Today I met a lady, we'll call her B. She came with her friend to ask about work. We have a cash for work program that we've been running to provide work for people by having different projects to accomplish. In the beginning there were a lot of clean-up programs, but as time goes on projects change. This is different than employment, which we have as well. It's meant to provide temporary work- day labor for people to be able to earn some income. While we are able to help many, today was a reminder of how many people need work. When B was giving me her information, she pulled out a card that had her contact number on it. It was a work ID from a job she no longer has. She's a worker. She's also a mother, and a single parent at that. She told me that she and her friend were both single parents. Both ladies looking to be able to provide for their families. They wanted to work.
I don't know what's going to happen with B and her friend, if we will have work that we can give them of not. Reality tells me that there are more people than we can employ, but to look into her eyes, it reminds me of why we are here, for people. There are responsibilities, there are tasks to be done, sometimes it seems like my check list is why I am here, but I'm here for B. I'm here for people. And, not just to help them back up, but to show them that there is hope, and it comes from Christ.

It's been really neat to see how many people we've been able to hire by coming here. Thinking about today, it kind of dawned on me, that it's a beautiful picture to think that we're not just giving people jobs who need work, and we're not just accomplishing relief in an area where there has been devastation, we're doing both at the same time. And, working for organizations that come in to provide relief, gives the people here opportunities to work and to provide for their families, and also a chance to be a part of rebuilding their own communities. It's not something to forget that the people we work with every day, are also our beneficiaries. Just yesterday, I was listening to one of our national staff talk about loss in her family. We were driving by an area and she mentioned it was where one of her uncles had lived, and where he died. It strikes you, doesn't it? The reality of loss, of the pain that they have gone through and are still processing.

The word that I have heard used most since Yolanda has been resilient. The people in Leyte and the surrounding areas have not been broken by the loss that they have been through. They push forward. They work hard. They are not just achievers either, they are full of thanks. There is inspiration all around here, if you're willing to look for it. There are people. There is B.