Dear Charis Family,

A belated Happy New Year and Merry Christmas to all of you.  Thank you for continuing to pray for the family of "Moon Ear."  They have been calling me non-stop lately and, yet, I haven't had time to go visit them again.  I'm sure he is doing fine.  I think I forgot to tell you in the last newsletter that his mother is expecting another child.  So, please remember that family as I seek to be a blessing to her in her second pregnancy.  Moon Ear's father desperately needs work.  Please ask that the Father would reveal his love to them by providing work to this family during the harsh winter season.

Speaking of winter--it is hard to explain how difficult it is to abide winter in Ebony.  We can look at the temperature gauge online, but this doesn't explain what it is like to survive these temperatures inside concrete structures without any fuel for heating.

Last year I lived in a mud house through the winter, which was helpful in retaining heat.  I was able to make it through with only a few hot water bottles and a sawdust burning heater to keep me warm.  This year I live in a concrete house and still only have a sawdust heater.  I am thankful that, when I burn it for about five hours, I can get the temperature in my bedroom up enough to stop seeing my breath.  But, the kitchen, hallways and bathroom are another story.  Brrrrr!!!!  I know those of you in the United States have been enduring cold temperatures as well.  Imagine these temps with little heating and no electricity.  That is what every morning and most evenings are like for us.

Moon Ear's family, like most families in Ebony, do not have enough fuel to stay warm through the winter.  They don't have enough blankets--not even a count of one per person in the family.  Their priority for fueling is to boil water and cook food, not to heat rooms or keep people warm.  During the winter, most of the family stays outside during the day because the air is generally a few degrees warmer than inside.  During the evening, they use a very small stove in one of the rooms to boil water and cook whatever food they have.  Sometimes, instead of other kinds of fuel, they are forced to burn plastic in the homes in order to boil water.  They don't have access to appropriate drinking water, so boiling is their only option.  It is a horrible Lose-Lose situation people live in for 4-5 months out of the year in this place.

So, our precious Moon Ear, who recently survived until he was able to get his first cleft palate surgery, is spending the months following the surgery in a very cold home, breathing burned plastic and eating very little.  Imagine how his pregnant mother is doing as well!

Please pray for families in Ebony who are enduring the winter right now.  Pray for pregnant mothers and small children who at risk of respiratory infections, accidental burns due to the stoves in the home, and at risk of exposure due to the harsh climate.

Pray for those of us who work in Ebony to have the energy and stamina to care for ourselves even as we reach out and try to care for others.

Much love, as ever!
Elizabeth Carmichael
 

Our International Charis Family
Your stories from around the world touch us and we pray for your safety.
Thanks, Love and Blessings to every one of you!