Advent Reflections
Throughout the season of Advent we will be bringing you reflections from Habitat friends and volunteers.
At a time when we can be overwhelmed by preparations and social activities, taking a few minutes to reflect and think of families worldwide who need a hand up to build their way out of poverty, can bring a little perspective into our lives.
‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23
We are almost at the end of 2012 and as we take time to reflect on the past year there is real joy in knowing that your support and encouragement has helped us touch and transform the lives of so many people.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel; we can be sure that God is with us in the middle of all our challenges, big or small. For too many people around the world every day is a challenge; a struggle just to survive.
I had the privilege to travel to Sri Lanka in February, it was a wonderful trip where I met many Habitat colleagues and learned so much about how they were working to address the needs in their communities across the Asia Pacific region.
On the eve of Christmas, when hopefully all your preparations are complete, I have been thinking about how Habitat prepares to respond when disaster strikes. None of us will forget Boxing Day 2004, when we learned a new word and watched in horror at the impacts of a Tsunami. Habitat has helped thousands of families rebuild their homes and their lives.
Just last week families in the Philippines have felt the terror, and are now living with the aftermath, of disaster in their community. Tropical storm Washi swept across the southern Philippines killing more than 1,000 people. Habitat for Humanity Philippines is responding with emergency shelter kits to help up to 10,000 affected families in the coming weeks and months.
Every day around the world Habitat helps families build their way out of poverty. This close to Christmas every year I think about the families I have met who are spending Christmas in a safe, home. Earlier this year Habitat completed its 500,000 home and immediately started the next – so many reasons to celebrate. I cannot though forget that 1.6 billion people lack adequate shelter. The world is not as just, not as loving, not as whole as we know it can and should be. But the coming of Christ and his presence among us—as one of us—gives us reason to live in hope: that light will shatter the darkness, that we can be liberated from our fears and prejudices, and that everyone in our world will have a decent place to live.
Wishing you all the joy, wonder and hope of Christmas and a peaceful New Year