A day another night run

Another day, another unforgettable experience. Day flew by so we decided to do another night run to the border. Rob Sturgill is the race car driver so he was at the refugee center 15 minutes earlier. By the time we arrived we already had enough people to fill both vans. Three families, 13 people. I glanced at everyone and one person stood out to me: a mother holding a sleeping two year old child on her shoulder and an eleven year old girl. I ended up in the van with a different family but the image of that mother stayed with me. I told Shon and Rob, she will need help, her situation is different. As we we started our regular two and a half hour drive, I send the text message to our angels across the pond asking for three rooms for our new families.

A few minutes later we got our standard “Got it!” reply. I mentioned again to Rob that something is different about that mom of two. As we arrived, I noticed Tanya(the mother of two) was traveling very light, one travel and one paper bag. Next morning we picked up Tanya and the others to take them to the railroad station to buy tickets to Berlin. On the way to the station, two year old Katya got carsick and threw up all over her mom and herself. Other moms jumped in and did what all moms do: fixed the problem.

At the station I knew the process: get all passports ready, get in line and ask for the 10:13am train for Berlin. We got the tickets for the family of eight and when it was Tanya’s turn, she told me that she had nowhere to go and asked me for advice. We checked with Polish volunteers and all the could offer was the spot at the refugee center(one of many cots in the room). Nope, little Katya is not sleeping there. I asked Tanya if she would be ok to go to Berlin with the other families. She told me she trusted me so we got her on the same train.

As we finished, Rob was already waiting for us with a brand new suitcase(sorry paper bag, but you have to go). As we brought everyone back to the hotel we offered to take Tanya and her girls to dinner. We also told her that we can track down the laundry service to wash her and Katya’s clothes. She brought the bag down with the clothes and asked if we knew if the clothes would be dry by the time we come back for dinner. I told her that it may be next morning before we get clean clothes back. Her answer shocked me: “we will have to skip the dinner, because Katya doesn’t have the change of clothes”.

I knew right then why I had such a strong impression the night before. It was all hands on deck. We ran to the local branch building where sister Limb and I dug through multiple bags to find some clothes for little Katya. We sat down with elder Limb and told him Tanya’s story. After seeing Shon Robinson crying he started calling around to find Tanya and her girls a place to live in Germany. My clothes picking skills were terrible so we brought Tanya with us and she was able to get more clothes, toys and some hygiene items for herself and her girls. We got a ride arranged with people already looking for a family who can host Tanya. It takes a village. Thank you for all of your support.

#missionstarfish

https://www.typeofwood.org