I believe that God does not leave Himself without a witness.
Eight years ago, I was visiting the Volunteer Reps I supervise in one of the dioceses in the region.
During one of the family visits, they took us to the roof, where the mother was living with her daughter. The family’s only room had been given to her son after he got married, leaving the mother and daughter with only the roof as their place to stay. There was no ceiling or shelter above them, so they were exposed to direct sunlight, and the heat was unbearable.
What stayed with me most was that the participant began crying during the visit and did not want to speak with us. When we asked the Rep why she was crying, she told us that the participant felt deeply embarrassed by her situation and to be welcoming us on a roof.
I completed the rest of the visits that day, but I could not stop thinking about that family and their living conditions. When I returned to my room, I could not sleep.
I wrote on my Facebook page: “How can we sleep when there are those who cannot rest safely, with no roof and no shelter?”
The next morning, I opened my email and found a message from a Coptic Orphans’ staff member in the Canada office. She asked if I could share more details about the situation I encountered. I sent her the family’s information and explained their circumstances.
That same week, we saw the Lord’s hand at work. A donation was made to buy an apartment for the family, giving them a place where they could live comfortably and safely.
On the next visit, the mother told us with tears in her eyes: “We were considered dead, and you brought us to life again.”