Thursday, December 16, 2010

Christmas Blessings!!!

This year for Christmas, HFA chose to bless 5 random widows and their families living near Monrovia, Liberia, with gifts of things that they so desperately need. Chris, our worker there, found 5 of the neediest people near his village. Each family received a mattress, a chicken, some rice, shoes, clothing, and kitchen items. We praise the God of the universe, Who knows each one of these people by name, that we were able to share Christ's love with them this Chirstmas in such a tangible way!
Here are the families with a brief story of their current situations:



This is Sarah Ballah. She is a widow who lost her husband in the war in 1990. She has one daughter and the other girl who lives with her is an orphaned child she found that was lost in the war in 1994. She took this girl in to live with her. In order to earn a little bit of money to buy food to live, Sarah plants potatoes for other people.



This is Quatai Dolo. She is a 68 year old widow and mother of 7 children of which only 3 are still alive. She and her husband fled to Monrovia in the war in the 1990's and he died of old age in 2008. She is trying to make a living by washing some of the neighbour's clothes. Her oldest daughter died about a year ago during childbirth. Her only living daughter has mental problems and keeps getting pregnant from men who she never sees again. Life is hard for Quatai as this leaves her to raise these fatherless grandchildren on her own.




This is Julia Weah. She is a single mother of 4, but sadly 2 of her children died a few months ago from sickness. She washes other people's clothes to get money for food, which has been scarce for them. She was recently told by her landlord to leave the house she is living in because she cannot afford to pay the rent for just one room. Her parents were killed in the war in the 1990's.




This is Oldma Kemah Tarnue. She is a widow raising her 4 grandchildren who were orphaned after their parents died in 2003. Oldma and her husband fled to Monrovia in 1994 due to massive looting and killing of elderly people and youth. In 1999 they tried to return to their village but they were stopped by rebels who were demanding food. They had none to give so the rebels cut her husband's throat right in front of her.




This is Gbassie Zinnah, a widow who lives in poverty with her niece, her only living relative. The rest of her family were all killed in their village during the war so she has remained in Monrovia as she had no one to go to.