What do you really value and love?
When it comes to material things and lifestyle most of us will use a very important word to describe how we feel. 'LOVE'. ‘I love those shoes’….’I love the way these jeans make me feel a bit thinner!’ ….’I love going on holiday’…..I love my car!’ These things are undoubtedly real blessings and bring us so much happiness, contentment and security. Our cars and homes, that wardrobe full of clothes (three quarters of which we never use), kitchen cupboards full of food, trips to the cinema and holidays abroad. It’s so easy to say “they’re only material possessions, it’s people I really care about” when we have everything we need!
On a recent monitoring trip we had the opportunity to spend the day with and get to know a young orphanage leaver. Until recently he’d lived in an orphanage where the carers provided him with 3 meals a day, a bed with bedding and clothes when he needed them. He had the basics but not one single thing he used or needed on a daily basis EVER belonged to him.
When we travel to Russia our team members and accompanying supporters travel only with hand luggage. a) to keep costs down and b) to use the hold luggage space for items we need to pass on to people in need. One particular day while we were there, we were assisting a Love Russia Mentor in helping the young lad move into a different Transition Home. We were stunned at the fact he only had 1 small carrier bag with a few items that belonged to him. No spare pair of shoes, no box containing household items. There were certainly no luxuries such as a bike or even a football.
It broke our hearts that our small travel bags were twice the size of all his worldly possessions; the things that we openly admit we ‘love’ because they bless us with happiness, contentment and security. This shy, unconfident boy had no such blessings. Could you cope if everything you had in the world was downsized to the contents of a small carrier bag?
What should we love?
These young orphanage leavers need our love. Without it they will continue to have nothing. Love from their Mentors means they can prepare for and learn about the world that is so scary and complex for an orphanage leaver.
Love and prayers from all of us means that the Mentors can do their work knowing they are supported. We cannot stress how important your contributions are in continuing to love orphanage leavers.
Please visit our Alternative gift pages if you feel this is something you’d like to help with. These Gifts for young people can be given all year round to help meet the need for basic but essential items they don’t yet own.