Lumina is where I start my day Monday through Saturday. It is 3 or 4 blocks from where I live and after a stop at the bakery I arrive at 7 a.m. I heat the water and not long after, I hear in the distance the sound of voices echoing in the hall and coming up the steps to the second floor.
Four years Lumina has been serving food for the Turkish Gypsy children and many others in the area. Monday-Friday 50 to 75 kids receive a hot cereal breakfast and a sandwich to take with them. Most, if not all are Muslim, but each day they fold their hands and thank Jesus for the food He provides for them.
There are hundreds of kids from the villages to feed each day, however, not all the children are required by their parents to attend school. Most roam the streets with nothing to do and beg for food and money. They stand outside bakery's and food shops. Everyday I see the same kids on the street and ask them to come to Lumina, if they are not already coming. I always have bread, fruit or a special treat in my bag for them.
On Saturdays we have a special time for the kids. We take time out to pray with them teach them a bible story and then some activity. The past 2 Saturdays we celebrated Easter and a birthday. They received candy and special treats and all went home with shoes, beans and a special toy.
It is not about the food the eat but the food we give them for their spirits. A place they can come that is always the same, full of love and hope. Something they lack in their everyday lives. I often wonder if a toy, a bowl of hot cereal and a sandwich is enough? When you see the conditions of their homes and the lives they live, it is heartbreaking. Then I see the excitement they have when you give them a special treat like fresh strawberries! They ew and ah like it is a bowl of money! Then I know, that I know, that I know that we can change their lives one bowl of strawberries at a time!
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