With the world we live in becoming so polarized and divided, it's always refreshing to hear stories of people helping those who are less fortunate. We recently just found out about one of those stories at Tent & Table.
A church located outside of Philadelphia acquired a brand new inflatable bounce house through Tent & Table to help brighten the lives of schoolchildren living in Jordan. The church, St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Ambler, PA., purchased the bounce house for the Latin Patriarchate School of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Hudson, Jordan, which is located about 20 miles from the Syria border. The Catholic school serves over 700 students from kindergarten to 12th grade as well as many Syrian refugee children that have fled their war-torn country and live in nearby camps with about 25% of the students being Muslim.
St. Anthony's has had an eight year relationship with Immaculate Conception and during that time they have raised funds to help with a number of different projects, including purchasing A/V equipment, Lego Robotics equipment and a telescope, painting the school, providing scholarships for the school and an annual summer camp. This past Christmas season St. Anthony's raised money for the bounce house.
"The pastor of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Fr. Firas Naswarin, asked me to purchase a bounce house for the kids," said Barbara Daly, a Pastoral Associate at St. Anthony's in an e-mail to Tent & Table. "He specifically asked for a bounce house and said no other school has such a thing. He calls it an air game. This was our first time purchasing playground equipment. I found Tent & Table on the internet and sent links to them where upon they chose the house they wanted."
While raising the money for the bounce house was a task for St. Anthony's parishioners, it appears that getting the bounce house to the school in Jordan is an even bigger challenge.
"Jordan is a developing country and things like street addresses do not exist," said Daly. "With no home or street addresses it is very difficult to ship anything. There are some street addresses in the capital city of Amman. As it is, the bounce house is being delivered to the Latin Patriarchate of Jordan, who is basically the Bishop. Once the Patriarchate receives the package it still must be transported to the north in Huson. The package is still in transit but I know that it has gotten as far as Amman."
When the bounce house arrives at its destination it will be enjoyed by both Christian and Muslim children in the middle of an area that has been shattered due to differences in religion. It is the hope of St. Anthony's that the gift of fun can make a better future.
"We hear so much these days about the tragedy that is the Middle East," said Daly. "Here at St. Anthony Parish we believe that peace there will come from the children of all faiths growing up and playing together – Muslim and Christian. Your bounce house is a perfect nexus. Maybe peace in the Middle East – one bounce house at a time?"
UPDATE (5/11/17): The bounce house made it to the school in Jordan. Thanks to Barbara for sending along some pics of the kids enjoying it.
[gallery columns="2" size="large" link="none" ids="560,561,562,563"]