Basic Needs

Cold..brrrrr… how can one measures the coldness one feels? Each winter in Israel I am surprise at the resiliency of humans who can survive this "getting colder because of the global warming" weather.  In Israel there are no fire places, nor central heating; there is no insulation and neither are double pane windows installed.  Some say that the newer buildings in Jerusalem are being built with such luxuries since it is so cold in our Capital.

We live in a 37+ years old cement building. We feel each drop of moisture and the cold winds that seem to blow in from all four directions as they are trapped inside the cement until summer.  We have heaters in two rooms, heaters under the sheets, and at times, cooking is a good warm up.  The sun is warm during the day - outdoors - only for an hour it hits our flat's south window.  As I mentioned, this building is great in the summer.

Last night a friend told me that 10 people died in Edmonton from the swine flu.  No one mentioned how many homeless survived the -42 Celsius, the cold winds and the snow drifts, the worse in 50 years across North America.  How many did survive it?

I am longing to get into my bed and turn the mattress pad on to heat it. But I need to thank God.  I truly need to do that, you see I have a roof over my head.

Eighth day, 2014 - Thank you God for basic needs; Thank you that we have a home to live in and we can escape the weather in all its changes; thank you that we have enough food so we are not hungry; thank you for clothes and blankets and safety.
God, Please will you look after the homeless people across the globe? Please keep them warm and fed and safe in this horrible, blowing-cold weather. And God, if you allow me to see any of them where I live, please give me the means to help them to stay alive. 

Cold, but on the way to get warmed…

Orith