Julia is a woman I have grown to love. She is such a blessing to us here in so many ways & I'm sure she doesn't even know it. She has taught me, shaped me, & helped me understand more about the people we are serving.Julia lives in Colli, the very poor neighborhood where we have our kids ministry on Saturdays. She has 6 daugthers ranging from ages 16 to 5. Her little house has only a couple rooms for all of them to eat, sleep, breathe, & live.
Julia helps nanny Steve & Amy's son, Seth. He's a handful, but lucky to have a great & experienced mom to watch him! She is soft-spoken & very sweet & would give anything for anyone. But what she shows on the outside is not a clear picture of what is going on in the inside.
Julia's husband is both abusive & alcoholic. He spends most of his nights getting drunk, coming in at all times of the night in either fits of rage or pity, waking everyone in the house. Most of the girls are afraid of him & Julia carries this same anxiety; only she has to think about their protection & provision along with everything else. Any $$ that he makes he uses on alcohol & neglects his wife & children. And Julia only makes about $53.00 a week...That's a little more than $200 a month--$200 to feed her children, clothe them, provide education & medical attention (when able) as well as pay the rent.
But Julia has a heart of gold. She has faith in God but struggles in understanding why He allows things like this to happen. We stand by, love her, listen to her, & build relationships with her kids. But we need more than that! Will you join me in praying for Julia & her family?
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