Emotional

Today was a difficult mini.stry day. The slum we visited was the worst one we have seen yet. The water conditions and amount of garbage was detestable like the other slums but here there were so many sick people and people without jobs or ways to feed their families. At one corner of the slum there is a Christian church run by an amazing pastor named Lydia. She tries to help her small congregation in the best ways she can but there is so much need. Our group from Perth joined with a group of youth from the city and after splitting into groups we went and prayed for some of Pastor Lydia's church members. At one home there was this poor man who developed epilepsy after his third child was born (he has 4 now) and then a month ago he had an accident in the kitchen and burned the side of his foot so horribly that it is still a HUGE gaping wound and is very infected. They were living in this tiny house in the slum and he cannot work so we prayed for him and his wife for healing and I even laid my hands around the wound but we didn't see anything miraculous right then. My faith is that when we go back in the next weeks we will hear that he was healed. We also prayed for this poor family that also helps with the church. They live right next to it and there side "yard" is a stagnant garbage filled waterway. They had 4 children as well but the mother was very sick with a high fever. As I was praying for her she was sweating through her clothing and we found out that even though she is sick she has to go to the bus station to sell food to make money for the family so the children can go to school and eat for a few days. I asked how much she would need so she could stay home and it only equaled 15 American dollars! FOR SCHOOLING and FOOD! She didn't ask but I felt to give her all I had in my wallet. It only equaled $3 but she was so overwhelmed that she started to weep. I can't imagine being that desperate. I was so saddened by their situation. Luckily we were able to pull together from our wallets all she needed so she could stay home for the night and rest.
This is a place where corruption and greed are taking people precious lives in their hands and squeezing them dry. The water is polluted because of large corporate factories dumping waste and a corrupt government that doesn't know how or care to support it's people. We are going to try and get petitions started to stop some of this waterway pollution but we will need your prayers. Please read this and take heart. Ask God how you can pray for these people and these situations. He made each of us and never desired any of us to live in such conditions. I know the kingdom of God can come in this place. No one can do it alone, but with Him, it is possible.