for yourself and the ones you love. A better life would be a future of some possibilities compared to nearly none, and that’s a strong motivation. And I have no trouble imagining that after spending weeks or even months living on the streets or in a horrible makeshift camp, most of us would be willing to do just about anything.
Over twelve million individuals have made the decision to abandon everything they own, know, and love in search of a better life. They may not know how, where, or when they will reach it, they may not even know if they will achieve it, but they know they must try. They know it is worth the risk because they no longer have any other option- and that is desperation; but it is reality.
Option is defined as, “The opportunity or ability to choose something or to choose between two or more things”.
Desperation is defined as, “A state of despair, typically one that results in rash or extreme behavior”.
When does an option turn into desperation?
So what’s next? What can we do?
We can pray.
Pray for separated families
A nine year old boy was standing in line alone and sobbing, when asked where his parents are, he replied he did not know. He explained that he saw them on the rubber raft as they made their way across the water together but he could not find them on the beach, walking up to the camp, or in the line. He was alone, he had nothing. He was soaking wet without food, money, identification, and family.
Pray for parents whose children did not survive the journey
A van quickly slammed on it’s breaks outside the camp fence as two medics jumped out holding something small, dripping wet, and wrapped in a foil blanket. As they ran to the medical tent, they yelled for everyone to get out of their way. One medic stepped outside the tent to shout to get dry clothes for a baby, quickly. After running back with dry clothing, we quickly peeled the soaking wet clothing off of the baby as the medics attempted to save her life. After what seemed like forever, I stared at this precious child whose life was taken too soon by the ruthless sea.
Pray for those traveling in the water
These rubber rafts are meant for 10-12 people but smugglers will put upwards of 50-60 people on a single raft. More times than not, the small engine will not be able to make it from shore to shore- leaving the individuals stranded in the sea. The coast guard is not allowed to intervene unless the individuals are in distress. This means someone will puncture the raft to make it sink and then everyone is left to fend for themselves for up to 10 minutes in the open water. The water is at freezing temperatures and most people do not have life jackets. This is especially dangerous for infants and small children who cannot swim or survive the harsh water and temperatures.
These rafts are also very unstable. We received a call around 11pm one evening that a raft had crashed into a rock wall, tipping the raft and all who were in it; at the base of the rock wall were clusters of sea urchins. Countless individuals were then forced to make their way to the camp bloody, with broken feet, ankles, and legs, and with 4 inch urchin spikes in their bodies.
An old and unsteady boat made to fit 100 people was filled with almost 600 people. It capsized and 300 people went missing and 11 infants were found dead. We were not told the death count of children or adults.
Pray for peace over the camp
The camp is built to house 200-300 people, but as winter quickly approaches the number of refugees has reached 4,000-5,000 on a daily basis. Chaos is only moments away most days. Death has come to be an all too common thing.
Pray for a miracle
This is the largest crisis within the world today;
1.7 million people were affected by Hurricane Katrina
3.5 million people were affected by Haiti Earthquake
5.0 million people were affected by Indian Ocean Tsunami
12.0 million people are affected by Syrian crisis
But in all of this disaster, God says, For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways, Psalm 91:11 and there is hope.
