The first week in Real Action was probably my favorite week. There was a plan, a goal and team all with the same purpose: to bring Glory to Christ. Over 100 people from all over Europe and even the states were there to work together and bring hope to Sandomierz. So many friendships were made and I think that forever all of us will look back on that week and know that the Lord was with us and blessed our work there.
The projects consisted of fence painting, playground
d cleaning, light post and railing painting and house/apartment renovating. The picture to the left is of the man whose house we cleaned. The conditions in which he lived were not humane. There was no toilet, no kitchen, spiders everywhere, no shower, no running water, garbage filled the house. This man seemed to be the poster child for being hopeless. We had the chance to share the love of Christ and clean his house, paint the walls, clean out and paint his room where there was tar on the ceiling and walls from a coal stove in his room.We hope to remain in contact with him through postcards and e-mails and to maybe see him next year we are there for Real Action 2010.
The following week we went back to Zakosciele and helped out at the camp. There were no PROeM camps during this time because there was a college group using the facility. This group have representatives from over 50 countries in Europe and were there to be trained to go back to their college campuses and lead other students to Christ. We had the chance to get to know some of them, and serve them in any way we could. It was during this week that we cleaned a house in a near by town.
This house belonged to elderly handicapped man who has been completely forgotten by society. Upon arriving to his house we all had to run out because the smell was so bad. There were flys every where, trash everywhere; filth everywhere. When we got there the man was sitting on his futon watching a polish sit com, wearing old cut off shorts, snow boots and no T-shirt. A pot belly was evidence of heavy beer drinking and minimal food intake. He could barley walk so his form of transportation was shuffling across the black floors.
The first mission was to throw everything away, and that we did. A group worked on the kitchen were there was pots on the stove with unidentifiable food plastered to the bottom. Some pan's only salvation was the garbage. Old packaged Matza bread was the only edible food insight. Aged apple cores decorated the living room with flys swarming around.
For the first hour or so he thought we were trying to steal his belongings even after multiple attempts of explaining what we were doing. He tried to get dressed when we realized he had company, however he didn't know how to. His collard shirt was inside out and his left arm never found the correct hole and resided with his neck in the larger hole stretching over his bony shoulder. I offered my services but his lack of English and understanding, and my lack of polish and understanding, nothing came of it.
He owned two refrigerators, only one occupied and working. This experience was one I did not partake in. When opened a smell filled the house that caused stomachs to turn, eyes to water and mouths to cough, that is to anyone new in the house. He had no problem drinking and beer and an old sandwich from this case. When some people attempted to clean it they found a rotten chicken, or chicken bones, at the bottom sitting in a pool of some liquid crawling with maggots. The rest of the items were unidentified but the worked had to cover their faces with cloth and hold their breath as they hosed it down.
Half way through the day we noticed a room attached to the kitchen, it was locked but keys were found on the accompanied window. We were all curious to see what was kept behind the locked door if the stuff in the open was that atrocious. To our surprise it was a bedroom that was cleaner than any of us could even imagine. It seems to have been untouched for years, but had to have been because of the lack of dust and dirt. A large teddy bear sat on a shelf overlooking dolls, an immaculate bed and carpet. We quickly shut the door afraid of upsetting our new friend and not having a chance to really inspect it. Shortly after someone noticed the calendars in his room, all still left on the year 2005.
The sheets in his cupboards were still clean and nicely folded, the sheets on his bed seem to have been soiled for years. Did some one leave him? Did they die? Could he possibly have absolutely no one to look after him? I found pictures on a shelf from years ago of him and a woman. Was this his wife? The only person in the world who cared? It amazes me that there was no justice for this man, this human. That he is completely content with living like this.
With only a couple more hours to go in the day he disappeared behind his barn of chickens and pigeons to return with a round yellow tub of green apples he picked from his tree. His main source of food. It was his way of saying thank you. A more sacrificing act then I have seen in many Americans, including myself.
We were able to bring him new groceries, clothes and bedding that day. And as we left we out a new shirt on him and his smile grew to a size I hadn't seen all day. He repeated as we left "its clean, its clean" with grateful eyes.
I left that afternoon with tears and a broken heart. What if this was my grandfather? My father? My brother? My husband? So hopeless, clueless, abandoned.
We returned several days later to bring him a new loaf of bread and a polish magazine with testimonies of people who found Jesus, praying that he will be able to read it and understand.
That experience is one that is in my mind every day, I pray Jesus rescues him from the pain he is living in and finds rest.
The third week was English camp. Fun times. I was in a cabin with 6 10 year old polish girls. So much fun. I couldn't understand them so much, and they couldn't understand me but I had a chance to give them hugs and show them I
was there for them, and for Jesus
These are the girls who were in my cabin. Laura, the girl in the snoopy shirt was the one who shared a room with me. We became friends. It was her first camp ever, and she had no friends. I was able to really relate to her so I befriended her. As the week went on she was able to be friends with all of the other girls and had such a great time. We are keeping in contact through e-mail and I hope to see her next year at camp!So many amazing times happened in Poland and I praise God for the opportunity, the support and friendships. God is so much bigger than we can imagine, His majesty, hope and power was displayed for this 3 weeks and I know it is continually displayed through PROeM and all of the believers there.
