Hands up...
- Lisa
- Feb 14, 2017
- 4 min read
Looking around the place we see a lot of needs. Sometimes it is hard not to feel over whelmed by it all. Where to start, who to help, when to help, how to help. As a person of faith I believe the people I meet along the way is never a mistake but one still has to be wise in what they do.
This in itself is a real challenge
I have a friend whom I have known a little while and am impressed by his work ethic, love for his family and desire to ensure they were well looked after. He has odd jobs around the town but nothing ever pays well. $25 a day doesn't go far with a growing family. Not to be discouraged he finds vacant sections and plants cassava or bananas and once harvested it supplements his income. We were yarning the other day and I
asked him how his crops were going. He was very happy because the growing season was going well. I asked him what tools he had and he said 'I just have a fork but I broke that yesterday'. So today I went to his house and said 'come we go shopping'.
I dropped him home a while later and he was armed with the necessary tools of the trade. 'Isa Lisa Vinaka I could never have been able to afford any of this. Now I can work very hard and look after my family'.
Footnote - We have just had very heavy rain and wind and unfortunately half his crops have blown over.
I caught up with my newspaper lady today who was sitting with her head in her arms looking very low.
Ted and I sat down beside her which always makes people stare at us coz a white lady sitting on a shop step is not seen here. My friend was feeling very unwell and worrying how she was going to pay for a script the hospital doctor had written out for her on Saturday. I quietly took it off her and went to the chemist. A mere $9.00 later and she had her pills. A couple cups of coffee for me and yet a weeks pay selling newspapers for her. I don't stop by often because I don't want her to become reliant on me and more often than not we just chat. The other day we were talking about her daughters school results, she was so happy because she had received good grades. I casually asked how was her uniform. Lady - Oh a bit small now. Me - How long has she had it. Lady - 3 years. She washes it every night and it is dry for the morning. Me - How much for a new uniform. Lady - $17.
So she now has several properly fitting uniforms which at 15 is important. It cost a weeks worth of coffees!
What I love about these conversations is there is never any asking and no expectations. I only get told if I ask and for some reason I feel the need to ask some pertinent questions at times.
Pack with a purpose had a who new slant the other day. A water slide purchased at an end of summer sale for a few dollars back in NZ provided endless entertainment for a bunch of young lads.
LHR is all about 'hands up' more than 'hand outs'. Sometimes a hand out is the best option to cure an immediate need. However in this instance it is definitely a hand up. Being able to rely on the expertise of my good friend Terri Walker meant I was able to purchase a sewing machine recently for a family to set up a sewing business.
Their daughter is going to require surgery overseas and they are prepared to do what they can to raise the necessary funds.
Those who know me would appreciate my need for Terri.
I get about as close to a sewing machine as a lion tamer does to a lion!
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My lovely friend who requires the surgery.
Ted and I recently visited our lovely Angel Rimsha. We shared a meal together and talked about the future for Rimsha. August see's the family heading back to India for Rimshas 3rd surgery. This is a major one and they will be required to stay in India for 3 months. We are still look for funds to help get them there so any ideas for fundraising please don't hesitate to contact me. lisa@lhr.co.nz
Living here in Fiji has meant we have met all sorts of people from many different cultures either locals or expats. We have managed to create quite a network of people who have at different times been able to assist the work of LHR. One such couple is Joel and Terri Shafer who are here under their own funding (which means they have to learn live on the smell of an oily rag.)They are a great team with a huge skill base between them. Terri is skilled in many things medical as a qualified scrub nurse, ambulance officer and even fire fighter. She is at present the Fiji 'go to person' for the Loloma Foundation. An American non profit org who has been travelling to Fiji for the past 12 years doing surgical and dental work. (www.lolomafoundation.org)
Husband Joel can turn his hand to anything that needs fixing. Electrical, mechanical, building, plumbing he is your man for the job. They rumble around in an old Toyota Surf with the windows down because it has no aircon and travel all over the country being the biggest blessing ever to many.
Yesterday they were helping me out by wiring up a house with some basic lighting, something our local family couldn't have afforded in years.
www.hisworkourhands.org is their website head on over and check them out.
Volunteers are love in action.
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