Thursday, July 23, 2009

He's not heavy, he's my brother!

This is another story that Lisa B., brought back from the Philippines. Lisa and Dan L. were visiting a school and handing out 'school kits' that American volunteers pack for distribution in developing countries. Each kit has six pencils, a scissor, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, three spiral notebooks and some construction paper in cloth bag.

When the students lined up to receive their bag one boy went over and picked up another boy who couldn't walk so he could be in the line. Lisa and Dan took them aside and got their story.

They are brothers that I will call Carlos and Jose'. Carlos is eight and Jose' is six. Jose' had polio and that left him unable to walk. So, everyday, Carlos carries Jose' to school, two hours down the mountain and every night he carries him two hours back up the mountain home again. As was true of most of the children neither had shoes. Now Carlos has made another decision, he's going to start school over again. He's going to do this so he can help Jose' by being in the same class. Carlos and Jose' were ecstatic about their new school supplies. Carlos said, "We only had one pencil which we shared. Now we each have six and that's enough to last us until we graduate. I've never had a notebook before."

God bless the people who pack school kits and God bless LWR! Check the website LWR.org

No comments: