Visiting Orphans

Pulverized

2011-11-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

Note: I started writing this blog when my new baby Jordan was 2 weeks old. He is now 8 weeks old.

I was searching for a word today to describe the way I have felt since the birth of our baby boy two weeks ago and I think I have found it.
Pulverized: to defeat or render helpless. To demolish or crush completely. To reduce to powder or dust.

The experience of his birth and the love that has overcome me for this little human being has done just that. Pulverized me. I feel like the Israelites when they finally arrived and habitated the Promised Land. Every day feels like a dream... I feel helpless under the weight of this love for my baby Jordan and for and from the Lord. Totally helpless in the fact, that no matter how hard I try, at the end of the day, our beautiful Savior is the one who holds him. Who sustains and protects him.

I had a moment I will never forget as long as I live. We had Jordan on October 20th at 4 AM. That evening after no sleep in 48 hours, we decided to put him in the hospital nursery so we could get some sleep. I woke up completely awake at 5 AM the next morning. Simon, my husband was still asleep on the cot next to me, so I decided to just walk down to the nursery to see our baby. When I arrived, there were many babies all in individual little portable bassinettes. Probably thirty or so and I did not know where Jordan was. A sweet young nurse, named Kristin, asked me who my baby was and led me to Jordan.

When I saw him, he was the only baby who was awake. He was lying there all tightly swaddled like all the other babies, with only his little face showing and he was just looking all around. And overwhelming sense of awareness enveloped me...He has SO much trust. He could be left right there, with no one taking care of him and there is nothing he could do. And I was overwhelmed with the knowledge of how vulnerable he is. I also immediately recalled my knowledge of what orphanages are like in China. How they have SO many babies in all these beds and they are just, for the most part left alone.. I thought of all the babies who are totally abandoned, how completely dependent in every sense of the word for us to care for them. Each orphan that is found and taken in is a miracle. One only God could orchestrate. How easily they can be forgotten, missed and looked over.

I asked Kristen, the nurse to forgive me as I was obviously having a moment. I was crying and couldn't stop. She was so full of grace and led me and Jordan to the nearby rocking chair. I just sat rocking him, having my moment with the Lord...processing all that had happened through our labor and our story to get here. I waited 39 years for a child, for a promise to come to life...to cross our River Jordan and arrive in our Promised Land.

I Samuel 1:27: I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him.

Testimonial Tuesday: INDIA

2011-09-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

Frances, our recent team member to India shares with us the impact this trip has made on her. Her favorite memory? All the love from the children!!!

Can't wait to send out another team to India soon!!! (Hopefully I'll be on the next one). Wonder how many trips you can take a new baby on? ;)

The Controversy - Part One

2011-09-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

This blog post has been rolling around in my heart and mind for a few months now. Ever had a topic that meant so so much to you, that to try and put it on paper seems almost to hurt or just exhausts you? In order to do so, it means delving into the deepest parts of your heart to pull out and wrestle your emotions and thoughts so they are more simple and clear…so you can share and finally communicate them with others.

Well, this blog post is one of those.

When I have strong feelings like this, I tend to avoid the conversations that elicit them. I hate defending the way I think or feel or ever trying to convince others of anything. I like to leave that job up to God. Let Him be the Defender. Let Him convince or change others to see things the way He does. I don’t want to enter into arguments or competition.

This blog post though is about the controversy that seems to be erupting and even being fueled by other Christians regarding short term missions to “visit orphans”.

My very first response to this when it started happening was, “Obviously they truly do not know the scriptures or this would not be a controversy. They would not be questioning it. They would know the answers to the questions they are naively putting out there which are causing others who don’t know scripture to respond and react to.”

Yes, we can all know scripture…but do you take the time to really dive deep into them. Have you used a concordance and dissected a scripture that is on your heart? That is one of my favorite things to do as just about always God will reveal SO much through this time of research.

So let’s dissect James 1:27 together in this way. Most of us reading this blog post knows what it “says” already on the surface. We’ve memorized it. Here is what it says at deeper layers:

Vis-it (1980) (episkeptomai - see study of episkopeo from epí = upon or intensifying already existing idea in verb + skopeo = regard, give attention to, look at, contemplate) literally means to look upon, to GO to see, to examine closely, to inspect, to examine the state of affairs of something, to look after or to oversee. The idea of visiting is more than just making a social call.

As Hiebert writes...
In classical Greek, it was commonly used of visiting the sick, whether by a doctor or a friend.' In Jewish usage, it commonly denoted to visit with the aim of caring for and supplying the needs of those visited (Job 2:11; Jer. 23:2; Ezek. 34:11; Zech. 11:16; Mt. 25:36, 43). The term implies concern and personal contact with the needy; it involves more than a matter of charity by proxy.

This verb expresses careful regard of those in position of responsibility. It depicts one going to see another with the intent to render help. In some context it means to have regard for, care for or be concerned about (Acts 15:14, He 2:6-note). It is often used of visiting the sick. In the Septuagint it speaks of a visitation from God, most often a visitation for good.

So, when God inspired James to write this, He was using the word, “episkeptomai” which means SO much more than just our word Visit. In English the word “visit” sounds like we are just coming to see a friend, have coffee, hang out for awhile. That is NOT what James means. He means to search out, find, meet those in distress (and in this case he means orphans and widows), talk to them, find out their needs and pains AND DO something about them!!

Short term mission trips to visit orphans, like we do at Visiting Orphans are intended to do just that. Our staff at VO prays…asking God to show us those ministries on the other side of the world, orphanages, hurting communities which are hidden. Which need to be found and visited so that we can see what they need and with future teams, come back to make a difference. This difference can be made by future teams bringing donations or financial help, or what I love even more is when a past team member visits those in distress and feels a call from God DUE to that visit and sacrifices current comforts to go help them long term. Or, they return home to adopt a child, or they return home and help promote a cause so that more sponsorships can happen for those in distress.

So, WHAT is the controversy all about? When you ask God … are short term trips really Your will? Will I really make a difference visiting an orphan? You now KNOW that scripture is defining this for you. God is saying, “YES”. Go….VISIT an orphan… Be my hands and feet to them here on earth. Find them, meet them, “check in” on them and make a difference in their lives.

Tuesday Testimonial from a Father & Son Team!!!

2011-09-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

Tune in today as we have a live action testimony from Africa with Mark & Luke Vandruff on the Man Up trip...Complete with our News Reporter Extraordinaire, Amanda Herdina and Music DJ, Chloe Jordan!

Enter Into His Labor

2011-09-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

I was inspired yesterday to write a blog today on Labor Day by my wonderful pastor, Steve Garrett at our home church, New River Fellowship.

Our staff at Visiting Orphans has had a heavy heart this Fall season. Maybe not everyone as much as me since I oversee everything, but what has been difficult is watching as trip after trip was cancelled this Fall season due to lack of interest while our Summer 2012 trips and December 2011 trips fill up with waiting lists. Sure, we know all the reasons. We understand that everyone is heading back to school and most are focused on this time of their personal lives or family's life. However, it still burdens us as we know how much these children need each one of us.

Autumn or Fall is my favorite time of year. I purposely got married in October for this reason and now God will be blessing us with the birth of our first child in the Fall as well. I love the new crisp chillier weather and the falling leaves and wind. But I also love how this season is considered the Harvest season. Recently I read this blog post entitled "When Visiting Is Enough". The author of this blog explained how one visit to a child can indeed change their life. If you are willing to go, obey and be used, God can use YOU to plant a seed in that child's life. Yes, it can be excruciating to then leave, walk away, not knowing what will happen to that child. But for this particular blogger, years later she was able to actually see what happened to the seed she planted!

As she returned to Russia, to the same village where she told this little girl about Christ, she found out that this little girl, through the help of ANOTHER christian in Russia had and was still being discipled! She had aged out of this orphanage but was now living with the hope of Christ.

So yesterday while I was worshipping the Lord spoke to me and said, this is the Harvest season. If my workers would just GO, they could be the ones to bring in the HARVEST of those who went on all the Visiting Orphans' Summer trips. Those who planted the seeds. The ones traveling this Fall season will be used by God to continue watering these seeds, bringing in the harvest. He wants us to participate in what Jesus has already started in these children's lives through others.

Do you think that investing in ONE child's life makes a difference? Jesus thinks so. When Jesus walked the earth, He was here to die in our place. He has SO much to be concerned about each day and moment. Much like we do this Fall season. However, in John 4, Jesus chose to speak to ONE Samaritan woman. The jews considered the Samaritans lesser than themselves, yet He esteemed her. So she had an ENCOUNTER with the one true Messiah. And through this one woman's changed life and testimony many her in town also chose to believe in Him. (John 4: 39). With all the cares in this sinful world, Jesus chose to spend 10 minutes in conversation with this woman. He chose her. One person and her life changed MANY. Her encounter with Christ reaped a harvest.

"Do you not say "Four months more and then the harvest? (Sept, Oct, Nov, and Dec) I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!! THEY ARE RIPE FOR HARVEST. " Even NOW the reaper draws his wages, even NOW he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together! Thus the saying, "One sows and another reaps is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor". John 4:34-38.

