In desperation Natasha texted a friend asking for help to keep her family safe. Except she got the wrong phone number and the text went to a stranger instead. Her friend didn’t answer, didn’t help. He hadn’t got the text message.
With her face still bruised from her ex’s last visit, Natasha was facing eviction and moving her kids into the car to live. And her friend didn’t reply to her text message of desperation. She needed help now, to escape domestic violence. To feed her kids. To be safe. And her friend didn’t answer.
We think it was a miracle that of all the wrong numbers Natasha could have texted she got Pastor Richard. When he read this stranger’s text asking for help he didn’t ignore it. He talked to her. After a few texts messages back and forth Richard phoned Natasha.
“Hi Natasha,” Richard said. “This is Richard that you’ve been texting. You said you live in Sydney. We’re in Newcastle. Have you heard about us from somewhere?”
No. Natasha had never heard of Church 4 Life or our blue bags. She was so sorry she got the wrong number.
“It’s ok Natasha,” Richard reassured her. “I’m a pastor of a church and we run a charity that helps people in need. How can we help you today?”
That day the wrong number turned out to be the right number to help Natasha. That’s the kind of miracle we love to be part of.
* Please don’t try this at home. There are lot of scams out there so if you get a stranger asking for help, especially if they ask for money, please point them in our direction or to another charity where professional help can be provided in a safe way.
