Sean Laidlaw is a soldier who was leading a bomb disposal team while he was stationed in Syria. One day, Sean found a scared, sweet pup amidst the rubble. He named her Barrie and brought her food and water and checked in on her daily.
Barrie was reluctant to accept Sean’s help at first, but after a few days, she finally came around. Over the next few months that Sean was in Syria, he and Barrie grew close. He even made the pup a
bullet-proof vest so she could be with him during the day.
‘When we got back to camp, she lived in my room, I looked after her, I was responsible for her. She slept in my room, I was training her, I was feeding her. ‘She stayed with me every day all day. She did jobs with me, I’d wake up, she’d come eat with me, she’d then sit in the passenger seat of my car when we drove to Raqqa.’ Sean told the
Metro.
Then Sean learned he’d be going home. While he was obviously excited, he was sad to leave Barrie behind! So he called an organization in Iraq who specialized in rescuing dogs from war-torn areas. Then he started raising money to bring his dog home!
The organization was able to get the dog to Iraq, and flew her to Jordan, and then Paris. Each stop along the way, Barrie had to be quarantined to make sure she was healthy enough to leave that country! By the time Sean was able to meet Barrie, seven long months had passed.
Sean drove 12 hours from his home in the UK to go to Paris to pick Barrie up and finally bring her home!
So then, after five countries, two war zones and more than 3,000 miles, the two were finally reunited for what Sean describes as his “happiest moment ever.”
Is there anything better than the unconditional love of a sweet pup?
![Teenaged Sampil is a different person after receiving an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. Once generally homebound due to cerebral palsy, he now travels freely about the city of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Hearing of Sampil’s illness keeping him from the Operation Christmas Child event, a volunteer named Chuka Bayaraa visited him at his home. As Sampil and his parents and siblings gathered in the living room, Chuka told them of God’s love expressed through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. They were all interested, but Sampil alone made the decision to surrender his life and accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. To Sampil’s surprise, Chuka also gave him a gift-filled shoebox that included a towel, toothbrush, and notebooks. “The notebooks really encouraged me to go back to school and study,” Sampil said. “After I got a shoebox, I became a Christian and my relationships with others changed.
Chuka saw firsthand as the “new” Sampil emerged. “He became a very happy boy. He enjoyed going to school and being with his friends. He had a very low self-esteem, but after he became a Christian his understanding of himself changed.” Sampil explained: “Before, I didn’t like children who are handicapped because they were just like me.”
Now instead of being self-conscious, he makes a point to serve by volunteering as an assistant teacher at a Christian camp for disabled children. Responsible for caring for 16- and 17-year-old students who attend, he points them to Christ, his new source of hope.
“Jesus gave me a love and a heart to talk to [the] children,” Sampil said. “My dream is to be a teacher like Brother Chuka,” he said. “I want to share the Gospel with children.”
For the past 25 years, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, has partnered with local churches in more than 100 countries to distribute gifts to boys and girls in need and tell them about God’s Greatest Gift—Jesus Christ.](https://media.swncdn.com/godtube/2018/11/12/555505--211543aa-dbb5-46c6-80cd-4a585566c2e5-thumb.jpg)
![Judge Caprio is making the internet rounds for his soft spot for those down on their luck. He knows just how to spot the ones who need a hand up. Caprio’s caring side doesn’t disappoint when he finds out why this vet is in court.
“The smallest thing can change someone’s life,” Caprio shared with Stars and Stripes. “[My father’s] mantra was help people when you can. We were taught in life that it’s not enough to climb the ladder of success.” You have to lead down the ladder “so others can follow in your footsteps.”
A Vietnam veteran stood before Judge Caprio and shared that he was pleading guilty to his parking ticket but wanted to explain the situation. As a frequent patient at the local Veterans Affairs Hospital (V.A.) the man like others, had nowhere to park. Knowing he was parking illegally, the veteran explained that for years they had parked on these side streets thinking the parking authorities were deliberately giving them a “break”. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be and the man was given a $100 fine.
Thankfully for the veteran, he was standing before Judge Caprio who is a veteran himself and known for his generous rulings especially towards veterans. But his appreciation doesn’t stop there, Caprio shares his soft spot for Vietnam veterans in particular.
“I have a particular affinity for all veterans,” he said. “But especially those who served in Vietnam. I remember how the vets were adored in World War II, and how they were scorned when they came home from ‘Nam. It’s a sad chapter in our history.”
What a blessing Judge Caprio is to those who are in difficult situations. Most people have had a tough season in their life, perhaps some have led to a scuffle with the law. It’s hard for those situations to right themselves. Judge Caprio’s willingness to listen and determine when the situation requires leniency is always inspiring to how we should treat others!](https://media.swncdn.com/godtube/2018/11/09/555397--8bbe1778-9bd1-444f-b735-80a443e66652-thumb.jpg)