Don't you just love God's word?! We just need you to GO this Fall season.. Please enter into His true labor this Labor Day and choose to change the life of one orphan, one child, and bring in the harvest. That's what this season is about. Let your feasting this holiday season be to do the will of the one who sent Him.

"My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of Him who sent me and to FINISH His work."

Man Up & Dance!!!! Seriously...

2011-08-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

As our new Tuesday Testimonial, we just thought we'd follow up on the last one we posted. Stephen Elder, one of the Man Up team members was talking about his skills with dancing in Uganda. I bet you didn't believe him, so we decided to show you!

Honestly though, I can't think of anything more incredible or amazing then dancing with orphans. I know it's as close as heaven you can get..They are the most precious children ever...in the Lord's sight and in mine.

Tuesday Testimonial! How to Man Up!

2011-08-23T13:21:00.001-07:00

Our Executive Assistant, Amanda Herdina interviews two Man Uppers in Uganda on how their trip has impacted them:

India as per JohnnySwim...

2011-08-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

Our Artist Partners, JohnnySwim (Abner & Amanda Ramirez) would like to share about their upcoming trip to India below. We hope you will join us! You can find out more about this trip here.

The first thing I had to assure my wife about our upcoming trip to India was that the people there DO NOT burn their poop in the streets. This was very important information for her.

India exudes a majesty I have never forgotten, and my wife, Amanda, has had to endure years of my monologued fascination of the sights, sounds and experiences of my first, and only trip. However, somewhere in my all my storytelling, she combined two stories in her mind: one of me seeing someone poop on a public street and another of the smell of burning trash… this led to the afore mentioned fear of bathroom etiquette in India. That fear has now been assuaged.

It was the summer of 2004 when I visited some remote regions in Northeast India. Set in the foothills of the Himalayas, our team served in orphanages and played concerts with the children of the local villages. The kindness I felt in serving proved to me yet again that giving is better than receiving. As is true in so many cases, I went to India to give and found I was the one receiving most. I've never forgotten the faces, the food, the smells, or the smiles from that 10 day trip, and I cant possibly begin to explain the excitement in being able to return to India now 7 years later accompanied by my wife and an awesome team from Visiting Orphans to serve, to give, and to love on those who often feel forgotten; to let them know there is so much love for them and that the love that is in them to give can change the world. How would we know to love if we were not first loved? None of us are orphans in the Kingdom of God. I challenge you to come with us for 10 days in India, this September (yep, THIS september) and see the course of your life changed for the better; to give of your heart so freely that to expect any return would be vain; to give the hope that can only be given in an embrace and to see the miracle that is belief occur before your eyes. This life is good, and the best parts of it are what you give away.

And trust me… no one will burn their poop in the street. (At least i hope not.)

-Abner Ramirez

What Is A "Man Upper"?!

2011-08-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

If you are a friend of Visiting Orphans or me on Facebook then I'm sure this is the question you are asking! "What is a Man Upper?!" Currently through the wonderful partnership with our awesome team leader, Roger Gibson, we sent out a team to Ethiopia and Uganda with the whole concept of Manning Up for the orphans...

As Roger and his wife Kari would get together with me and my husband, Simon, one thing we would discuss at length was the trend we saw in our Visiting Orphans teams. Just about all our teams had about 80 to 90% women as team members, with little to no representation of men to be found on these teams. Now, us women are more than happy to REPRESENT in this way, but it saddened and grieved our hearts as it seemed men were just not "getting it"!

We understood that when you think perhaps of visiting an orphan that you think of holding and cuddling babies, and that's it. But the majority of Christian men were not realizing how many young boys and teenage men were orphans in this world! And yes, they loved being visited by women, but oh, how their hearts LONGED to be known by men. How they wanted to be recognized, known, and remembered by men who visited. Most of our trips...I would say 90% of them spend time with these boys, not babies. The babies need us too, yes, but it's those children who are stuck in the system who really need us..and these are the ones this blog post is specifically addressing.

At one facility we partner with in Kampala, Uganda there are usually 200 children there and only seventeen or so of them are girls! The facility is the children's prison which the ministry of Sixty Feet is actively trying to help. All these street boys who get picked up for minor offenses, or none at all...stuck for days behind bars...sometimes for weeks in solitary confinement, only because they are homeless and without a family...

So, our response was to send out a team targeted specifically towards men and it WORKED! We sent out a team of 38 people, 80% which are men to Uganda and Ethiopia this Summer. In fact, they are still in Ethiopia as I write...

At the children's prison in Uganda, these boys got to come out of their bars for hours and SCHOOL our American men in Soccer (futball). :) They learned how to play basketball from Dude Perfect. They worshipped without abandon and taught our men how to do the same! This is the Abba Heart of God...now does this sound like a boring mission trip which is totally out of a man's comfort zone?! No...this is the heart of a man!!!

So, we have another Man Up trip planned next Summer and we plan to send another one in the Spring. But what I want men to remember is that we need them on ALL our trips. That's the point of this whole concept. To Man Up and love the fatherless... to be God's hands and feet as He shows how to be a Abba Father to them. Our other teams need you more than our Man Up teams do. Our goal is to see all our teams with an even ratio of men and women of God serving together. Our God is both male and female...and we are in His image. We need to serve together to be a complete representation of Him.

Please think about signing up next year for one of our trips, ESPECIALLY if you are a man and you "get it"! Join with us as a Man Upper and love on these orphans as only a man can do!

p.s. All photos are copyrighted by Wynne Trippet Elder, 2011.

Testimony from the Great Wall of China!

2011-08-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

This week our Tuesday Testimonial is obviously belated. Sorry about that! We were waiting for our Chifeng, China team to get back so we could upload their video. Here is team member, Christine McNeal, talking about her time visiting orphans in China and how going back year after year makes the biggest difference in their lives! And the cool thing is that she is hiking the Great Wall of China as she gives this message! I love how she is so winded and out of breath as she shares with us. :) We hope you will be inspired to love on the orphans in China with us next Summer!

My Conflict

2011-07-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since I've personally blogged. I've really wrestled with what to say. I feel so conflicted these days...I have always advocated for adoption and orphan care - it's been my calling and career for the last 10 years! Yet, here we are, pregnant with our first baby.

This is awesome news of course! But, we were in the process of adopting a little girl from Ethiopia and of course, as God would have it, we finally became pregnant! Honestly, I couldn't believe my emotions at first. They were so contradictory to what I thought they would have been. I wasn't that excited. I just felt shocked, overwhelmed, scared and mostly...sad. Why was I sad? I knew it was because the little girl I had seen in all the photos might now not get to go home to us.

Still today, at almost 7 months pregnant, I wonder...will she ever become a part of our family or will we continue to give birth to more and more children? I am now VERY happy to be pregnant and cannot wait to meet this little man, but my hope diminishes daily for bringing her home. Mainly b/c nothing is happening with her case in Ethiopia any way, but we could STILL adopt another child...right? But at 39 years old, you can't wait too long if you do want to have birth children....so where is my place in this calling? How do I walk it out? Where is my voice?

All these thoughts and emotions make me feel like my word or my thoughts aren't as important and I feel like a hypocrite. I so burn for the orphans and sending out God's people to care for them and I so celebrate every adoption I hear about, yet, I CAN'T travel to visit the orphan OR adopt right now!!!! Am I a hypocrite? Will people judge me and think I'm not walking out what I am preaching?

I was wearing our "Visit" t-shirt the other day at Starbucks. A sweet woman who was standing behind me in line came up to me and said, "I think it is SO neat that you are wearing that shirt about orphans, yet you are pregnant." I'm sure I looked totally shocked and perplexed as I didn't get it at first...but then slowly she started explaining. "Well, it's just so neat that are expecting your own child yet still advocating and not forgetting the orphan." She had no idea how much she encouraged me! I wish I had written down her contact information just so I could thank her for those words.

So, as I enjoy this long awaited season in my life..this yearning to finally bear a child and be a mom, I pray you will understand my heart. A calling is irrevocable. It is what it is. Just know that each trip I send out, I wish I was on...Each day I think about the little girl who might possibly be in our home one day IF we receive a miracle. Yet all the while, I am celebrating these days and looking forward to welcoming Jordan Robert into his forever family! In the meantime, I get to continue to do the background work - sending out the most amazing people of God to love and care for the orphans. I had my time - now it's YOURS!.

From Eritrea to Ethiopia.. Meet our VO Intern!

2011-07-26T14:05:00.001-07:00

Here is our second Testimonial Tuesday video installment. We want each of you to meet Rahwa Mehari, our Visiting Orphans Intern. Rahwa is from Eritrea and speaks fluent Amheric. We have been so blessed to get to work with her daily and we sent her this Summer to visit orphans in Ethiopia. Listen to how her trip impacted her!

Talking About Titles

2011-07-20T09:07:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share this funny blog with you!!! I love it! This young man "Will" whom I never met, totally gets it and even though he's never traveled with us, explains why we are named Visiting Orphans! :)

Talking About Titles

VIDEO TESTIMONIAL TUESDAY!

