“Caritas, Djibouti”
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27
When I was serving as a Navy chaplain in Djibouti, Africa, I had the privilege of getting to know a ministry to orphans living on the streets of the city. The ministry was called Caritas, which in Latin means “love”. The ministry is run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Djibouti. Here is the link to their website:
Twice a week, I would take Sailors and Soldiers from our base, Camp Lemonier, to Caritas to spend time with the boys and girls who were staying there for the day. These children were from Somalia and Ethiopia. They were put on trains to Djibouti by their parents and told to make a life there for themselves. Most of these children were under the age of nine when they left home on their own. They live on the streets, begging for water and food. At night, they are abused by adults.
The government will allow Caritas to care for them during the day, but they are not allowed to be there at night. When they find their way to Caritas, they are given breakfast and lunch. They can also take showers and wash their clothes. In addition, there are classes to learn French, the national language.
I noticed that most of the children there were boys, so I asked where the girls were. I was told that girls are given jobs in restaurants and hotels when they are young. After puberty, they are trafficked as sex slaves.
I discovered that the children did not have much protein to eat in their diets. I asked if I could bring food to enrich their diets and I was told yes. So, I asked the Presbyterian church in Ukiah, CA where I was the pastor before I was deployed, to send me peanut butter, dried beans, and children’s vitamins.
Thousands of pounds of food arrived in care packages at my address on base. My amazing staff, Chaplain Melvin, RPC Meyer, and RP2 Ushi and I would take the food with us when we brought Sailors and Soldiers for the visits each week. Then these Sailors and Soldiers would work with the children to unload our truck and store the food. After I left, my replacement Chaplain Carpenter, carried on this ministry.
Today, GMPC is providing food for Caritas in Djibouti. The chaplain at the base, Captain (CH) Danny Hughes, USA, is receiving the food and taking it to Caritas with the Sailors and Soldiers from the base. This month, our Missions Committee sent 12 boxes, each weighing about 20 lbs.
Please help us to carry out the Lord’s call to care for orphans. You can bring peanut butter, dried beans, and children’s vitamins to the church and it will be sent to our base in Djibouti. This ministry of GMPC is helping our Sailors and Soldiers to the lives of orphans.
In Christ,
Pastor David
