CareFlight bears bound for PNG
Bev Mann surrounded by the teddy bears donated for children in PNG. (Photo courtesy of Bev Mann)
When Bev Mann saw footage of children searching for toys in a Papua New Guinea rubbish dump, she knew she had to help. Eighteen months later, Bev and 400 CareFlights bears are bound for the pacific state.
Bev first saw the film at a church service at Nambucca River Corps and couldn’t forget the images. The film showed children searching a rubbish dump in Papua New Guinea for food, toys and items their parents could sell.
“The thing that hit me was when they were picking up a dirty, rusty tin or a bottle and that was their toy,” says Bev. “I couldn't believe I was watching such dreadful poverty. I kept thinking of the children in Australia and these poor little mites picking up something absolutely filthy and treasuring it. My heart just felt like it had been wrenched out of my chest watching it.”
This heavy burden for these children did not leave Bev’s heart for months, yet she wondered what a 73-year-old woman from Nambucca could possibly do to bring joy to the lives of these poverty-stricken children. After a number of prayerful months an idea came to her – teddy bears!
“I looked at the CareFlight bears I had displayed on my bookcase and I thought, ‘I want my bears to go to these kids because I know they will utterly treasure something like that.”
From that moment Bev began a humble journey collecting CareFlight teddy bears wherever she went. The Salvation Army in Papua New Guinea were overjoyed with her gesture and invited her to go with a team to Papua New Guinea in June to help build a new church and distribute the teddy bears herself.
“I was just over the moon,” says Bev. “The bears are going to go to some children that would love to have them. When it was suggested that I go, I thought ‘this is impossible. I’m 73, I’m on a pension and there is no way in the world I could possibly fund my airfare.’ It was a few weeks after that somebody handed me $800. I was just so overwhelmed. That was my airfare!”
Bev was now convinced that “God was doing some work”, and bears began coming in from everywhere.
The CareFlight aero-medical charity uses aircraft and trained specialists to offer immediate on-the-ground care to injured and ill patients in Australia and overseas, as well as emergency transport to hospital.
When they heard of Bev’s efforts to bring joy to these children, CareFlight offered to make The Salvation Army its charity of the month.
“When Bev contacted us we all had tears in our eyes,” says Leanne Angel from CareFlight. “We just thought it was such a fabulous cause… It was an easy decision for us to say ‘let’s make sure this month’s bears go to Bev and her trip overseas with the kids she’s looking to support.’”
Bev’s hope is to give these children something to love and to share the love of Jesus, working alongside The Salvation Army in Papua New Guinea.
“The Salvos are trying desperately to ease the children’s heartache where they work. But we have a chance now to give 400 other little children some joy and happiness in their lives. I just thought this is a chance to be kind,” says Bev.
“The children might grow up holding on to their bear and remembering that ‘Jesus loves me’. I can't believe that I am living this experience with God! I've never had anything like this happen to me in my life.”
By Katherine Franks
Comments
Hello do u still collect bears? I have two for free perfect condition