2011-07-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

We are starting a GREAT new tradition at Visiting Orphans: TESTIMONY TUESDAY!

Each Tuesday we will submit short video testimonies from different Visiting Orphans mission trip team members. Each one will be unique and will showcase a different country program. We hope by doing this you will get to see how wonderful ministering to orphans can be and even possibly challenge you to go to another country that you might not have considered otherwise.

To start off this awesome new tradition, we begin with Costa Rica! Big T (aka Gwen Kirby) and Little T (aka Gabriela Mastin) will share with you just why they traveled to Costa Rica to love on orphans. You'll also hear them plug our South and Central America Mission Trip Coordinator, Casi Mattox and of course, Visiting Orphans.

One Orphan to Another...

2011-07-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about working at Visiting Orphans is receiving testimonies from our team members. This one particularly impacted me as she was a foster child and is now on her way to loving on orphans in Africa. You will be SO blessed if you take the time to read her story and If you feel moved at all after reading her powerful testimony to donate to her trip, you can do so on our Donation page here. She doesn't have a lot of Christians in her life yet who understand mission trips or the need to go and visit orphans, so she is having a hard time raising her funds. So we ask you to please consider her as I KNOW God will use her greatly as He uses the ashes of her life to bring beauty out of herself and others...

Hi everyone, you don't know me, but my name is Amanda Zerkle and im currently trying to raise the money to go on the August mission trip to Ethiopia and Rwanda. I have recently found my faith and decided to give my life to God on October 14th, 2010. It was the best and worst day of my life, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Here is my testimonial, which I have never done, but am hoping that you can understand what I went through and how hard of a battle spiritually, physically, and psychologically it was for me.

A little about me....I had a very rough upbringing in that my mother was very abusive and a very bad drug addict/alcoholic. I have two brothers who also had to go through this with me which was a very difficult situation. My mother sold anything and everything we had(including food and clothing) for her drugs. She took us on all her drug runs and one time even almost killed us by almost driving drunk off a cliff. She constantly took her anger out on us and it was always a new item to hurt us with, whether it included: knives, bats, pots and pans, or just a plain belt. At one point I watched her stab my older brother in the leg after she had punched my little brother in the face. When I was five I was molested by one of my mothers friends boys, but because my mother was too drunk, when she walked in on it she walked right back out. I just never really knew her sober, which breaks my heart to this day. Cps finally came in and told us we had to live with the father or they would remove us completely. The last words I remember saying to my mom was, "I hate you." When I was seven years old I was informed that my mother had died, but never honestly informed how. My oldest brother, Bo, went to live with my aunt and uncle in Washington state and my little brother, Bj, and I went to live with "our dad". I say "our dad" because for eight years of my life that's what I knew him as, but truth was he wasn't my dad. After my mother died at the age of seven I began to act out. Getting kicked out of school after school after school. I was making myself throw up, hurting my pets, and starting fires in my house. At one point I was jumping on Bj's stomach and while he was turning blue I just laughed. I was stuck in counseling and went through counselor after counselor and put on meds after meds.I was constantly questioning my mothers death as nobody ever really told me how she died just that she had died. My "dad" finally told me the truth which was more painful that any child could ever experience. After CPS came in and told us that we had to find other means of a living situation and we moved with "our dad", mom went to live with a man she had met through AA. He explained to her she could live there and exchange for rent, do chores and take care of the farm, but no drugs or alcohol was allowed. My mother took that opportunity with open arms, but soon realized she couldn't handle it. Trying to come off of drugs and alcohol and not being able to see her kids was too much for her to handle. The man came back and my mother was lying on the floor dead, gun next to her. My mother committed suicide on November 26, 1995, at the age of 32. Between what was going on and the questioning my "dad" decided he couldn't take it anymore and there was no way I was his kid so he had a blood test done. After he found out that I wasn't his real kid he handed me over to the State of California, I became award of the court. I bounced around from foster care, to shelter, to group home, one after the other. Constantly getting in trouble and continuously making myself sick. Not only had I just lost my mother and got separated from my older brother, I then found out the guy I had known for eight years of my life to be my dad wasn't. Then, on top of that I was separated from my little brother, and not able to see any of my family. Bounced around and tossed around like a ping pong ball nobody cared about. It was the hardest years of my life and I wouldn't go back for anything.

Finally, when I was 11 my aunt and uncle were down visiting and I got to see them!!!! I begged and pleaded, and cried for them to take me back and adopt me. So after a lot of paperwork and a lot of decisions, it was decided that I would be getting adopted and moving to Washington State with them!!!! I was so excited to get out of the system, but still so lost as I was still mourning over the loss of my mother. There were so many trials, tribulations, and button pushing going on it was absurd. I had never really had the chance to be a kid, so I didn't know how to act or react to situations such as birthdays, Christmas, or even the 4th of July. School was going a little better, but once I started high school things just kind of went downhill. I began drinking at the age of 14, along with smoking weed. Since I had an older brother, I hung out with an older crowd. After all, my brother was my best friend and the only one that I knew I could really trust. I was good at school so my school work was always done and on time, but in my spare time all I wanted to do was drink. I ran away, got in fights, got in trouble with the law, and went through so many friends. Things at home weren't going good at all as my parents weren't getting along and the way they handled it was drinking, which made it that much harder on me. At the age of 15, i tried to commit suicide. I took a whole bottle of extra strength Tylenol and out of panic ran to tell my parents what I had just done. They didn't believe me until I started foaming out of the mouth. From what I can remember, 911 was called and I was rushed to Southwest Hospital. They were trying to pump my stomach as well as getting me to drink charcoal, in hopes that I would throw up the vile. My liver was failing severely and acid was shooting up into my chest, so they then rushed me to Doernbecher's children's hospital and put me in ICU. I was not allowed to be alone at any point in time and was hooked up on so many machines and ivy's than I could imagine. At one point I remember the doctor telling my parent's I wasn't going to make it. I was in ICU for 3 days and by what I as well as everyone else considers a miracle everything turned around. My vitals were looking up, the acid stopped, and my liver started to heal itself. I was then put in a psych ward for a week and told that I was not allowed to drink. After I got out and returned to school, nobody looked at me the same. Everyone was asking me if I was okay, if I needed anything, and what the could do. I WAS FINE!!!! Or so I thought. The rest of my High School was kind of a blur as it just zoomed on by and all I can truly remember is focusing on my school work and being depressed.

After I graduated, I moved in with a friend and began drinking and partying again. My family moved to Kansas and I bounced around from friend to friend to friend. Finally, I got a job at a fast food restaurant and got an apartment with one of my high school friends. Since i was drinking and partying all the time I began to get behind in my rent, my car payment, my insurance, and my utilities. All of the money I was making was going to gas, liquor, smokes, and weed. I realized that something needed to be done or I was gonna crash and crash hard. I decided to move to Kansas with my family and try to turn my life around. I moved to Kansas in May of 2008, I was 19. I started working for in the kitchen at a nursing home and got an government-funded apartment. I ended up getting my CNA license and working at the nursing home on the floor. I bought a truck and started working a lot of hours taking time away from being able to do anything else. Work started getting stressful, as dealing with the elderly is not only a physically but an emotionally job as well. All I was doing was working and working, so naturally I started to get back into the party scene. When I turned 21 it was easier for me to get alcohol since I could now buy it, and I cold go to the bars. I then moved from town to town to town as that's where my "friends" were who all partied with me. I could out-drink almost all of the guys or girls I knew so I became the "ONE" to party with. Every night was a party nigh and in the mean time my family started falling apart horribly and there was nothing I could do to stop it. My parents started filing for a divorce and my siblings started acting out. One by one, each one of my siblings tried to commit suicide and I was the one trying to be the strong one. My parents were running to me for advice, my siblings were hurting, work was stressing me out to no return, and I was too hungover and stressed to deal with it. I was letting my "friends" move in with me because their lives were falling apart, but in reality so was mine.

