Sickness, Challenges and a Suprise

So my last blogging feels like a long time ago. Since then I have experienced sickness - the first of many no doubt. Been challenged, and surprised.
First of all the sickness. Sickness in Asia revolves around two things; your stomach and the toilet. In the few days that I was sick I got to know my toilet pretty well :)
I had to skip a day of language school, not because I couldn't handle the lesson when I was sick but because I wasn't 100% sure if I could make the 20min Rickshaw ride without a toilet stop. And well I thought better to be safe than sorry.
I got let of pretty lightly really. Two days of the D's & V's then all over. Who know what caused it or how I fought it off. Just one of the blessings of living in Asia is you get a free weight loss program every now and again.
I also have been challenged over the last little while. My last blog I wrote about what my response should be to beggars that I encounter on a day to day basis. Basically I am still churning over this issue. ( I will prob be still thinking on it for the next 20 years). As I have thought more about it I have realised that it is more than will I give money to a beggar or not. For me the challenge is will I look at who I encounter on a daily basis and determine what God would have my response be in each situation. This is hard. Here is Asia as well as in NZ. It is so much easier to go through our daily lives without looking at the needs around us. I have been challenged to listen for the moment when God wants me to act and then do it!
And now a funny story. The other day I was sitting at the desk in my room reading a book. I then got the fright of my life as I hear a voice coming from the window asking for a glass of water. I turn to see a man who had opened my window with a smile on his face. Now to put this into context I live on the third floor. He was painting the building obviously got thirsty saw me and asked for a glass of water. So I did what any one else would do got him a glass of water, had a chat about the color of the paint and then when back to reading my book. Only in Bangladesh.
So be challenged to live your life with eyes open and hearts attuned to God
Blessings
Pip

A Difficult Question

Over the last few days I have been contemplating a difficult question
Should I give money to beggars.
If I am out walking shopping or even waiting at the traffic lights, I am approached by beggars wanting money. Some have children, some are pushed along by their children in carts because they have the lost the use of their legs or their legs have been amputated. Some look sickly while others don't. Some are blind, some are deformed, some say they are sick and need money for medicine. But the one thing is they all want money.
Giving money to beggars is not as simple as it sounds. The beggars here can often work for someone and most of what they collect goes to line the pockets of the rich. So although giving money can make you feel good, it often does nothing for the person and they can still be left hungry. Give them food or medicine and they may get beaten for not collecting money.
So the problem is complex
What made me start on this train of thought is on my way home from language school yesterday I saw an elderly women dead on the street. There was a crowd around her but no one wanted to take responsibility for her. She had no one. What did she die from? If she asked me for money for medicine and I gave would it have helped? If she asked me for money for medicine would I have helped?
It is hard in an environment like Dhaka to know when to give and when to walk away.
I think about what Jesus would have done
What would you do?