Saturday, June 18, 2011

Preventing Orphans in Ethiopia???

We went to Ethiopia with lots of thoughts, emotions and prayers.  One of them happened to be: Lord, show us clearly how you want us to be connected to Ethiopia and caring for orphans.  My heart's cry going was: PREVENTION!!!! I have come to the place that I felt like adoption should be the last resort.  I realize there are obstacles for many, but not all families, to keeping children that end up orphans.  
So, I asked.  I watched.  I saw.  And guess what.  It landed in our lap.  
We are praying about how to partner with a young Christian man there who has been given a heart and vision for helping keep orphans in families!  Helping a parent work to 'afford' keeping their child.  That would have been our Jakob.  Don't get me wrong...I know God has him for us.  BUT, from the beginning I had to ask...can we help his mom keep him??? We were too late.  Since then it has nagged me at what point it wouldn't have been.  Daniel, this young man with a heart and vision, was himself left to be cared for by his grandmother who could barely manage.  He knows first hand he was spared from an orphanage.  He believes that offering a Christian day care setting to families/a parent would afford them the opportunity to work, thereby feeding their children.  That's one of the largest reasons for relinquishing children to orphanage status!  

So, Daniel gave us his 'business plan'.  He's ready.  All he's missing is financial support. We are praying how to partner and support him, not just financially, but as on-going ministry.  He wants these kids to know the love of Jesus! He wants these parents to be trained to love their children....in Ethiopia.  Us? We want to help children stay with their families if that's good and possible.  

We will be meeting again with Daniel on our return trip to Ethiopia.  He's ready to roll.  There's an initial location/area targeted.  That's all Daniel is thinking about.  We think God may be doing something to help this 'crisis' age (1-3 years) to bridge the gap before they can go to government supported schools in Ethiopia.  In that time, they will hear about the love of Jesus and give a parent chance to secure work and skills. 

Hold your hats people!  God is always good and always moving...are we always seeing and following?

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Simply Sweet...

I can not say why
I can not know if
I can not see how

I can say yes
I can say now
I can say through Christ

many questions, which i love, asked and unanswered
many people watching, waiting, praying

I wonder if they know what I got to see
I believe without a doubt that God that loves me;
I doubt I could ever explain
the ways that we’ve seen Jesus again and again.

so our boys’ have something unique about them
there’s something that we see;
Nothing ‘we’ve done’ to bring this about
totally unfolding as if there’s finally water after a drought.

contentment
joy
smiles
what? they’re orphaned how can it be?
I say it’s answered prayers for those that love you and me.
You God delight in bringing about
the wildest stories from seeds that YOU sprout.

It’s not just our boys that have a new song,
It’s also you and me and we just carry along.
We forget we’ve been given a gift...
new family, new inheritance,
and there’s more...
life lived NOW with a Savior who adores!

Whatever it is I choose not to doubt
It’s my Lord and my God that says with a shout:
I love ALL these dear children, near and far;
Join me in dancing with what I will do
I’ve got it, it’s not up to you.

So once again we watch with amazement the heart of our God
Trusting He will carry us and show us new fields to trod.
Simply sweet are the cares and smiles of our children
protect them dear Jesus from the world’s cares and harm.
Show them it’s outside the orphanage walls where life is found
It’s in YOU and you alone where they’ll be on solid ground.
It’s safe, it’s secure, it’s all they know
Be there and teach us which paths to go.
For now it’s a blur with so many unknowns ahead,
Still, it’s following and seeing YOU, that’s all that needs to be said.
Thank you for loving us, our family and friends,
Keep showing and loving us ‘til these days end...

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