Brickyard Church

On the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan the fields are dotted with smokestacks which mark the brickyards. The workers in these yards are indentured labourers, essentially slaves, whole families of them. The brickyard owners pay them very little so that they have to borrow from these taskmasters and have no hope of repaying their debts. (Remember Egypt and the exodus?) The burden of debt is so great and pay levels are so low that even the little children and old people must work in the baking sun. No time for school, no health care, none of the many provisions that we so take for granted. These are almost all Christian people and they have formed churches in the brickyards. Again the very idea that someone would come from far away to express concern for them brought them great joy!