what if that were you? would you want them to pass you by?

I would like to introduce you to a new friend of mine, Christie Cotney. She is leaving soon (this month soon!) to travel to Uganda on a missions trip. While she's there, Christie will be spending time in a village named Bugabo in the Luwero District of Uganda. Witchcraft is practiced in this village, and along with it comes superstitions that either send adults or children out with the boot, just because of a health condition they may have, etc. The water supply here in the Bugabo village is like that of many other villages in the area - nonexistent. Can you imagine not being able to give your young child clean water? Or what about being dehydrated and malnutritioned yourself and unable to feed your newborn baby crying in your arms? What if there was someone out there who could help you? But instead of doing so, they chose to say your problem doesn't exist, or someone else will help them? What if YOU were that woman? that child? that baby? just what if...

Christie is leaving soon, and she is just $840 short of what is needed to provide a well for the people of Bugabo village. Will you pray about giving toward the money needed for the new well? Will you pray that people's hearts are moved for these people of Bugabo village? Someone needs to stand up for the injustice in the world, and then there are those who have to GO and help them. If you don't feel called to GO, then we as believers should be willing to assist those who do. Who knows? This well may provide a village person to ask whomever is digging the well, "Why are you doing this for us? Why do you care?" That, my friends, could be an open door for them to hear about Jesus. Just maybe that person could become saved and touch other people in Bugabo village. Just maybe. But how can that happen without the means to provide a well for them?

And this isn't just my opinion. It is clearly stated in Matthew 25.

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

And how the good Samaritan passage in Luke 10? Will you pass them by? If you can't hear their cries for help, ask Him to help you hear. Because the cries are there, we're just acting like we dont' hear them.

If you want to help these people, visit Christie's blog (i have a link at the beginning of this post). She has a paypal and she could give you a P.O. Box if you prefer snail mail.