Mary’s Meals

There’s a moment in our new film, Love Reaches Everywhere, when a mum, agonised by her struggle to feed her beautiful children is asked what she is afraid of. She replies without skipping a beat: “I am a child of God. I’m not afraid of anything.”

I imagine this mother, Mrs Mesidor, in her simple home, praying on her knees, night after night in expectation that God will hear her cry. Hope cannot desert her as long as God is near, even though her children have gone to bed hungry. This mum’s strength reminds me of the scripture from Philippians 4:6:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Mary’s Meals works in 19 of the world’s poorest countries, often scarred by conflict, drought and indescribable poverty. Yet, time and again, communities refuse to give up because they have an unwavering strength of faith in God.

Even in this most uncertain of times, I find so much comfort in the certainty that we serve a God so much bigger than poverty, inequality or a virus that steals lives. And because of God’s love and the goodness of people, today we can continue to serve almost all of the 1.6 million children enrolled in our school feeding programme.

Here in the UK, supporters have dedicated prayers to our mission since the very beginning – joining in prayer with families all around the world in asking our Father for His grace.

At the end of Love Reaches Everywhere, I watch with tears in my eyes as Mrs Mesidor talks about her children now going to school where they can eat Mary’s Meals. The pain on her face is replaced with pure joy at this answered prayer!

In the same way that Jesus fed the 5,000 with just a few loaves and fishes, I believe that God will continue to answer our prayers and multiply what we have into the miracle of every child in this world having enough to eat and going to school.

And so with a grateful heart I thank you that, even though so many of you are facing your own challenges right now, you continue to remember Mary’s Meals in prayer.

To view the film “ Love reaches everywhere” go to www.marysmeals.org.uk