Hey Friend,
Yes, I am a day late in posting for my blog this week. That is because I have been incapacitated with an episode of depression and OCD anxiety. Fortunately they do not come as often, but still they come. I know, first hand, the deep darkness that comes with mental illness and I pray that someday the stigma of it will be erased....
But, I digress. Even in my period of wearing the "grey glasses" as I call them, I still have gone to sleep and awakened in my nice comfy bed. Though hunger eludes me when I feel like this, I still can look into a stocked fridge and pantry to find something to my liking. I don't have the fear that I will be turned out into the streets because I am just one more expensive mouth to feed.
I see children merrily playing in the street and in the school yard nearby. They are happy and smiling because they are enjoying what they are meant to enjoy - their childhood. I know, however, many places where that is not the case for children. The children I know are made to go to work by their families at a very early age...hard manual labor like brick laying...in order to help support their family. In very desperate times, they may be sold into slavery or when they reach the right age (perhaps 11 or 12) they can begin selling themselves.
This is not fiction; this is real life in Pakistan. Wait, Pakistan is not an "in vogue" place to send money to offer hope to those who don't know if they will make it to see tomorrow. It is an Islamic state and well, I just can't help there.
But, what if there was a grass roots effort to begin a school - Redeemer Christian School - that will exist to do just that, redeem the lost? What if young children would have a safe place to come to in order to get a meal and to learn to read and write, be off the streets and get to hear about the good news - the love of Jesus Christ for them.
One need only to read the headlines in the paper to know that the world is coming apart at the seams.
I am going to offer you the opportunity to give life, literally, and bring light to a dark corner of the world. It won't break your bank. I'm not asking for much. But, I pray that you will not forget or pretend that it doesn't exist.
Once again I offer you the $10. (yep that's it) challenge to get Redeemer Christian School up and running.
$10. is all I ask. Some have asked why don't we have a website? After much prayer we hesitate to post a website for a Christian school in a country that doesn't tolerate Christians well. This my friends is where we need to tread lightly. This is why I personally collect the funds and wire them directly to my son and brother in Christ in Pakistan.
I beseech you to send $10. cash or write a check to:
Bev Rihtarchik (put the words Redeemer Christian School) in the memo line.
Send it c/o me to: 103 Silver Lining Lane, Cary, NC 27513
Then I ask you to pray, Pray, PRAY!!
Those who know me and know my heart, know that this is not a scam. I would not risk putting my name and address out there if I wasn't passionate about building this school. This is the real thing. I lose sleep every day that goes by that I can't send funds to buy needed materials like Bibles, books, table, chairs, computer, etc. If we all gave just a little bit, together we could make such a big difference.
And so I leave this in your hands to decide what you are going to do or not do. I thank you for reading this and I pray that you will send just $10. to fuel hope for the future for these deserving children. Be blessed...
In His love,
Bev
ps, Include your email address if you would like to be sent pictures of just what your $10 is doing... next week I will be back to posting my regular blog...