On October 14, 2010 I decided to do something I had NEVER done before and that was turn to God. I never believed in him up until this point, but I had leaned on anything and everything and it hadn't worked. So, I figured why not, what could hurt. I ran up to my pastor's house and his wife answered the door. I starting bawling and telling her I didn't know her, but something bad was about to happen and I needed her help. We talked for probably an hour and by the end of the conversation I had decided to give my life to God. The VERY next day I decided to go out to the bar with a "friend". So many things went wrong from: forgetting my make-up to losing my keys to losing my wallet. All I remember was walking out of the bar. The next day I woke up in jail and was soaking wet from head to toe and not sure why. I flipped out and lit my ticket on fire screaming and fighting jailers for answers. I had no idea what I had done and wanted answers. I had no truck, no phone, no money, no family, and no friends there. Everything I knew and had was gone. I was with a bunch of strangers. I decided to bond myself out, call a friend, and find out what exactly had happened. According to the State Patrolman who had pulled me over. I was found at 2am driving down a main road on the wrong side of the road, on a curb and had stopped suddenly six inches from a telephone pole. I have no recollection of this at all as aparantly I was in a blackout. When they checked my BAC level EIGHT HOURS after I had started drinking it was .199( over double the legal limit)!!!! I had went to 3 bars that night and drove clear across town not hitting anyone or anything. God saved my life AGAIN that night. That was the ONLY explanation I could come up with. I found my truck in impound, slowly but surely paid to get it out and it cost me over $500. Went to court and applied for a diversion (which was granted ) and had to pay about $1400 in fines. I had two classes to attend,got my license taken away for a year, and had to attend 10 AA classes. I then decided I was an alcoholic and needed to quit drinking. I went to God, my church, and my pastor's wife. I knew if I was going to give my life to God, I had to give him EVERYTHING not just part of me. I started going to church, dropped all of my friends, stopped going out, and started focusing on God and I. I asked God to show me where he wanted me to go and what he wanted me to do and asked him to walk with me. After I made that decision I can honestly say it has been a HUGE spiritual battle as Satan is really REALLY trying to destroy what I have accomplished. Through prayer and lots of faith building conversations things slowly started looking up and up. In May of 2011 God lead me to Barclay College( a bible college) in Haviland, Kansas. It seemed the more and more I tried to run from it the more and more I ran into it. I continuously was having meetings with my pastor and his wife and praying praying praying about where God wanted me. When she told me about Africa I instantly felt called to it. Im a nursing assistant and LOVE helping people, so when I get a chance to I go for it!!!

After lots of prayer and conversations with God, I decided to move in May of 2011. I moved to a quaker town where I am surrounded by GOOD CHRISTIAN people and my COLLEGE!!!! I am currently enrolled and start school in August hoping to major in Missions and Nursing. I have two jobs and am NOT drinking OR SMOKING and my faith in God grows more and more each day. I still don't have my license back, but am working on it and I just recently got back from Camp QuakerHaven(which was a blast)!!! I now know that NOTHING is impossible with God. God saved my life not once, not twice, but THREE times. I am more thankful for my life and appreciate it WAY MORE than I EVER have. I'm not saying things are peach pie, but I also know "Facing storms is never easy, but they are inevitable. They will come. However, God doesn't allow storms in our lives just for the sake of them happening. He has a plan, He has a purpose, and through them all He is with us." I am here for a reason and I cannot wait to see what that reason is!!!! GOD IS AMAZING!!!

The toal cost for this trip to Ethiopia and Rwanda is $3400-$3600 and I have already raised $1400. Im coming upon deadlines and although I know that God will never let me down, he does expect me to do my part. Im working sixteen hour shifts and working as much as I can between two jobs that I can(It's a struggle to get there since I don't have a license, so I have to pay somoene for rides). I am asking for your help PLEASE as a friend in Christ for either prayers or donations to my trip. My pastor and his wife are the ones leading it and it is through Visiting Orphans. We will be visiting different orphanages and spreading God's love to everyone, in hopes to make a difference. We leave August 7th and return on the 18th, so as you can see my deadlines are approaching fast and I'm already behind. If you would like to donate to me PLEASE either email me back for further information, or feel free to call me (620)518-1768. Anything helps, and prayers are strongly encouraged and always welcome. God saved my life and made a difference in me, please help me to spread the word and make a difference in someone else's life! Thank you!!!!

In his hands,

Amanda Lee Zerkle

Don't You Love it When God Uses You?

2011-06-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

Since I am now pregnant and have felt a firm "No" from God when I've asked if I can please keep traveling with our mission teams, I am not able to blog about trips as I usually would...because I am simply not on them. (You have no idea how much this bums me out!)

One of my older blog posts was brought to my attention today by one of our current team members who is headed to Africa for the first time. Doesn't it mean the world to you when something you wrote or said was used by God? Isn't that what many of us search for and hope for? For God to just use us? Well, she posted on her blog today that this previous blog post was what God used to pursue her to GO visit orphans. Maybe God will use this heart breaking experience to break your heart as well, so much so that you too will step out...

I had a couple hours this morning that I could have finally have slept in...yet, I was awoken at 6 AM. As usual, I tried to go back to sleep but as I tried, the memories and realities of our last fourteen days rushed in. I've had no time to process everything as the leader. I'm always "on". Always... but here at the Adonai Hotel which feels like a big hug, thanks to their sweet service and lovely accommodations, I've had some down time and some time alone. We leave tomorrow night so our schedule has slowed down some as I'm trying to be sensitive to the team's emotions and energy which is quickly running out.

As I began processing these last two weeks, I suddenly remembered the news I heard yesterday which, had I been in the privacy of my home and not having to "hold it together" for the team, would have brought me to my knees.

Click HERE to read more...

Visiting Orphans Partnering with Sixty Feet

2011-06-17T04:24:00.000-07:00

The cry of our hearts at Visiting Orphans is, "Lord, please send us the children who are hidden. The orphans who have no help. The ministires and orphanages who need us. The children and ministry staff who are crying out to you for help."

Our goal with our teams is to bring awareness to children and ministries who need help. When one of our teams comes in to help then they impart encouragement, love, hope, financial, physical and emotional blessings. We expose the ministry through our team's photos, videos and word of mouth to other individuals who then feel called to help. We call it the ripple effect and it's what is now happening with the "children's prisons" in Uganda through our teams.

An incredible ministry called Sixty Feet first discovered these "children's prisons" and began helping. When I read the stories on their blog about the children in the middle of the night one night, I KNEW God was not going to let me sleep. So the next morning, without sleep, I contacted them via email. Thankfully, I did hear God correctly and Sixty Feet was open to partnering with us. They allowed us to take in a small number of team members from our March team to visit the children first. When they returned home, their stories of their time there and the wonderful insistence of the Sixty Feet In-country Director that we continue bringing teams has now opened the door for this! You can read one March team member's account of her time there here.

We sent our first official Visiting Orphans team in this month. It was led by Kari and Michael Smalley. A brother and sister team whose dad is Gary Smalley. Did Mr. Smalley did a great job of raising his kids or what?!

Here is a letter sent to me this morning by the Incountry Director of Sixty Feet, Moses. (I like to leave the emails with the same spelling and grammar as I received it.)

Thanks Amanda for sending us the team. Kari and Michael really led the team so well. i wish they could come back so soon. This was the first of its kind in this facilities and the kids were so excited to sit and mix with them, the children really experienced the love that we used to tell them about. they sang songs or worship to the kids and praise be to God they always ask me when i will take the team back to visit them. We as the staff of sixty feet were also invited for dinner with the team and i shared my life experience as a person who was in a similar situation and who lost my fathers' house after his death. even now after i have grown and married, but still last few weeks my only inheritance of Land of about 28 hectares is being grabbed away. This is the situation of some of the kids in this facilities in this places and all they need is love and encouragement. visiting orphans team is the exact right persons to help this children experience love because some of the kids in there believe that there none who can care about them but when they see such teams traveling acrose the oceans only to visit such kids then it becomes an avenue for a paradyme shift in their minds.
The team gave us some gifts of clothes, balls and other games and toys were given to each child by the visitors. we then decided to ask for permision from the persons in charge at M so as to distribute the clothes to some kids who really are badly off in terms of clothes The team also gave some money to facilitate activities. thank God we were given that money because on fridays we do not have agenda to go to M but for the love of the kids there all staff were available since it was one of the life changing experiences for the children. In the subsequent staff fellowship which we had the staff were asking of more of such visits since the effect of the visit was real good for the kids.
I am sure the visitors must have sent you pictures . i Loved working with them and really encourage it for it raises the self esteem of this children.
May God bless all the team members who visited with us. May God bless all those who made this possible.
Thank you very much

Our future Uganda teams itinearies will continue to include the children's prisons which Sixty Feet aides. We pray you will feel compelled by our Lord and Savior to leave the comfort of your home to visit these children in prison. Bringing them the love and hope that only Christ can give THROUGH YOU!

Here is an awesome video of our team singing worship songs to the children who are in the isolation cells where the children are locked up for the first 2 weeks after they arrive at the prison. Nowhere to sit...nothing. Just concrete floors and bars. Please continue into the video for more of a close up...

Holy is the Lord God Almighty from Michael Smalley on Vimeo.

CD Review: No Double Yellow Line - Cindy Foote

2011-06-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

Readers,
I wanted to share a new CD which was put out by Singer/Songwriter, Cindy Foote (think "Sing to the King" and "You Are My King"). I have met Billy and Cindy Foote and can attest to their hearts. They LOVE God and BURN for the fatherless. As a family, they have adopted a little girl from Ethiopia and a little girl from China. Yet, the cry in their hearts does not stop there. Now Cindy has written an entire album of just songs pertaining to adoption and God's heart for the orphan. The title of the album is "No Double Yellow Line".

