Fred says it mildly when he talks about our new friend from Ethiopia! Just to add my perspective.......
This woman is only 36 years old but looks 50. She was only 14 years old when her father and her mother were killed in front of her. She and her brother where both beaten and she was raped before they took her away and she has no idea to this day if her brother is dead or alive.
From my calculations she was in captivity for around 7 years, in who knows what kind of conditions, before she was released. She then somehow managed to get to Beirut, where she stayed for 3 years before coming to Turkey. She has lived in this indescribable squaller for over 12 years. Now her landlord says she has to leave because he "wants to improve the building and then get more rent". In my mind the only improvement that would work for this building is to be razed! It is a total fire trap, filthy beyond my imagination and infested with who knows what vermin, just to say the least!
But the REALLY bad thing is this: since the beating in Ethiopia she has had seizures. She calls it her "fainting sickness" and we can't explain to her what a seizure is. In my opinion, she has either lost cognitive function or she never had it in the first place. Her speech is disjointed and rambling, her eyes are vacant, she cannot follow a conversation or answer intelligibly. I asked her if she takes medication and she opened her broken drawer and pulled out a bag of blister packed Phenobarbitol that her friend brought from Egypt, "because they don't have it here". I'm really not sure if she takes it at all though because of the undisturbed nature of the packaging. Phenobarbitol is a very old medication that is so fraught with side effects that it is rarely used in the US or other developed countries any more. It is cheap, however and may indeed be her only option, but it scares me! It is possible that she cannot get it here.
She says she can't work even to clean houses because of her "fainting sickness". She can't work legally because she is not legal. She is completely dependent on the Church and begging. She has been on Church assistance for so long that the Branch Pres needs to cut her off. We have no idea how to help her! I could go on and on and on, but I do need to work on other stuff now. We are strongly cautioned not to get involved with persons like this or who are illegal, but GOSH.................
BE THANKFUL EVERY MINUTE for what you have. I'm sure there are millions around the world just like her. :-(
WOW. What a wake up to how good we have it here. It's almost unfathomable. Where do you start? Please keep us updated.
ReplyDeleteWe just read this to all of our kids for FHE. Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteI read this post days ago and have not been able to get it out of my mind. I can only imagine how you both feel being there. It must be so hard, especially with your knowledge of ways you could have improved her life years ago and prevented some of the pain and suffering. The Lord works in mysterious ways. I am sure He sent you there for more reasons than you will ever know. Love you!!
ReplyDeleteI think Heavenly Father has been trying to tell me something this week, and now I read this. It is unbelievable that someone like myself can wake up grumpy because... the sky is gray? Because I have a smart, loving husband who works a lot not only to provide for our family but to help people in dire situations?
ReplyDeleteWe will add her to our prayers. It makes me think I need to worry less about insignificant things like "dejunking my house" for the umpteenth time and more like sharing what I have-- and we all have more to offer than our material goods.
I love you. Thank you for these glimpses into your world.