Bread 'n Baskets

Luke 11:3 “Give us day by day our daily bread.”

   This week we were swamped with work, so Chuck hired a man off the street in the city to help us get the property in order for the start of classes in a few weeks. My classroom is up the mountain behind our house, and my girls love to climb the path to it instead of coming through the main gate of the property. Because it is the rainy season the path is overgrown, and of course, there are snakes and other creatures  in the bushes.  It's easier to see what lies ahead when scaling the mountain on a cleared path. Cutting a mountain trail is no small task, but Boris is working hard to clear the way for my students. This man's story is both interesting and sad.

   There is an area in the city where you go to hire people. They stand on the street with signs that describe their craft, carpenter, gardener, etc., and you decide who will fit your need. These people work for their daily bread. Boris is homeless and pays each night just to sleep in a bed. Our Bolivian friends warn against hiring people on this street for fear of bringing someone into your home who may be a criminal. The people in our community are busy with their daily chores, their cows and field work, so waiting until they have time to help us would be time wasted. We had no other choice; and after all, God is in the business of protecting. He is the best security system around.

   After a few days of hard work, Boris was getting ready to work in the irrigation ditch, which was muddy and wet. Chuck asked if he had other shoes with him, he didn't. He probably doesn't even have another pair. Chuck quickly went to find a pair of old tennis shoes for him to wear. Boris looked at the shoes, then looked at Chuck and asked if he could just work in his shoes and take the tennis shoes with him when the work day ended.They were better shoes than he was wearing. This experience moved me to action.

   This Christmas we were blessed with gifts for the children and mountain trips. One gift we received was for bread for the kids. We gave out a lot of bread, and I wondered how we could continue this ministry year round, now I know. I'm going to make special bread baskets (not as fancy as the one in the picture) for people and children who cross our path and need the Bread of Life. Boris is here working for a short time because he needs bread for his stomach, but he also needs the Bread of Life for his soul. It's just the beginning of giving the Bread of Life, through Bread 'n Baskets, to many others who will enter our gate for one reason or another.

    Two dear friends of ours have inspired me to make bread baskets with the Daily Bread in Spanish tucked inside. One friend gave money for bread, the other has given out Daily Breads in our home area for most of his Christian life. God's people inspire us by their lives of service, causing us to keep on keeping on to tell others about the Bread of Life.

   Boris will leave with "new" old shoes and a basket of bread, but also with an old story that is new to him. He will always have daily Bread. Do you have a Boris in your life?  Why not give him a basket of bread with a Daily Bread tucked inside? He will be eternally grateful with the Bread of Life tucked inside his heart forever.

Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;