My favorite song on this album is "Bring Our Children Home". My co-worker, Autumn Kerr and I just started crying as we listened to it. Both from the same place in our hearts, yet a different yearning. For me, we have a little girl picked out in Ethiopia we are waiting for. We became pregnant as we started her adoption process and bringing her home now has to wait until our first baby is 6 months old. I more than understand our adoption agency's policy, but it's still so hard to know that while I grow a baby in my tummy, she languishes in Ethiopia waiting on the right "timing". I want her home NOW! Autumn cries because she too is waiting on God's perfect timing. She is still single and waiting on all those "pieces" in her life to fall into place, yet she LONGS to be a mother and to bring an orphan home into her forever home.

I can't help but mention an older song that Billy and Cindy had on an older album. It's a rendition of an old hymn called "Rescue the Perishing". This has been one of my favorite songs ever.

I hope you will look up her album. You too will be SO blessed by her music!

The Happiest Day of Her Life

2011-05-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Do you wonder if visiting orphans for a week can really make a difference? Let me tell you a story about how spending even a short amount of time with a child can make a difference and give them hope.

While on a Visiting Orphans trip in Honduras last summer, our team passed out some donated clothes to the kids. As we were passing out the clothes one of our team members noticed a girl sitting off to the side. She went up to her and started talking to her. When the girl didn't respond, the "Tia" (nanny) of the house told our team that the girl was deaf. Well, it just so happened that one of our team members was a sign language teacher. She said that sign language was a little different from English to Spanish, but she could at least do some basic communication with her. They spent some time communicating and after a little while the girl told her "this is the happiest day of my life".

The happiest day of her life. All because someone took the time to speak her language (even if it wasn't perfect) and get to know her.

Will you consider joining us in sharing God's love with children that need a glimpse of His hope? We still have spots open on our June Honduras trip!

Go to our website to apply:

http://www.visitingorphans.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=121837

Visiting Orphans Needs you in Ukraine this Summer!

2011-05-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

VO - Join us as we partner with Touched by Grace

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Join us as we partner with Touched by Grace to visit orphans in Ukraine.

There are 100,000 orphans in Ukraine. Most of these are social orphans which means they have 1 parent who either cannot or will not care for them. Alcoholism, prison, abandonment and neglect have forced these children to live in institutions and to live a life with very little hope. Eastern European orphanages can be very dark places. The conditions and the statistics are sobering and that is why we go - because when we visit orphans, we bring light to the darkness, hope to the hopeless, and most of all a Father to the fatherless.

This August Visiting Orphans will partner with Touched by Grace to visit orphans at the Babynest Orphanage in Ukraine. Babynest houses 130 orphans age 6 and under and Touched by Grace is helping to transform it into a place of joy and love. Our team will do painting and other work to improve the physical condition of the facilities, we will bring in much needed supplies and most of all we have the privilege to be moms and dads and brothers and sisters to children who have none. Through our presence, our time and our touch we will let these precious children know that they are loved, that they are valued and that they have a heavenly Father who loves them.

Won't you join us this August as we visit orphans in Ukraine. Sign up at our website www.visitingorphans.org or email Frank Pass for more information frank.pass@visitingorphans.org

Frank Pass

Mission Trip Coordinator

P.O. Box 668
Nolensville, TN 37135
Phone: 866-683-7554
Fax: 866-683-5087
www.visitingorphans.org

James 1:27 "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress..."

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When He Doesn't Show Up

2011-04-18T11:12:00.001-07:00

This is a post I've been meaning to share for awhile now. I wanted to share such a wonderful time I had with the Lord recently.

Some time in December or January I was really aching to be a mom. I didn't care whether it was biologically or through adoption, but since I was nearing 39 years old, I was really feeling this desire.

It just seemed that biologically things were not cooperating and our adoption just kept progressing and progressing, the wait time increasing and increasing.

I remember as I laid in bed, in that state between awake and sleep, I cried out to God, not understanding why I could not be a mom now. I was sharing with my husband that I was not mad at God. I was hurt by him... If He loved me so much, then of course I expected Him to want to give good things to me as His word says. Yet, he did not seem loving to me. He seemed selfish. He was letting me down, disappointing me and hurting me. I hated feeling this way as I love Him so much and I know the Truth is that He loves me even more than I can imagine.

As I cried out to Him, I thought about a time in the Bible when someone else was deeply disappointed by Jesus. The story of Lazarus.

It starts in John 11:6 where it clearly states, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister and Lazarus...". But then the very next verse does not seem at all to indicate that he loved them, "When He heard therefore that Lazarus was sick, He stayed two more days in the same place that He was." Now why would Jesus do that?! Common sense tells us that if you love someone and they are sick and you have the power to heal them, that you would RUSH to their side to SAVE them!

And that is exactly the same way Mary saw it! "Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." (John 11:32) The next verse states that Mary was weeping. She was so hurt, so disappointed, so sad. If God had shown up, Lazarus would have been saved! All Jesus had to do was SHOW UP!

Have you had times like these? Where you have cried out to God to please come through for you? Whether it be to save the baby in your womb, or to hurry up and get your adopted child home, to healing someone you love.

What I love about this story is that after Jesus saw Mary and the other Jews crying and grieving over losing Lazarus, that Jesus was deeply troubled as well and wept. But Jesus did not weep because Lazarus was dead. He knew Lazarus was going to live again in just a few minutes. No, He wept because those He loved wept. It says in God's word that Jesus ONLY does what God, His Father, instructs Him to do. He CANNOT do anything that is not in His Father's will. I think He so wanted to have come through for them. I think He wept because He hated disappointing and hurting them.

As I cried out to God that night, I was comforted by this revelation. Jesus, one part of the Trinity of God, was identifying with my pain. He wanted to give me motherhood now, but God had a different plan. One that ultimately would bring Him more glory, which at the end of everyday is truly the cry of my heart. That my life would bring Him glory. He also, in His supreme wisdom knows what I can handle and what I can't.

Have you had times like this as a parent? Where your child wants something NOW, like a pony or a bike, but you KNOW they are not old enough to handle it yet. You SO want to please them, but you can't...not yet. And you really can't wait to give it to them....I think this is how Jesus was feeling as I cried myself to sleep that night.

And the best part of this story is that just a few minutes later they rolled away the stone and Jesus got to "loudly" cry out "Lazarus, come forth"! I honestly do not think it was a stoic somber cry. I think it was a gut wrenching, can't wait to see you LOUD cry. This is the same cry we will all hear when our hopes and dreams are finally in our hands. I can hear Jesus up in Heaven crying out in this way as our babies are born, or on our Gotcha Days or the days that our loved ones either come home to be with Him or wake up to new life here on earth.

Our Jesus loves us SO much! His waiting is truly His love for us! How hard this is to believe, but how awesome it is to share in bringing Him glory through our testimonies that are birthed through these hard waiting times. Be comforted knowing that God does love you and SO empathizes with your longings. He'll come through...hold on...

I Refuse Video

2011-04-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is a great video created by one of our mission team members, Jennifer Hanson. She was a member from our second March 2011 Uganda team. It's so wonderfully created! It is a GREAT representation of what one of our trips is like. The Song is entitled "I Refuse" by Josh Wilson

Pure Religion: Uganda 2011 with Visiting Orphans from Jennifer Hanson on Vimeo.

When God Picks ME!

2011-04-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share an email I received this week from Rebecca Brown, one our past Rwanda/Ethiopia team members:

I wanted to tell you myself what one Visiting Orphans trip did to my life...

Ok, lets see... on my trip we went to Rwanda first and it stole my heart. I really loved the Noel orphanage and wanted to do so much there. I really thought that God was going to bring me back there, until Ethiopia.

Most of the people on my team loved Ethiopia. I was already set that in my mind that Ethiopia was ok and wouldnt steal my heart b/c I was going to come back to Rwanda. The last two days of our trip some things got change on our agenda. The places we were going to didn't want us til like 3 afternoon. SO, we told Tymm, our team leader that we didn't want to sit around for the next two day waiting til 3 to do something - we wanted to help.

So, Nathan, another team member said, "would any of you like to take some street kids to lunch?" We loved the idea!! I thought that there was going to be like 4 boys that Nathan knew that would show up. We pulled up that morning and there were llike 30 kids. I remember thinking "OH my Goodness Lord, these are teenage boys." " I dont know what to do with teenage boys." I remember becoming a little scared of my stuff for the first time, thinking, "are they going to steal or beg from me?" I was the last one out the van and got out remember telling God a little prayer, saying... "I am definitely out of my comfort zone here Lord and I dont know who you want me to talk too. You are going to have to help me on this one."

As I was looking up from my prayer and looking back down there was this boy walking towards me. He grabbed my hand said MY name is Sami. Yes, the Sami everyone knows and loves so much. Sami asked me if I knew your hubbie Simon and that if I knew when he was coming back. That boy stole my heart! He never let go of my hand. He loved me so much for the next 3 days. That moment when Sami picked ME out of crowd God showed me that he always picks the weakest ones to do his work. That even though Sami didn't know me he loved me anyways, just as God loves us.

We go on these trips thinking that we will change these kids lives and they change ours so much more. I just fell in love with the street kids!!! I met Ephrem that day and later that night I have no idea what made him ask me but he asked me if I come for the summer to help. I prayed bout it when I got back and in the last few months God has made it his plan.

