Saturday, May 1, 2010

Orphan Summit VI

Oh how I wish I had been able to go to the SummitVI this year! So many amazing people were going to be there that I love... and I felt like I needed to be there surrounded by people that 'get it'.

God had other plans though. He said not this time.

The good thing about my job though is that I am to follow Twitter and have Tweetdeck, so I just added #SummitVI to my deck and read what God was doing in the lives of those attending while I was working (I am a great multitasker!) It was good stuff.

The other really good news is that there will be a Mid-Atlantic one, in November, in PA!!! YAY! They are getting their website together now so as soon as it's live I will share it. I can drive there!

As I was praying during the conference...and to be honest...fussing at God for not letting me go... I began to think about what Orphan care means.

I have been given the opportunity to pray for and support Because Every Mother Matters. The website says: In East Africa 1 in 11 mommas die due to pregnancy related causes EVERY DAY. This alone has an impact on the already staggering numbers of 147 million orphans worldwide.

Project HOPEFUL is working on a project called Almost Homes that will support mothers and their children that have hiv. They are already doing great work helping people get educated about hiv and adoption.

Tom Davis and Children's Hope Chest just launched Sheispriceless.com a website devoted to information on how we can stop child sex trafficking and exploitation.

Then there is my friend Laura, who is working on Music for Korah. It's a ministry of music for the people in the church at the Leper colony in Addis. They ministering to the orphans that do not know Christ...these orphans are all age and size.

There are so many aspects to what caring for the orphan means.

My new friend Tezera in Adama is caring for a woman who is 27 yrs old. She was horribly abused and neglected. This woman asked me to take her home with me when I left so that she would have a home and a mother and father. I was devastated to tell her no.

God doesn't ask us to only care for the children...He says He will set the lonely in homes. He will be father to the fatherless. The lonely and fatherless could mean your next door neighbor, the widow in your church, the child in foster care, the pregnant woman in Ethiopia, the 10 yr old sex slave in India or the baby girl in China.

I guess it's all in how God chooses you to follow Him. Where He breaks your heart and opens your eyes. The fact of the matter, though, is that He does call us. He calls each and every person that chooses to follow Him... to work for him. Who does He ask you to care for?... that's for you and He to decide.

But hanging out doing nothing isn't the answer, nor is thinking the problem is too big for little old you to handle. We can all to something... even if it's just one thing... to change the lives of these orphans, fatherless and lonely.

What Now?

4 comments:

Unknown said...

So beautifully written, as always! Thanks for uplifting me, and getting me excited again! Yes, we can help and we need to! Thank you friend!

Adeye said...

Oooohhhh, I'll drive with you, friend :):):) I would LOVE to go!

Tammy said...

The conference was incredible! Like you mentioned, being in the company of others who really 'get it' gives you this great feeling of belonging. Once home, it's hard to know even where to begin telling others what you just experienced. Hoping to write a blog post soon about the things that struck me the most.

Anonymous said...

Hello Andrea,

My name is Matt St. Pierre. I serve with the Christian Alliance for Orphans, and I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to be a part of an effort we’re now organizing.

A core goal of the Alliance is uniting believers to work together on orphan issues and to speak with a united voice on behalf of orphans. As we’ve seen through recent initiatives like Orphan Sunday, our voice and impact is far more powerful when we’re interconnected and working in unison.

Please let me know if you’d be willing to hear more about this effort and how you could be involved at matt@christianalliancefororphans.org!

With Appreciation,

Matt