Helping the ‘undeserving’ can be difficult at times. Like Glynka stated on Wednesday, “It is natural, if I think I kind of deserve good things, to think that people who “got themselves into a mess” are getting what they deserve too. But God’s crazy justice means nobody gets what they deserve.” Here is one example of a TCT church that has made a difference in their community by helping the ‘undeserving’.

For a few years now we have been working our way through the TCT program. Although our community is poor, we felt that we should be doing something to show God’s extraordinary love to our community. So, we set out to find the most needy in our community. After making inquiries around the village and observing the families around us we decided to focus our attention on one particular family that was living, isolated in the jungle on the outskirts of the village.

Pong was the man of the house, and he was a drunk who was notorious for abusing his wife and children. The family had originally been banished to the jungle because of his actions. We villagers despised him, and it only made it worse that the only times we saw him was when he came into town to stock up on alcohol and tobacco. Pong knew how he was living his life was wrong. He was constantly filled with guilt but unable to change.

As leaders in the church we, the deacons and pastor, felt called to visit this family and encourage them to move back into the community. We wanted Pong and his family to have access to electricity, water, and other conveniences that we had the privilege of having as well as the opportunity to build relationships in the community. However, the family did not have the money to move. They couldn’t buy land, let alone construct a new home with the little income they had.

At that point, we knew we had to reach out even further to meet the needs of this family, so we started sharing his story with the community of believers in our area. We talked with leaders from other churches in the area seeking help in supporting this family. Amazingly, a member of another TCT church was so touched by the story of Pong’s family that he offered a plot of his own land to Pong for free! This man also promised to sell the plot of land to Pong at a low price once Pong had settled his life.

So, we were set, we had the land and we had the labor. Thirty two members of the church volunteered their time and skills to help build a new home for Pong’s family. Some people cut down trees, some leveled the building site, and others prepared meals for the laborers. Within the week, the house was completed and all of the families belongs had been moved. It is a small house, only 4×6 meters, but it is stable, neat, and close to the community. Most importantly, we were able to love and care for Pong and his family.

At the end of the project, Pong was moved beyond words. Never had he imagined having a home like this for his family. Two weeks after the project was completed, Pong and his family began attending our church, and they accepted Christ as Lord. Since then Pong has stopped drinking and he attends church every week. He is a great testimony to rest of the community, and other non-believers are wanting to learn more about God and Church. All of us in the church are proud that we are learning how to follow Christ’s model and serving others.