SO, I leave in 5 short weeks. I am selling my things and moving to Ethiopia. I had planned on the summer but as I am working with Ephrem ministry we feel that God is leading me longer term. So when I get there, I am going to try to find sponsors to sponsor me as a missionary to help Ephrem in his ministry, which God is about to take off with. So many doors are opening and very excited. I am going to get his sponsorship program up and running to get these kids sponsored by americans. I hope to get some kind of a tutoring program started and get a soccer tournment done this summer. I am so excited to see what God has planned b/c I could have never dreamed that this is what he had in mind for me.

This has been the most challenging thing having to give up so much and leaving what I do know behind, but I love a God who is great and awesome and see more potenial in me then I could have ever. So, I THANK YOU for Visiting Orphans and what you do for this ministry. I am sure I am one of many stories that lives where changed by God, but God used Visiting Orphans to do so. I hope that Visiting Orphans keeps the street kids close to them and continues to put it on the agenda so that kids lives can be changed through sponsorship. I am sure that we will be talking in the future as I contuine to grow in this ministry.

Its so crazy the connection you have being on a VO team. Loved that someone I never met came and supported me today. LOVE being a part of a VO Family :)

Marked

2011-03-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

A wonderful blog post by my incredible husband, Simon, who is leading our team in Uganda this week:

Everyone always talks about being marked for Christ and marked for Jesus. I am here to say that today, our team has been officially marked for Uganda! Of course we give our allegiance to Jesus Christ but we have experience a new level of love and commitment to this place.

This morning, we rushed off to meet 500 students at a local school. There were 7 classes from 2nd grade up to 8th grade. We taught the kids “Simon Says” and they taught us how to laugh☺ I personally walked away with marks on my arms from little rug rats who would not let go! These children are so hungry for love. Get this… 10% of the students there were orphans. That’s right, 50 of the children at school went back to an orphanage.

Our biggest surprise of the day was early afternoon. I’ll try to keep this brief. “Pillars of Hope” is a grass roots organization started by a man who Amanda and I had a pleasure of meeting 3 years ago. The man’s name is Godrey and he had a vision 3 years ago to start a program for children who were from the streets. So, today we had the opportunity to see his 45 children and to meet his staff (of volunteers). That was only the beginning… We also heard a testimony of a young lady who only a year ago was a Muslim, a Widow, and a Prostitute. She was selling herself in a one-room home with her two young children living at her bedside. You can only imagine. Godfrey and his staff were able to minister to her and her children. Through their love and grace, she is now able to make scarves and rugs and she sells them to local churches. She shared her testimony and it brought tears to our eyes. She is now a transformed woman who loves Jesus and has a purpose!

Another HUGE blessing was given to Canaan Children’s Home today by one of our team members, Welch McCollough. He literally spent all day hooking up wifi internet for an orphanage so that they can now offer computer services to the local community. This will not bring in funds to support the children but it will offer opportunities for the children to learn viable skills in technology. Like I said, HUGE blessing.

We ended our night singing praises to our KING Jesus with children falling asleep in our arms. Literally, we worshiped and gave glory to God for a day that left a mark on us forever. As I close, I will say this… Going on a mission’s trip holds so many secrets and keys that will unlock your heart to the things close to God’s heart. I can’t begin to explain the joy we have had today. No amount of money can replace these deposits from God. You truly have to “Go” to experience what James calls “Pure Religion”.

The Waiting

2011-03-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

With the new news of adoptions in Ethiopia possibly slowing down, it has really increased our yearning for our little girl we are trying to adopt in Ethiopia. I was the given the following verses from my Assistant, Amanda Herdina. It brought me SUCH comfort and I wanted to share it with the rest of you who are waiting.

Letter Given to Timothy, For All Those Who Have Ears to Hear

Oh Timothy, you of little faith. Have I not said to you, “Trust in Me”? You weigh all that is, and is not, on your emotions and lack of patience. Finish that which is set before you, then shall you be given more.

Next week, go east and work with your new client, but do not abide there. There will you find enough to carry you over. Have faith... Have I not provided thus far? In the weeks to come, I will provide you with plenty. Have patience and rest in The Lord... be not tempted of satan. All good things come to those, who wait patiently in The Lord and overcome with steadfast faith. Pray and ask of The Father, in The Son’s name, and it shall be given you. Obey all that I ask of you, and I will return to you ten-fold in Heaven that which is due you. And yes, Timothy, I will keep your head above water. Even more so will I give to you, so much so that your tithe shall grow and help those in need near to you. If your tithe shall grow, shouldn’t that which you tithe from grow first?

I have spoken, so it shall come to pass. Trust in Me, and I shall increase you greatly in your land. Through you, many shall be lifted up out of their need; and through Christ working in you, shall many be lifted up to redemption, which is in Christ, The Lord.

I also received this today from a daily Word I receive:

You are right on schedule, but not according your time frame. You have placed yourself under My authority and kingdom rule where time on the earth takes only a secondary position. You can make your appointments and set your schedules, but you must remember that My purposes for you supersede natural plans. For, I see and know all things, and I know how to bring about that which is best for you, says the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Focus on the things of the day, Timothy, especially the works of The Lord. Worry not on tomorrow, for The Lord holds tomorrow in His right hand, and yesterday in His left. But today, cherish, for The Lord is with you today. Let The Lord handle your tomorrows. You, Timothy, work, and do those things both necessary and pleasurable for your family today, for tomorrow holds its own trials... All of which can and will be overcome through Me."

El Roi Saw Andrew

2011-01-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

I had a couple hours this morning that I could have finally have slept in...yet, I was awoken at 6 AM. As usual, I tried to go back to sleep but as I tried, the memories and realities of our last fourteen days rushed in. I've had no time to process everything as the leader. I'm always "on". Always... but here at the Adonai Hotel which feels like a big hug, thanks to their sweet service and lovely accommodations, I've had some down time and some time alone. We leave tomorrow night so our schedule has slowed down some as I'm trying to be sensitive to the team's emotions and energy which is quickly running out.

As I began processing these last two weeks, I suddenly remembered the news I heard yesterday which, had I been in the privacy of my home and not having to "hold it together" for the team, would have brought me to my knees.

On Monday we visited Renee Bach's ministry, Serving His Children in Jinja. Renee is doing an extraordinary service through her ministry to starving and malnourished children among the least of these in Jinja. What makes her even more extraordinary is that many times as she is nursing a child or young man or woman back to health, they will pass away in her sweet arms. Yet, she keeps on going and serving, loving her God, by loving and fighting for these children.

Our team had the honor and privilege to meet sweet Andrew who was in her care. He was four years old and had been left by his mom in a starving condition at his grandmother's front door just a few days earlier. He was at Renee's when our team visited.

We were all stunned and shocked that he could be four, yet he barely weighed anything. I held little Andrew's feet as they were so cold and I could tell he wanted to sleep. I know when my feet are cold that I can't get comfortable enough to sleep. So, I held his little feet in my hands and rubbed them until they grew warm. It's all I knew to do. We all gathered around him and asked questions, spoke to him in our English, which he did not understand and tried to let him know we loved him.

But, you could tell he was so scared. So sad and so uncomfortable. Renee in her beauty, grace, peace and strength just calmly reassured him all the while answering our many questions. We just could not understand how someone could let their child starve. There are many questions that will never be answered. How could this team of white people ever understand life in a small mud home that has probably been visited by death and sickness many times over. Most of these poor women just give up when they find their children very sick, or when they can't find the resources to care for them.

But this sweet Andrew's grandmother had the love to take him to the hospital where Renee found him. His last couple of days were spent with two sweet women of God, Renee and her best friend, Shana, as they stayed up every hour all night long, just to feed him two tablespoons of this special mixture they make, as that is all he would eat. Every hour....all night long.

Yet, the news I heard yesterday was that Andrew passed away. What breaks me the most is that his last words were "I want my mommy". In all the love and care that Shana and Renee poured on him, he just wanted his mommy. But his mommy was nowhere to be found. I don't say this to bash her. We do NOT know her circumstances. But, I think of the MILLIONS of children who are in Andrew's condition, who die alone just wanting their mommy and it WRECKS me. In his last minute, he just wanted his mommy.

I think of Jesus who died on the cross and how forsaken He felt in those last minutes...He felt abandoned by his own Father, the God of this universe. Even he wanted to live. Even he wanted his daddy in his last few minutes here on this rotten earth.

They all just want their mommy and daddy and they are left alone.

I weep as I write this as the idea of now returning to our plush, seemingly lifeless reality hits me. We are sick in America. We are sick with fatness, complacency, indulgence, entertainment, the pursuit of success and distraction. The enemy's goal is to lull us to sleep...to make us so comfortable we cannot move!!!!!!!!!! And yet, there are starving orphans, literally, left alone to die.

I hope this blog post WAKES YOU UP!!! I hope it makes you stop eating all those lifeless foods which are trying to put you to sleep. I hope it makes you turn off that movie or television which steals your time and WASTES it. And lastly I hope it convicts you of the reality of the life of an orphan here in Africa and many other nations. And I pray as well that I will return with this same conviction and never return to that place.

