Monday, September 9, 2013

Feeding 5000 (or maybe 150)

One of the CRU summer project is feeding a bunch of kids at the Old Naledi neighborhood here in Gabs.  The idea is to ensure one good meal a day for these kids.  Some have tow parents, some one parent, some have none.

Every day when we pull into the the large open Church yard to prepare, we are swarmed with eager kids.  They really, really enjoy having folks come in.  The CRU team plays with them, helps with the feeding and then does a short Bible lesson, then more play.  Sometime we sing with them.  It doesn't seem to matter much, they are happy to have us.

Feeding them is a well-oiled system.  Two or three ladies cook all the food in a small, very basic kitchen.  They always fix two items:  Pap (fine grits) or Samp (corn mush) and either beans or chicken necks.  After washing hands, the kids go to the window and get their pre-loaded plate.  Small kids and big kids get the same amount of food and eat every bite.





After eating they go over to a large basin of water and rinse off the plate.  Then they get a cup of water or juice.  The crew inside quickly washes the plates, because most days the number of kids exceeds the number of plates.

The amazing thing to me is that the whole feeding process, exclusive of prep time, only takes about 30 minutes.  Wow!  They start eating at 1400, are basically finished by 1430 and by a bit after 1500, the kitchen is ready to close down.

Jesus fed the 5000, but He used a slightly different system.  Nevertheless, the system at Old Naledi is pretty impressive.  Matt 25:40 tells us, ""The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

It's nice to feed the King.

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