Being Angry Can pay Dividends

There is so much to learn and not enough time to understand all that you see around you. The Jungle seems a far cry from the desert but that's where I've been for the past day. We took a five hour trip by bus to Ica. Ica is a city of around 300,000 people. It is in the Atacama desert. This is an area of olives and vines and nuts. It is also the area of Peru that was hit with an enormous earthquake in August 2007. The bus lacked air conditioning but it was busy as people came on and off with their luggage. Public buses are notorious working environments for thieves. I sit with Willie and Paul takes his seat across the passage for most of the journey, I'm listening to U2 on and off. I really connect with the new album, "No line on the Horizon". The song "Unknown Caller" is for me an amazing experience of Joy. This is something we all need a touch of today. Willie gives me a nudge we're nearly at our journey's end "Watch your bag" he says, "there's 'a tea leaf' behind you." I casually glance round. A boy in his teens dressed in white with a baseball hat pulled over his eyes is standing up behind Willie's seat. The bus stops the guy gets out the woman in front confirms he is a thief and that we've fortunately survived his attempt at robbing us. We finally arrive at the bus station. We grab a taxi and within a few minutes were meeting Augusto and Nancy. This couple have been seeking to integrate 40 children from off the street into a family unit. Before long there is real evidence that this is happening. The boys are busy with their homework when we arrive at the home about 11am. By 12 noon they are getting prepared to go off to school. They grab some lunch and move out to catch the school bus.                        During lunch I begin to remember the trip I made with Ken Jeffrey some three years ago. We were in a mini bus returning home from a ten day fact finding tour. Ken's an Irishman who doesn't mince his words. You'd think Ian Paisley was speaking as he shouts in my ear "I'm angry again Albert. I've not felt this angry in years. I need to do something to help these children." It all came back to me as the children were eating their lunch. Ken's anger had helped to move the hearts of Coupar Old to raise enough money to build a home. The children pray for Ken everyday. I'm sure he often thanks God for making him angry. I know at least 40 boys who are eternally grateful that God made him angry. I came away from the home encouraged that the children, some of whom suffered in the earthquake, now find themselves part of a new family

Recent Articles

0 Comments
Leave a reply