A few minutes ago I went into the kitchen at this guest home to get my cup of coffee. Above the coffee maker was a sign that said, "El Roi - The Strong God Who Sees".
God sees these children and he saw Andrew. This strong loving Father picked sweet Andrew up and placed him in Renee's arms. I pray he some how knew that His loving, heavenly Father never forsook him. He loved him so much that he took him home to be with him. Home where there is no sin or death. Home where he is surrounded and engulfed by Love. Not the emotion or feeling, but the One who is Love.

We love you Renee and we are so sorry. Thank you for always getting up and going forward, even when your heart breaks so much. We are praying for you. And you inspire those of us whose hearts break. We can't give up either... There is too much at stake.

Sereka

2011-01-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

I am writing this as our team and I are on our way to Rakaii, Uganda after several days at Canaan Children’s Home. Our team spent the nights in this orphanage. I have found that the teams who get to spend the evening and early morning hours with the kids always come home more broken hearted than the other teams. It must be due to the unscheduled free time where each team member gets to spend quality time with certain children whom the Lord softens their heart to.

It’s usually the little children who seek out the team members.

Every time our teams arrive at an orphanage they are welcomed with screaming little children who are clapping and jumping up and down. Then, as they get off the bus, they are literally tackled with tribes of children. There is something extremely special about African children…they trust you completely. They rush over, greet you and immediately start holding your hand. If you pick them up, they will in time fall asleep on you. They so want a place to surrender, to be held and loved and rocked to sleep as you hold them.

So, this team is wrecked as Canaan Children’s home had about 23 new orphans. Most of which came from traumatic backgrounds. Sereka was the little girl who chose me this time. She wasn’t the most beautiful of the little girls. She had some teeth missing prematurely, but she didn’t care. She smiled so big. She rarely spoke anything. She hardly moved, unless prompted by me. I asked Pastor Isaac for her story. He said she was sexually abused by a relative until she came to Canaan’s. She was maybe four years old. And we noticed that she barely moved and was very hot and found out that she also had malaria.

This is the little girl that God decided to break my heart with again. The list of those He uses in my life continues with each trip. Ababa in Ethiopia, Faida in Gulu, Adelisa in Costa Rica, etc.

Atleast I know I will be back in Uganda in just two months. Sereka will see me again and that’s what is important to her heart. She’s worth more than one visit. Her little heart doesn’t need to feel used again, abandoned again, or forgotten again.
I had some time in the quietness of my room at the orphanage to hug her tightly and pray over her. She held on for what seemed like dear life. I prayed for protection and for the healing of her traumatized heart. I watched her as we drove away in our bus..and thankfully she was smiling and not crying. She seemed loved and encouraged and hopeful. She knows in her little trustful heart that I will come again soon.

This is why I encourage our team members to try and visit the same orphanages and children three years in a row. We want the orphans to know they are loved and remembered. Not just a great experience for us and now we can move on. Because they aren’t moving on. They are in the same place day in and day out. We have to come to them. We are the ones who can model Christ and go to them to visit.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18

The Lord is My Helper

2010-12-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

This is what I keep reminding myself..."The Lord is My Helper"..

Currently, I am sitting in the manager of Ethiopian Airlines' office here at the Dulles airport. Atleast I will now know him on a first name basis and have his cell phone number for any future teams that go out with VO! ;) Always have to look at the positive side of things and see God's providence in it all.

Basically, our flight which was scheduled at noon tomorrow (12/28) was originally on a 777 aircraft. They had issues with that carrier and had to "downgrade" to a 767, which means that it would take longer to fly to the Addis airport from Dulles, thus missing our 10:30 AM flight out of Addis to either Entebbe or Rwanda (which is where are two teams are headed), so the next flight out would not be until 10:30 PM that night, meaning we would not get in until midnight. So, our teams opted to stay an extra night in D.C. and fly out on the noon flight on the 29th instead. Ethiopian airlines is giving each person $200 cash and they are throwing in some first class tickets, so I think the team is happy.

We will just head straight to ministry on the 30th, jet lagged and all. I always know in situations like this that God has a plan.

Please continue to pray for favor for our team.... We need it! :)

The Best Gift There Is

2010-12-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for peace in the midst of the hustle and bustle? Are you looking for peace in the midst of chaos? These slogans are all too familiar this time of year for different advertising companies as they push their sleep meds or new soft mattresses and the like.

I sit in a home that is quite dirty, compared to my usual attention to it's cleanliness. A home with lots of clutter due to gifts that need to be wrapped, pine needles that have fallen from the tree and many new wonderful Christmas cards we've recently received in the mail. All blessings, for sure! Even a home is a blessing, I know!

But this time of year has been especially chaotic for me. We are in the midst of paper chasing for our adoption and fundraising. Visiting Orphans is being so wonderfully blessed with new partnerships, with has brought changes and additions to our staff. I am also sending out three teams to Africa right after Christmas, the largest team of 25, I'm personally leading and will be gone for 14 days with them. Honestly, Christmas has become more of a duty and obligation lately than a joy to me. I can't imagine I'm the only one who has felt like this.

I am reminded of a wonderful saying that my good friend, Bethany Haley, just tweeted, "Should we learn to live more simply so that others can simply live?" My husband and i recently purchased new Android phones from Verizon. I resisted this for months...finally, with the trip for Uganda coming up, and my old blackberry acting up for the 10th time, we decided to "upgrade". So, I now have this fancy phone that vibrates when you touch it and can do more than I think my computer at work can do. I had this overwhelming feeling. But it was more like a resentment towards it.

I'm not that old. I'm not that young either. So I remember life before cell phones existed. And even a little bit before cable was in everyone's homes. There was so much more time to read, use your imagination and spend face to face, quality time with friends. And the best of it...there was QUIET time. If you had to drive from one place to another and you were alone, you could turn down the radio and just be quiet and reflect. I remember when I used to have to fight rush hour traffic in and out of Atlanta for work each day. I used to call that time "my church". I would listen to worship and sermons and just praise and worship God and just be quiet in prayer and reflection before Him.

There's such little time for this now. And it worries me. I was sick this past weekend. I will spare you the details. :) Sometimes I really love being sick. I honestly feel like God allows the flu and small illnesses to get us to be still. What I hate is that it may take that to make us stop doing so much, ignoring Him, the one we are living for.

Today, I had the day off. I had much "to do". Stocking stuffers to buy, cleaning the house and making up the beds for the guests, running to the bank, coffee with a wonderful friend, and even plans to get a massage. However, every time I tried to leave the home, I had this pull in my soul and spirit to just stay home. To be still. To spend an entire day with the man I love the most....Jesus Christ. I was softly reminded of Isa 48:17-18 and Isa 30: 15-18 and many others..

So, I changed back into my sweats, fixed my favorite cup of coffee and went to my favorite chair next to the fireplace, in the warm sunlight. I have exchanged busyness today for what is best, the richness of time in fellowship with my Heavenly Father and Bridegroom. It's out of this relationship that ministry is birthed anyway. Without Him we are truly nothing and have nothing to give.

Isn't this what Christmas is about anyway? Jesus Christ? I submit that maybe the best gift to give Him this year for his birthday is a relationship with Him. Not a decision, not just an act of faith, but an active and walking relationship with Him. I bet He would love to spend an entire day with each of you. Let's remember, that Jesus is the one who deserves a gift more than anyone else. Give Him your time, adoration and self this year. It's truly the gift that keeps on giving.

We are Adopting! Let the Fundraising Begin!

2010-12-16T18:56:00.001-08:00

So, here's the official announcement finally! Simon and I are excited to announce that we are adopting a little girl from Ethiopia! Let the FUNDRAISING begin!!!

First the details...
Our little girl has a name...she is what they call in the adoption world, "pre-identified". However, we've never met her. Basically, through a friend and former team member of Visiting Orphans, we were easily persuaded to try to start the adoption process for a little five year old girl from Ethiopia. This team member had fallen in love with her on a previous trip to Ethiopia. B_____ is I guess, in some ways, a street kid. I know that sounds awful, but I want you to know the awful truth. Right now, she is abandoned and lives on the street in Ethiopia. Through the kindness of many strangers, she is loved on as much as possible and now, she is in the process of getting her adoption paperwork started. Yet, at this time, she is still on the streets...

Our adoption is what you call "high risk" as she's not even in an orphanage, does not yet have a birth certificate, nor a certificate of abandonment. In a way, she is forgotten and unknown. But soon...she will not only be known, she will have the last name of Lawrence!!

Please keep B____ in your prayers for protection. Prayers that once her paperwork is completed she will be put in the right orphanage and that all the other hurdles that may come up, will be very small and almost obsolete in nature. We have to keep most details protected at this time, but soon, once her adoption papers are complete, we will tell you more!

If you would like to donate to our adoption, feel free to donate through the PayPal Donate button on this blog.

