Ruben and His Friends

1. Life is different for children who live in poverty

2. We are all one family of God and we need each other

Ruben and his friends, Davis and Chloe live in a rural part of Zambia. They are very poor. Ruben’s house is made from baked clay. It has a corrugated iron roof. Inside there is no water or electricity. The children have no television or computers. The sun shines a lot. Ruben and his friends play outside. They have no money to buy toys or games. They make their own out of junk. One day Ruben found four used round lids. He showed them to his friends. They decided to make a car. Davis had some wire and Chloe had some used plastic and string. Ruben used the lids to make the wheels. Davis bent the wire to shape the body of the car and to make the steering wheel and a long handle to push the car. Ruben helped Davis to make a hinged door. Chloe used the plastic and string to make a ball. She opened the hinged door and put the ball inside the car. Now the friends take it in turns to push the car along the sandy road. Sometimes they stop, open the hinged door, take out the ball and play a game. They have lots of fun working and playing together.

Let’s be still for a few moments and think about Ruben and his friends.

A FEW MOMENTS OF SILENCE

• In what ways is life different for Ruben and his friends from life for children who live in this country?
• What can we learn from Ruben and his friends?
• Do you have a special gift which you can share?

Listen to what St Paul tells us about living together as one big family of God each sharing our own special gift.

From Paul’s letter to the Romans (based on Romans 12:4-5, 8-13)

Look at your body, God has given it to you. It has many different parts. Each part has a different job. The parts are different but they all make up one body. That is like us when we are doing Jesus work. We belong to him and to each other. We are like one body. Each person has a special job to do. Let each person do the job they are best at. Some people teach. Some people encourage others. Let those who give money be generous. Let those who are in charge do things responsibly. Let those who are helpers help cheerfully. Be real brothers and sisters to one another. Be warm hearted and respectful. Work hard. Don’t be lazy. Be joyful and hopeful. Don’t give up when you find things difficult. Pray at all times. Share your belongings with those in need. Look for opportunities to be welcoming, friendly and encouraging.

How can we share our gifts

(Prayer of St Teresa of Avila)

Christ has no body now but yours

No hands, no feet on earth but yours

Yours are the eyes through which he looks

Compassion on the world

Yours are the feet with which he walk to do good

Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands; Yours are the feet; Yours are the eyes;

You are his body, planning in the kingdom.

Children in Mission Together pull together to help each other. Ruben and his friends pull together when they play. Children in Mission Together pull together to help children everywhere when we

share together

pray together

Let us pull together with Ruben and his friends and with children everywhere by living up to our motto