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Reflections on a Wandering Life.....

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Sunday. The volunteers got together this morning and had a little time of fellowship. This little group of Christians is pretty impressive. You know, it's one thing for someone like me to spend a few days in a camp with no electricity and no shower, but these kind folks have been living here for several weeks, conducting a summer school program for the neighborhood children, and cooking without the benefit of refrigeration. It's pretty impressive. They are amazingly well organized. Their camp is set up on the floor of what used to be the home of one of the middle school students I talked to. Just a group of tents, and a small stove for cooking. Lots of bottled water brought in by other members of the team who shuttle back and forth from Minyang. With all the work these ladies had to do, they still insisted on doing my laundry for me.

Perhaps the most visible evidence of their presence is the tent school they have set up for neighborhood children. The earthquake disrupted the school year for these kids, so anything that can be done to help them catch up is helpful. But just keeping them busy must be a big help to the community, because these kids have lost their homes. They live in tents, and don't really have a place to hang out during the day. Giving them a place to go and something to do is a kindness to a community that is so preoccupied with just getting by as they begin the arduous process of putting their lives back together. Beyond this, though is the fact that university entry is highly competitive in China. These kids are at a disadvantage to begin with. Anything that can be done to give them a "leg-up" is more than welcome. The presence of these kind people who are willing to live in such adverse conditions to extend a helping hand is really a gift from heaven.

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