Never far..

Despite my silly post earlier today, I do have some serious thoughts swirling around in my head. It seems as though my thoughts of the orphans are never far off. Simple things throughout my day remind me of them. A reference to Ethiopia or Guatemala will immediately turn my thoughts to them.

I went to Eagle's Nest (the orphanage i worked at) blog and the first title was "Children Need Families." I didn't even want to read about it! It's too hard to be faced with the great need in this world. It makes me feel frustrated that i'm sitting here eating ice cream while people are starving. Yet what am I to do? At some point we have to face the need. But we also can't dwell on it. God has placed us in our own situations. I think there's a healthy balance between acknowleding the need/acting on it and being thankful for the life we've been given. I'm not sure if that makes sense. It's still something I've been thinking/praying through. How to live this life of prosperity while there's a whole different "world" that is struggling.

So as you sit here tonight and read my post the first thing we can do is to pray!! We sometimes skip this first step in the ultimate plan of action!

1. Pray for Ethiopia. There is a famine going on and prices have inflated 400%. I know that the America World Transition Home has been struggling to buy diapers, formula, and food for the kids there. There has also been alot of illness there.
2. Pray for Guatemala. Things are moving incredibly slowly (if at all) down there. Claudia's case is apparently stuck, among many other kids' cases. This sweet girl needs to come home! I want to hold her in my arms so badly. Of course, pray for all of the other children too. :) I'm just slightly biased towards her.
3. Adoptive families, I'm praying for you!! Patience, strength, and endurance to run this race well! It's a journey, that's for sure.
4. Pray for the children. The babies don't understand that they're stuck in an orphanage but the older kids do. They totally know what's going on. Pray that their hearts would stay soft and that they would hold on until their families come to get them.
5. Social workers and agencies, you've got a rough job. My prayers are with you as well.

This Mission
Their little cries are haunting me
Their deep dark eyes remind
Of the millions who long to be
In a loving family like mine.

The pictures and the stories
they show me so much hope
But my heart still grieves and cries out
For all the ones who hardly cope.

There is so much need and suffering
We just can't face it all.
It makes me long for heaven
To my Savior I do call.

I long for Him to show me
All that I can do
To help these precious children
It's this mission I pursue.

8/22/08

Molly