Friday

Word Made Flesh is committed to serving those who are most vulnerable amoung the poor.



The Casa Valle in Galati has focused on working with kids who are at risk for living on the streets. The center is in the low income part of this 225,000 person city, and the kids who are part of the program can get tutoring, meals, showers, among other help. The staff are committed to the community and helping the kids in a holistic manner.


So how do I react with kids on the streets who are begging? Will some change really help their livelihood? Do I offer food? I can't hold a conversation or suggest being a part of Casa Valle because I can't speak the language yet. We are reading Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, and more than an ideal book about how we in the West should spend our resources, the questions and stats given in this book have a face for me.



The fact is, I may not have much, but I have money.



Friday night Caitlin and I were walking back from babysitting and were meeting the rest of our Servant Team and Robin at a restaurant. A boy, probably about 8 or 9, came up and was begging. I looked at him in the eyes but kept walking. I didn't give any of the change in my pocket. Was that humanizing? What that right? Shouldn't I have given him something? Even if giving change doesn't answer the problem, was my interaction respectful? Very little separates this young boy that followed us for a block from Cristi or Vanush or Alex or Christina at Casa Vale. And the little isn't a matter of money. Opportunity, maybe? I would give anything to keep those kids off the streets. Why is it different for this boy? Or the kids begging in front of church this morning?



The restaurant, it turns out, was pretty fancy. The place setting kind of looked like the cover of Rich Christians.



I don't have an answer.



Much love,

Annie