SunFlowerTrust SunFlowerTrust
I wanted to go to
Bangladesh for many years, so having the
opportunity to go this year was a dream come true. The many
orphans that
are there left every year, after the annual floods, just keep growing
in
number.
Bangladesh may be one
of the poorest countries in the world, but
its rich in history, and culture. It is Gods Country. The people are
ready and
open for The Gospel. It was surprisingly free, and I did not
feel
intimidated at any time. God was with me, all the time.
...
The Churches are very
free, and the Christians can worship quite freely. I felt so
privileged, as I
worshipped in the Church, and the Bible School with my Brothers and
Sisters, in
Christ. I was able to give out Bibles and Prayer Books. The Sacrifice
Trust,
allowed me to give my testimony, and a Word for The Lord. The Holy
Spirit is
moving in this Nation, and people are learning about Jesus, and the
power of
His Holy Spirit, bringing love and release, and repentance to the up
and coming
young ones of this Country.
...
The Bangladeshi people are a very beautiful and kindly, and hospitable people.
I was received by The Sacrifice Trust, Philip
Sagar
and his team, in Dhaka, with a very warm welcome. I went to assess the
situation with the street children, and the orphans of the cyclone. On
the second
day I was there, I had opportunity to take 3 classes in a village
school in the
village of Riapora. The head teacher, let me take English classes, and
the
children were so receptive, as I sung, head shoulders, knees, and toes,
over
again, until, they all knew it off by heart. The teachers, and the
children,
had never seen a European before. Again I was the first English person
in a
place where no-one had ever been before. Life is very basic out in
these
villages, and I was able once again to give out Education supplies, to
the
school.
...
I rode on a motorbike, to reach these villagers, and all the
women and children came out to meet me. They were all happy to give me
rice,
and mango. There were many children, who were undernourished, and they
looked
very thin, so did the women. The sun beats down very hard, as the women
go
gleaning in the fields, for a handful of corn.
The amount of street children, in Dhaka, was quite over whelming, but I was so happy to see the young men and women of Dhaka, eagerly ready to help them. There were so many poor and disabled children begging on the streets, it was heart wrenching. It seems I didn’t know where to start, but Philip Sakar and his team, showed me around Dhaka, with every care and consideration for my welfare. Dhaka is a city with so many people, and like so many other Asian Cities it is heaving at the seams, as villagers flock to the city to look for ways to earn money. There is a shortage of rice, and people were queuing all day, just for a small kilo of rice.
In the two weeks I was there I covered a
lot of
the country. I was able to travel by local bus, and auto-rickshaw,
the 7
hours, up to the NE of Bangladesh, to the borders of Assam. Here it is
India,
and very famous for the tea-plantations. The region was very rural, and
paddy
fields, dominated the horizon. I was able to see the flooded
areas,
and see the land still covered with blankets of water. This spoils
the
rice fields, and some times the rice shoots have to be uprooted, and
replanted,
a very backbreaking job, and time consuming. Roads were being
resurfaced, with
women carrying heavy loads of broken bricks on their heads, I cried for
them. I
saw children working in the fields, and in the factories. There is 70%
illiteracy in the whole country, as people can not afford education.
The
average life expectancy is 57, and people age very quickly, because of
the
harsh conditions. What was once a rich country, when it belonged to the
British
Empire, is now stripped and desolate. We left money for food, and
some
medical supplies. The education packs was given out to two schools.
We are buying a little house for a lady, who is hosting 5 children. It’s in the village near Narsingdi, and costs 3000 pounds. This is the start of our project, where we will set up a women’s care surgery, and house 5 orphans, and we intend to work along with the local elders, to improve the sanitation, and get the clinic going. Its a start, and where there’s a start, there has to be a middle and a finish, but we will continue to do very effort, to make a difference in the lives of these beautiful people. We respect their cultures, and customs, as most of them are Muslims, but we want to cross these boundaries by showing our love, and compassion. There is no law against such action, in any country, so we move forward, with great respect, and expectation.
Where ever we put the souls of our feet............. God keeps His promises.