Not Abandoned

Translated by Dawn Lim

This is a very poor family that doesn’t even own a refrigerator or sofa. On the day the 7979 Manna Food Bank volunteers from the Malaysia Life Baptist Church went to their home to distribute the Manna food bag as usual, they found out that they could not even get near their house …

“When we reached the Taman, we saw that the entrance was surrounded by high barbed wire fences and heavy chains,” a volunteer said. The volunteer immediately called the Manna food bag recipient, only to learn that that area has been placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO). Feeling powerless, the volunteers decided to play it by ear and proceed with distributing the Manna food bag to other families.

However, thinking that the delay would exacerbate the suffering of the Manna food bag recipient, the volunteers decided to make another trip to the Taman again before sunset. They asked the family to send two of their children to a designated spot at the barricaded perimeter to pick up the Manna food bag. The volunteers then handed the items one at a time to the children through the barbed wire. The children then packed the food items into a box and carried them home. Looking at the children’s grateful expression and their back view that displayed courage across the barbed wire fence, the volunteers were overwhelmed with sadness. Nevertheless, they were deeply moved by the whole incident as they left.

With a follow-up phone call, the volunteers learned that this family of eight were all infected by Covid-19. The youngest child was only 7 years old. Thankfully, as early as the end of 2020, the Church has begun to despatch Manna Food Bag to the family. Even during the pandemic, the Church will never abandon them.