2nd and 3rd day of Christmas… a day to remember…
(In order to protect privacy, fictitious names have been used.)
Around 3:00 in the morning (2nd Christmas day) we got in touch with someone in France who had sent out a panic call. Things were not going well with his friend from Slovakia (hereinafter referred to as client) and he had “disappeared” somewhere in Poland…. The client had the necessary psychological problems, and documents + medication + phone were stolen. Not good. At 03.00am we received the call for help.
Through the grapevine, they found out in France that the client was now in a homeless shelter in Poland, including an address!
Just an impression of that “shelter”: fences around it, security, staff who are NOT happy and speak absolutely no Slovak (they thought he was Russian, and then it went completely wrong). A maximum of 31 people are allowed to sleep on the floor, after which the gates close again. There are about 100 people on the sidewalk, so fights are no exception…
So if you come there with a psychological problem… then those problems only get bigger… and that is putting it mildly… it was a very (!) bad place for this “client”.
We eventually came into contact with the client, and he eventually spent a day with us. Quite exciting because you are Slovak, there is suddenly a strange Dutchman on your doorstep who says that he knows your friend from France and so on and on. That doesn’t make your head (which is already boiling) any calmer, and it wasn’t completely without effort…
Finally, succeeded, he spent a day with us between all the other already planned guests (yep..) and after some medication he calmed down. Slept well for a few hours but…..
In the meantime there was also contact with the brother in Slovakia, who would pick him up at the shelter the next day (27-12).
Third Christmas day:
Practical problems: the brother who is on the road has a telephone, the “client” does not. The brother who is on his way would be there on the doorstep at 06.00, but well… the traffic is bad, and then you are a bit later… and… then the “client” is already on the street (everyone in the “shelter” is kicked out at 7am, no exceptions)
Panic!
But… eventually we got the “client” on the phone (borrowed from another homeless person), we got on the phone with the brother who was frantically searching for the “client”, we picked up the “client” where he was, brought him back to our house, let the brother drive to our house as well and that was a beautiful but also emotional reunion.
They are now driving back home.Two tough days, but the end was good.
Although, not everything went well,… E is now sick and M too….… we received a tip that we should take at least a minimum of 3 pajama days, so we’ll do that. 🙂
Ah, why do we things like this, you ask?
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:35-40