The Procession of the Beds: Part 1 – praying, preparing and purchasing

On March 10^th of this year I shared with you one of the most difficult moments of my January trip to Korah; when I entered a compound where many lepers and families were living in horrific conditions and in desperate need of beds. Our prayers were answered within a few short weeks when many of you came together, desiring to make a difference in this community and enough funds were raised to purchase all of the needed beds.

A number of the lepers sleeping on makeshift beds in the compound,

the elder on the right sleeps on the floor.

So, in contrast to January, a highlight of my April trip was returning back to this same compound with the beds, mattresses, blankets, sheets and pillows that God has provided through you:

Shortly after arriving in Korah, I accompanied the Great Hope Charities leaders as we went door to door throughout the compound reassessing each home to determine exactly what was needed in each dwelling. We had to consider the space very carefully as each home is overcrowded yet small in size, leaving little room for more than one bed and in

which case we planned for extra mattresses that families could place on the floor at night. As we wandered door to door, meeting with each household, the children seemed to pour out of the woodwork. I am still not certain exactly how many people are living in this compound, but we did end up purchasing 58 pillows; one for each of the older children and adults.

The roads leading from the shelter to the compound...

Conditions in the compound:

Eleven Families Live in this room (above)

...the roof lines are so low, one must be careful not to slice one's head.

SHORT VIDEO CLIP:

Since January, Adana has been sick and unable to walk the

rough terrain to the Children's Shelter for lunch....

Yet, in spite of illness and harsh circumstances,

he still has a song in his heart....

The day following the assessments, we began to hit the Addis markets to purchase all of the new beds and bedding. This was quite an experience in itself! It ended up taking a few days to complete all of the purchases. Below are a few photos, capturing some of my favourite shopping moments…

AT THE BLANKET STORE...