Fresh Off the Tree

This Jambi man is preparing coconuts to sell at a traditional market. There are many ways that coconuts are sold at the market. This man is shredding coconut to be used in baking. Many of the products on Sumatra and manually produced. This is because labor is cheap. The average manual laborer on Sumatra makes $5 to $10 a day.

Unfortunately $5 to $10 a day doesn’t really meet the financial needs of a family. For this reason, it is not uncommon for both the mom and dad to have a job and to work long hours. As the parents are working all day, it often leaves the children unsupervised. It is a vicious cycle that leads to a poverty mentality. This is the same thinking that causes people to rationalize stealing – You have, I don’t therefore it is okay for me to just take it.

Jesus sees the plight of the poor, and He wants His children to see it too. The physical needs on Sumatra are overwhelming. It is easy just to close our eyes, or even to get angry at the poverty mentality. It is uncomfortable to “have” resources when so many around you are among the “have nots.” Jesus Himself was among the poor when He walked the earth, but that did not keep Him from being generous with what He had. For those of us from a Western, prosperous nation it is hard to comprehend the lack of resources that is normal to the people here.

Pray for workers on Sumatra to see the needs of the poor and to respond with compassion, wisdom, and generosity.

Pray for the poor to escape from the poverty mentality that rationalizes stealing and other poor decisions.

Pray for believers to not only alleviate the needs of the very poor in a way that helps without hurting, but at the same time share the riches of Christ by sharing the Gospel.

Pray for God’s grace for all the unsupervised children on Sumatra.