While this lockdown has been restrictive and intense, by God’s grace and compassion for all humankind, my housemate recently learned in Sabbath School that the country’s social media platform allows locals to ask for help, and anyone who wishes may fulfill the need. So she decided to pick a request that was near our house. The message said, “Please help us. I am five months pregnant and was laid off from work. Anything you can give will help.”

As my housemate and the young lady exchanged messages, we learned her greatest need was food for her family. We filled a bag to overflowing with healthy fruits and vegetables, rice and oil, and we prayed before riding our motorbike through the winding and humid alleys while doing our best to clutch the large and heavy bag full of goods. As I was driving, I thought, What if the lady is a Christian and had been praying to God for help?

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a young, petite woman slowly walking to meet us. As she realized how much food we brought, she began leading us to her home at the back of the alley. Passing through a gate, we saw several doors opened to small rooms crammed next to each other, each occupied by several people. Her tiny one-room rental was the deepest inside, with no way for natural light to enter. In an apartment smaller than the average American living room, a queen-size bed took up most of the space, while an alcove managed to contain a kitchenette and a small washing machine. Perhaps keenly aware of the surroundings, but with a heart filled with appreciation, she shyly offered us seats on her bed along with a drink of water.

While we chatted, young neighborhood children would peek through her doorway, eager to see the foreigners sitting in her home. She told us that eight other families were neighbors in that tight corner block of rooms. We learned she had been employed in the human resources department of a company that closed due to the pandemic. To improve the situation for their family, she and her husband sent their first child to live with grandparents three hours away.

Noticing that the expectant wife looked three months pregnant rather than the actual five months she had been carrying her child, my housemate, who had some previous experience in midwifery in the Philippines, turned the conversation to proper nutrition. As they talked, a small poster above her washing machine caught my eye. There hung the unmistakable image of Jesus with a Bible verse beside Him. I nodded my head toward the poster for my housemate to notice.
“Are you Christian?” I asked.

“My husband is. He follows Jesus,” she responded.

We continued to visit and, before we left, we prayed with her. She thanked us. I could not help but imagine her husband had been praying and asking God for help. What were the chances that my housemate would choose the social media help request of a Christian when believers are not that common? Please pray for the salvation and earthly care of this young couple and those of their land.

Although things are certainly more challenging here than before, I realize that having my own bedroom, plenty of food and water, and being healthy, are substantial blessings. God has touched me with the thought that, no matter our situation, we have a heavenly Father who knows our name, knows where we live, and all those who live in our household. Likewise, in a time when division, strife and intolerance are continually erected as barricades throughout humanity, He provides opportunities for those filled with His love to move forward through those barricades, connecting with and helping so many who are starving for the knowledge of His love.

Thank you for being a continual source of strength and love. May God continue to bless you.

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