공지사항
Bangaldesh Prayer Letter 58
After Ramadan, life in Bangguk returned to its previous routine. And once again, on June 28th (Wednesday), the sacrificial ritual called Gorvand will begin. In every household, the Imam (Islamic religious leader) blesses the cattle such as cows and goats, and then they are slaughtered and distributed to neighbors. The smell of blood fills the neighborhood. We will observe how long this ritual will continue. It is believed that by transferring one’s sins to the animals and offering them as sacrifices, atonement is achieved through this act of faith, but how long will this belief persist…
“It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4)
Agape current situation:
- May 14th (Sunday) was Mother’s Day in Bangguk.
We invited mothers who have always worked hard with their hearts and bodies to take care of our children. Our children sang songs, danced, and shared homemade snacks with them.
The outstanding mothers recognized were Mother Sipat from Agape School and Mother Ali from the nursery. We gave them pearl necklaces as gifts. We also gave each mother and staff member 2 liters of cooking oil as a present.
Even though they were small gifts, I was delighted to see how happy they were.
“Mother of Excellence Award – Mother of the Year / An exceptional person who has diligently escorted her child to school with care for 10 years.
Baeli is giving a flower directly made by the teacher as a gift to his mom.
Nursery teacher, Libi, received cooking oil as a gift and had a joking expression… (laughs)”
- There was an outbreak of chickenpox and measles among the children at the center.
Initially, one child had chickenpox, and then it started spreading to two or three children at a time, with each one falling ill for 1 to 2 weeks. Recently, Raja had a severe case and was isolated at home, but he recovered in just two weeks. After that, Daha developed the symptoms, and the chickenpox situation has been resolved for now.
- We had a mango party because we received sponsorship funds from a pastor. We bought 35 kilograms of mangoes and enjoyed them to our heart’s content.
Mangoes are called “Ah-am” in the local dialect. (laughs) Everyone loves this fruit.
We buy fresh mangoes and keep them for a day before cutting and eating them. (laughs) I forgot to take pictures of the children because I was too busy eating. Both the school and nursery enjoyed the mangoes to the fullest.
We plan to have another round before the vacation. Thank you. By the way, the best-tasting mangoes are the Bangguk mangoes.
The mangoes are waiting for us in front of the kitchen~~~ (laughs) Let’s wait~~~
- Starting from the next semester, we are considering starting basic woodworking and home appliance repair classes for children aged 16 and above, instead of life education.
These kids are growing up, and they will soon enter adolescence, as they may laugh and not listen to us. (laughs)
During lunchtime, they wash their hands and instead of using hair gel, they wet their hair to create a cool style. They are becoming adults, aren’t they?
Initially, we will start with activities like nailing, removing, and screwing to make small things, and gradually educate them to a level where they can repair some household items that are broken.
During life education – Dressing and undressing
- It’s too hot.
With temperatures fluctuating between 39 degrees Celsius, the heat index is reaching 44-45 degrees Celsius. Even when the children go home, it’s too hot for them to sleep at night. Moreover, we experience power outages several times a day, lasting for over an hour each time. Without electricity, there is no running water, so it’s a complete disaster. Everyone is going through extremely challenging times. Thankfully, the Agape Center is slightly cooler compared to the other makeshift houses with metal roofs on the 1st and 2nd floors of a 5-story building. We can endure for about an hour with a few light bulbs and fans powered by a generator, but it’s still incredibly difficult. This year, we haven’t had any rain, so there’s no way to escape the heat. Everyone’s eyes are half-closed due to the situation. It feels like we’re experiencing a situation similar to Sri Lanka a few months ago. And then, the country faced a crisis… Although we were told that Bangguk was fine, the reality doesn’t seem so promising.
The intense heat is causing the children and staff to suffer from heat exhaustion, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
6. We have to move out of the house we were using as Home 2 (where Laza and Poyez resided).
The landlord is asking us to leave… Oh Lord… Even though we clean with bleach, they say it still smells, so we ended up deciding to move out. We have contracted one of the places we had looked at. It has two rooms, but there’s no toilet seat, so we need to do some construction before moving in.
- We are also planning to move Lakip’s house.
When it rains, the water floods up to 20 centimeters in front of the house, and there is a water shortage. We are going through a lot of difficulties, so we plan to move to a slightly better place. Please pray that we can find a suitable room.
- Agape’s summer vacation will take place from June 28th (Thursday) to July 15th (Saturday).
As Gorvand id is beginning, elementary schools have started their vacations, and Agape also takes its vacation during this period. This year, even during the vacation, I’m worried that the heartache will persist because the house is hotter and more difficult than the center.
Please pray for our health so that we can return to school in good condition.
Bangguk situation:
The news reports that power control measures are being implemented, but it has gone to an extreme, and almost the entire population is suffering. There are rumors that the power plants are unable to operate due to unpaid electricity bills by commercial buildings. It’s truly perplexing how a poor country like ours is plagued with political corruption as well…
Personal situation:
- I will be visiting the United States through an invitation from Milal Church in New Jersey.
- The schedule is to depart on July 4th (Tuesday) and arrive in Bangguk on July 27th (Tuesday).
The purpose is to be appointed as the regional director of Bangladesh’s Milal Mission division and receive an appointment letter. I will also attend the Milal Camp for disabled individuals in New Jersey from July 20th (Thursday) to July 22nd (Saturday). - From July 6th (Thursday) to July 13th (Thursday), I will be participating in a gospel camp organized by the NGO “Friends of Bangladesh” (FOB) using my visa. The Good News Camp will be held in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for two months, and I plan to attend for about 8 days, where I will be involved in kitchen volunteering.
- After returning to New Jersey, during my rest period, I will travel to various places (accompanied by a Milal staff member) and assist with the pre-camp preparations and participate in the camp.
- Upon my return from the United States, I will have to go through the visa process, and I earnestly wish to obtain the visa before it expires in February next year. I am concerned about the current situation with NGO visas, so I kindly ask for your prayers. I am also praying here for the visas of other Korean teachers.
Taking a rest after lunch and engaging in puzzle-solving… Haha (Dora, Samil, Abdul)
Crafting time – With the angels, Lamiyah, Scratch Fahim, and the Agape Rolex watch store… Hahaha
Fine motor exercise – What puzzle-solving, Murad from the nursery
Sabhil, the best troublemaker. Haha
Chupa Chups, the favorite snack for people of all ages around the world. Hahaha
With the chic Abu Bakal and Amena…
Prayer topics:
- For Bbel, please pray for long-term improvement in the size of the hole in their heart and for it to be cleared…
- There are children who desire to walk and talk. Pray for these children to be able to walk and speak.
- Lutta’s (chef) CT and MRI test results came back normal. Thank you for your prayers.
- Pray for a new place where our children can freely run and play.
- During the hot hours and summer vacation, pray for the health and safe return of our children and staff.
- Pray for a suitable room for Lakip’s move. I pray for the salvation of that family every day.
- As children enter adolescence, there is a need for new educational programs. Please pray for wisdom.
as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
Esther 9:22
Haman ran towards the gallows prepared for Mordecai, and the Jews, who were supposed to die, ended up killing their enemies. This is God’s providence. Our sorrow that seemed inevitable turned into joy, and a day of mourning became a prosperous day. It is the miracle of God. It is the journey of salvation. Thank you, Lord.