By Barry Buzza

When my daughter, grandson and I were in Kenya this summer, we met a young man we'll never forget. His name is Obed. Obed has tiny stubs for arms, but he does have two working legs. Although his legs are bone thin, he is able to use them and his feet with great dexterity. He can do almost anything that any other 22 year old is able to do. Obed works as a ticket agent at a border crossing. His disability has pushed him to working even harder to do well in life.

Because we met Obed in a church conference, where I was the guest speaker, we had an opportunity to chat for several minutes. He shared with me his story. When he was born, with no arms, both his mother and father felt his disability would be more than they could handle--they and their other children were very poor, and decided that their new unnamed baby would be an unnecessary liability. So they threw him into a garbage dump.

A day later, a woman collecting stuff to sell from the dump, happened upon the tiny helpless baby. She'd been startled by a muffled cry from inside a black plastic bag. The merciful woman took the starving infant to a nearby hospital; but they had no way of caring for him. She then took him to her ramshackle tarpaper home and cared for him the best she could. She even named him--Obed (which means worship).

By the time the boy was six, he'd already learned to survive by stealing, begging or selling firewood he'd gathered with his tiny feet. Obed had never received the love and care every child needs so much.
Twelve years ago, a long truck pulled into the church lot, near the shack where he was sleeping. Out of curiosity Obed wandered over to see what was being unloaded. It was a warm December day.

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When he saw what was inside the large brown cardboard boxes, his eyes grew very large. There were hundreds of brightly wrapped Christmas gifts that had been sent from Canada.

After standing in line the next day for a long time, Obed was given one of those gifts--it was the first he'd ever received. Inside his box, as he opened it with his toes, he found a colouring book and crayons, soap and a toothbrush, a Canadian logo on a bright red t-shirt, a small toy truck, a baseball cap and ball. Obed was elated! He jumped and yelled with happiness. This was the best day he'd ever had.

Obed's life turned a corner that day. He told us of being "adopted" shortly after by a family in Canada, so that he could go to school, wear clean clothes and learn how to live a healthy and purposeful life. The day he opened that Christmas present from Operation Christmas Child was the beginning of a new chapter in his journey. As he spoke to us, his sparkling grin covered his face.
Operation Christmas Child, in Canada, sent 713,294 gifts to poor children in various countries in 2008. We want to make it a million this year! Over 68 million "shoe boxes" have been sent out all over the world since the program began.

If you'd like to fill a box (it's a great Christmas project to do with your children) or two, call our church 604-942-7711 or email www.samaritanspurse.ca for the location nearest your home.
Obed and his friends say, "Thank you!"

Barry Buzza, a veteran pastor, is the president of the The Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada. www.foursquare.ca

November 19/2009