By Jeff Lee, CBF field personnel
Over the 13 years that we have worked in North Macedonia we have been present in many places. One of those places is Poraka, a group home for adults with developmental delays. Over the time we have seen people coming into the community. I want to speak about two brothers that came to Poraka this past year. The brothers were found living with their father in some of the worst conditions in Skopje. Their father was not able to take care of them because of his own disabilities. It was a devastating situation, but there was love. The government moved the two brothers into Poraka and they allowed the father to stay with them for a few months to help them acclimate to the new place. I watched them for the first few times a visited. At mealtimes I saw the father do his best. He would make sure that his sons received a meal. It was a moving show of a father’s love.
I give that back story to share with y’all that every time a visited I never saw the brothers participate in any of the activities. They were always sitting by themselves and not really talking to anyone. Last month I had a small group come for a short-term mission trip. The group brought crafts to do at Poraka. And for the first time I saw the brothers participate. They were smiling and enjoying their time. At the end of the day, they called me over, by my name, and gave me a hug to say goodbye. That is why we value being present with them.