Blog

Miracle Ministries Update: Food for Everyone
  • by Guest Contributer
  • March 31, 2023

Amelia Kate – Ambassador, Miracle School Ministries

2023 started with the hope of a new year and the new opportunities it would bring, but as the newness of the year wears off, we realise that the challenges that lay behind lay ahead also. For those in Pakistan, the past few years have been turbulent; from the pandemic to monsoonal rains, many live in constant flux and the trials continue day by day. In the words of Miracle’s Co-founder Angela Michael “It seems that from the richest to the very poorest, everyone is crying”.

Worldwide, we continue to see severe seasonal weather conditions affect the livelihoods and wellbeing of local people. First with the extreme heat wave of the Summer, followed by the unrelenting conditions of the monsoonal rains, many families are unable to work. For those in Lahore, living at the brick kilns, the rain prevents them from working, compounding income stress and threatening additional loans to cover their existing debt.

As we are aware in Australia, worldwide inflation has meant decreased affordability of food. Whilst here, this may mean choosing to forgo broccoli, eggs or even our speciality milks, for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan this may mean going without a daily meal. Meanwhile, the Pakistani rupee has continued to lose its value. It’s hard to imagine but now even the cow pads (thaapi) which form the base of the cooking fire are too expensive for the people on the brick kiln to access.

With the support of Anglican Aid, Miracle Ministries aims to reduce intergenerational bonded slave labour by supporting families through ration support, education and emergency relief. During 2022, Miracle started a new project called Dastarkhawan, which means ‘Food for Everyone’. As Miracle’s Pastors travel from house to house they not only gather around the Gospel but around food. Pastors bring the thaapis required for cooking as well as the ingredients for a meal. Together they cook and eat. Sometimes whole families and villages will gather to share in the rations. Our prayer is that this would reduce the risk of needing additional loans, worsening the extent of slavery in Lahore.

The idea of this generous giving and gathering reminds me of James 1:27 and the exhortation to consider what true religion is “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”. I am greatly encouraged to know the work of these faithful brothers and sisters in Pakistan who, having looked at Christ and found life, are now devoted to the work of caring for God’s people on the kilns. What a privilege that from the other side of the world, we have the opportunity to stand alongside, support and enable this work to continue.

Thank you for partnering with Anglican Aid to support Miracle Ministries. Your generosity in prayer and giving, particularly amidst the severe weather events in 2022 has provided critical aid to many in desperate need.

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