Kings Day

Today is ‘Kings Day’ in Spain. It is a national holiday and marks the arrival of the three kings bearing gifts. The gifts come on January 5th. Yesterday my wife and I went to a childrens’ party to celebrate the arrival of the kings. But this party was a little different because it was for families who are poor and in some cases homeless. There is a lady in our church, Karolina who opened up a small shop, twice a week for a couple of hours to hand out food and clothing to the deserving poor in Torrevieja, here on the Costa Blanca. She began this during 2010 with another woman, and within a few months had to find larger premises. Now the homeless turn up for a meal, a shower and to be shown a caring, Christian attitude by the helpers at the shop. Yesterday’s party was held in our church (Torrevieja Christian Fellowship), and was attended by about thirty families. There was a great deal of food and about a dozen, willing helpers. There was also present for each child. It was lovely to see their faces as they came forward to receive their gift from the king. There were wide eyed children, some laughing, some coy, some shy, some boisterous. There were different nationalities: Russian, Spanish, German, Moroccan. The played games and ate some of the food that had been laid out for them, but thankfully the parents gathered up what was left and took the food home. One of Karolina’s helpers told me that one family were being forced out of their home by their landlord. They had no electricity, and the mother was cooking for the six of them on a small, camping gas stove. The landlord has now cut off their water. It’s probably illegal to do this, but how do the poor complain? How do they get access to the legal processes that others seem to have access to without a problem? But it was good to see some smiling faces, even though it left me and my wife with a feeling of helplessness. But Jesus said that we would always have the poor with us. I thank God I’m rich (comparatively speaking!). Hope your New Year is filled with goodness and none of the poverty we witness almost daily on our TV screens.