I'm Thankful For Fruit

Below is this week’s update from some friends of ours, Nate & Barbie. They are missionaries in South Asia. I’ve asked their permission to share and kept the content just as they wrote it. The abbreviations and misspellings are on purpose so as to not draw attention to themselves for security purposes. It was very humbling to me when I read this. Once again, I am moved to ponder all that God has so graciously given us. So, I’m thankful for fruit. I have three bunches of beautiful bananas and a bag of apples and oranges in my kitchen right now. We are having some friends over for breakfast in the morning so some of them will be eaten. But there are only five of us in our family and chances are some of it will be thrown out if we don’t eat it quickly enough or use it to bake with. We are blessed and will probably never have to go without fruit.

“Went to the next-door slum/garbage-picker colony to share fruit with the kids and songs about JC again...

Our family enjoys going out to the community next door each month. We try to give them something nice, and sing to the crowd about JC. It’s just hard to try to make sure each child gets just one piece of fruit - and then to realize there is not near enough to go around anyway!.. The grimy mass of arms and hands reach up, grasping, straining, each one connected to a dirty little face, with bright expectant eyes. You can imagine any one of them thinking...,

"Something different! These strangers came again, and are giving fruit today. Maybe I'll get one. I hope there'll be enough! This is fun. We don't understand these people very well, but they sing to us, too. I understand some words. But, I hope I get one of those fruits. Most of my day is spent running around our colony, in and out of the rows of huts made out of trash. We play games. I also spend a lot of time sorting through bags, peeling labels off of plastic bottles, and helping pile the stuff that's no good in the corner. Its pretty dirty here, but we're ok. And, I hope I get some fruit. My head itches a lot. And sometimes my stomach hurts - bad. But, I always eat my rice. We don't get much else. Hardly ever get fruit. And my clothes are too big - and dirty. I hope to get some other clothes to change into soon. But, good clothes don't come along very often. People just don't throw 'em away. But, maybe I'll get a piece of fruit! None of us can read - but we can find the good stuff in the trash. That's what we do, and mom and dad don't think we can do anything else. We don't get to go to school - mom and dad never did. So, they don't care whether we go or not. If we had the money to go, the school might not let us in anyway. Most people treat us like animals. But, I like fruit! There are a lot of us kids here. Some will get two fruits, if they can. There's not always enough. And sometimes I don't... Well, not this time, either. Maybe next time. Maybe, next time..."

Be thankful this week. Be thankful!”


This is a prayer that they have asked us to pray for the children of South Asia. Before you click the “x”, please pray for our friends, for their safety and the work they are doing and for the children of South Asia.

"Pr that every child in [south Asia] will soon hear about a Saveur who wants to carry them."