23rd January

Well, this little girl is about 9, she is called Laxika. She can't straighten her legs and they are very weak and deformed. She either crawls of walks crouched very slowly and unbalanced, and she has serious learning disabilities. Most of the day she day dreams, especially if she has work in front of her, its very hard to get her to do write and snap her out of it!!!
She is a great little girl, she is always smiling, laughing and loves to be around people. She loves to play and sing and bang on the tambourine and do her chores in the classroom even if it takes her so much more time and effort than some of the others. She doesn't have a wheelchair but that doesn't stop her getting around!

On the 2oth of January, her father, the only bread winner in the family of 4, got hit off his bike by a car. He died. Laxika has a younger brother about 6-7, the mother doesn't work and has to look after the children, and Laxika is dependant on her.
This is the story of only one family...... there are many here in the same survival mode situation. There is nothing here that seems to help the very poor. Most of the children in the class are poor and most don't even get 2 meals in a day. There is a girl who comes who is very autistic and lives with her grandmother and both are just so so thin.....and these are families that aren't even touched by the war.... there are so so many more who are in need of some serious help.
I was told that all the teachers were going to the 'funeral' on the 22nd,but when we got there, a few at a time we went into this little outdoor room where we had to stay there for a few minutes, and inside was the father, just lying there all in white, hands together, fingers interlocked....it was a surprise for me as I wasn't expecting to see him there, and it was the first time I saw a deceased person......

At first I was getting a little confused at why it seemed like I was just mixing with the middle class and the rich when I got to Sri Lanka and Colombo, when what I really have on my heart is the poor, but then I have been thinking, that rich Christian's who know God, who lead God filled lives, who trust and live according to his will, are precious, and they are able to financially and spiritually help the poorer people. If the rich here don't get reached, then there is a lot of money not directed to the right places.... and God has given me the possibility of being able to get to the youth, teach them Godliness and how to have a personal relationship with God, and know his love and his compassion and then they will go out amongst the poor too, then the number of those helping will be multiplied and will be strong. The rich who do not know God are just as poor or poorer than the physically poor, and we mustn't neglect one or the other.