Mission Bite #36: Providing hope at a stoplight

"All over our city, at every stoplight, we are faced with refugee children and mothers with small babies begging at car windows. For this reason, I keep packaged snacks in the car to hand out.

Often, these children are being used by adults who place them there with no food or water to beg from anyone passing.

This particular day, I only had two small packages of popped popcorn which were tied inside a plastic grocery bag. There were two young boys at the stoplight, so I handed them the whole bag directing them to share, and said 'Jesus Christ loves you!'

Before I got through the intersection, I glanced into my rear-view mirror and saw a shocking sight. Both boys were pulling at the grocery bag towards themselves like a tug of war, and then, one boy began ripping the grocery bag with his teeth to get to the smaller bags of popcorn -- they were so hungry.

The snacks in the car are my way of helping children in the most effective and least abusive way.

This day, I was humbled by their need, and their hunger. A certain numbness comes from the constant bombardment of beggars at every light. Those children are seeing the Lord's face through gifts given to CBF to support our Syrian relief work."

- CBF field personnel in the Middle East