At this time, your donations are not tax deductible, but as soon as we complete our home study, we will work with a not for profit so that all donations are tax deductible at that time. However, if that is not important to you, we would greatly appreciate your donation now, as there are many small payments that we have to make during this "paper chasing" time of creating a dossier. You can send a check to 8669 Burkitt Place Dr., Nolensville, TN 37135. You can make it out to us or America World Adoption, whichever you prefer.

I cannot wait to have her home and we cannot wait to be parents!! We know she is hand picked by God in every way....

CBS News Covers Project Hopeful

2010-12-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

Visiting Orphans is so excited to partner with an amazing agency, Project Hopeful, for an Ethiopia and Uganda trip this coming April. Carolyn Twietmeyer, Founder and Director of this ministry is leading this team. Her family was just in this past week's People magazine and featured last night on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. You can watch the news clip below.
To join this trip, whose purpose is to bring more awareness to HIV/AIDS orphans, sign up here.

Profile of a Winner

2010-11-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

I wanted to introduce you all to the winner of our Mission Trip Giveaway, Anna Cardiel. Anna is a school bus driver in Tehachapi, California. She has been on 3 Visiting Orphans trips to China over the past years. She raised every cent of each trip through fundraising. Except this year she was unable.

This year she was not even able to afford to purchase the Pure Religion t-shirt so her mother purchased it just so she could be entered into the mission trip giveaway drawing!

On Anna's first trip to Chaoyang, China in 2007, she was changed immensely. Anna had never been around special needs children and honestly in her words, "was a little afraid of them". She met this little toddler baby boy named Fu Jain who had microcephalus, which is the condition when a child's head is abnormally smaller than the rest of his body. The nannies at this SWI neglected this baby boy and he was never held and had never been out of his crib. Anna said that she truly felt the love of a mother for this baby boy and took him out of his crib for the first time and outside for the first time. She said her heart broke when she had to come back to the states and leave him and insisted that the nannies take him out of his crib and outside from now on.

She returned the next year to find him WALKING! The nannies had learned by Anna's example and had loved him now. The next year Anna was unable to return to visit with Fu Jain due to the swine flu, although she was determined to go on missions to China and went to Heng Feng, China instead.

This year though, she just did not see how it could be possible that she could return. She felt she had asked too many times for funds and her faith was just lacking. So, her precious mom believed for her and purchased her t-shirt just so she could be entered into the drawing and she WON! In fact, yesterday was Fu Jain's 5 year old birthday!!! The day she won this trip to see him again!!!!

Here is Anna's response to the announcement that she won:
So UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!! Hi I'm Anna Cardiel The winner of the Visiting
Orphans mission trip contest..YAY!!! I went to Chaoyang China 2007 on
my first mission trip never knowing what condition the orphans would be
in, special needs is not something I though I could handle. Because we
server such an awesome God Christ Jesus my heart became His and I fell
in love with the Children especially a little one, Jain. I could never
afford a trip so I did a fund raiser for that year and the next two
years. I was unable to go in 2010 due to my own finances and that was
such a heartbreak. Then this year Visiting Orphans comes up with this
contest (which NEVER in a million years did I think I would win) and at
the very last minute I entered the contest, which my mom paid for the
t-shirt, and here I sit writing a winners testimony!!!!!!!! THANK YOU
CHRIST JESUS!!!!!!! Oh thank you too Visiting Orphans for your small
part hee hee

Won't you be an Anna to an orphan this Summer?! You can join Anna in Chaoyang in 2011 by applying here!

You can see a photo of Anna here with her beloved Fu Jain in the SWI (social welfare institute, what China calls an orphanage) in Chaoyang.

And the Winner Is?!

2010-11-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

Watch this video to find out who won our amazing Visiting Orphans Mission Trip drawing:

Orphan Sunday Tomorrow

2010-11-06T13:42:00.001-07:00

In honor of Orphan Sunday tomorrow, November 6th, please watch this video. It is why I fell in love with sending missions to orphans. It was the child after child in an orphanage that I met and fell in love with, only to have to leave behind due to governmental systems that are not "for" them or due to the fact that no family was stepping up to adopt them. I still remember the time I was at the Mother Theresa HIV orphanage in Addis and a little 4 year old boy was pushed into a gutter and split his head open. This time someone was there to pick him up and console him....that was me. But every other day, no one cared. No one came to rescue him. No one came to love him. No one came just to hold him when he fell....

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

The Ripple Effect..

2010-11-04T20:22:00.001-07:00

Here's an awesome example of why I love what I do! Not only is it the millions of orphans who need us to come meet and love them, but it's TWO fold! It's the people who go on these trips to visit orphans who are changed forever. I fondly call it the Ripple Effect.

Mary Beth Lavin joined me on the first mission trip I ever led for VO in 2006! It was VO's first time sending a team to Ethiopia. From that trip, God ignited Mary Beth's heart (and obviously mine!) with a passion and she returned home with a another term I am fond of, a "holy frustration". A frustration from God..one that she would wrestle with until a year and a half ago when God's purpose for her life was made clear. Please watch this video to see how Mary Beth's not for profit, Formula One Life is saving orphaned babies lives all over the world!

You'll want to fast forward to about the 4th minute into the video...

Real Conversations - Formula One Life - RC04 from Real Conversations on Vimeo.

Why Do I Do What I Do

2010-11-02T15:02:00.001-07:00

There are many days that I feel judged. Many days that I feel disliked. Many days that I feel misunderstood. Many days that I feel resisted. I know what's in my heart, but others don't. God does.

People may judge me and think that I am just trying to "grow" a company. They may think that it's all about me or Visiting Orphans. In fact at the end of the day I feel like there are many who truly are more against me than for me. And that makes me sad. I am not a woman made of armor. I am made of flesh and blood and words and judgements hurt.

What I do know is this. I know there are more than 143 million orphans in this world. I know that there are probably a lot less of God's people doing what James 1:27 tells them to do...to visit orphans in distress than this 143 million number. So, I have this burn...not just in my heart, but in my GUT! It's what I call a Heart Cry. It comes from the belly and wells up and compels me. My heart's cry is to see every orphan visited. Yes, I wish that every orphan could be adopted into a forever family and yes, I wish at the end of the day that there were no more orphans! But the reality is that there has been since the Old Testament times and most likely will be until Christ returns. So, what's my place, my lot, my purpose for this life I live until He returns?! My personal mission is to bring the hope of Christ to every orphan. For them to know that God sees them. That they are not forgotten. To find them in their hidden places. That they are found, adopted by their Abba Father and have a royal inheritance. To know that I personally do love them. That God has downloaded a love for them that is so strong that I can't possibly do anything else!

So when you see me "marketing" and campaigning some more for Visiting Orphans and our mission trips, it's this heart cry that fuels me. It may not be your heart cry and you may do thing differently, but this is all for God's glory. That's why we are here on earth to bring Him glory. May Visiting Orphans bring Him glory by increasing as the number of people choosing to GO and visit orphans in distress increases and the number of orphans not visited DECREASES.

Our Mission Trip Giveaway!

2010-11-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

We have an exciting opportunity for you that we can't wait to share with you! The details are in this video!

Visiting Orphans Mission Trip Giveaway from Amanda Lawrence on Vimeo.

www.visitingorphans.org/tshirts

The girls get their new beds!

2010-10-27T15:23:00.001-07:00

Want to Visit Orphans in Ethiopia this February for FREE?!

2010-10-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

Kari Gibson, one of our team leader's extraordinaire is giving away two free mission trips to Ethiopia! Just purchase one of her awesome orphan advocate t-shirts and you will immediately be entered into her give away drawing. You can find out more here on her blog.

Can't Sleep Because of Haiti

2010-10-14T04:09:00.000-07:00

The last two nights have brought me little sleep and it's not because this is the hottest country I've ever visited, so hot that in fact, when you lay down at night, you need no bed covers and no clothes if you can help it!

My lack of sleep is due to the questions and concerns rolling around in my head after these last two days visiting Haiti. The main reason four of us descended onto Haiti for only one full day this week was to visit an orphanage with seriously some of the most precious children I've ever met. We sat with the landlord of the orphanage, the orphanage director, and the two powerful women that ran the orphanage. I want to tell you about this meeting and all that came out of it, but there is another orphanage visit that was "impromptu" which is the one that kept me awake last night praying and crying out to God..."How in the world can we help them?" as I fought against all kinds of feelings of being overwhelmed and feeling so small against needs that are so big.

We visited an orphanage called Well Being. This orphanage has about 25 orphans. They had a home, but the earthquake destroyed it. Thankfully no one was hurt in it though. However, since they now have no building to live in, they are living in a Unicef tent in the back yard of an amazing friend to the orphanage director. That's difficult, right? Just the fact that these orphans and director have no house...Now, imagine that this orphanage director has diabetes and in April, she stepped on a large nail, but due to her diabetes did not even feel it. She did the best she could to bandage it, but as she walked around in the Haitian dirt daily, caring for the orphans, her wound became infected and developed gangrene. So what did they do? I guess what they had to do, cut off her foot and calf. So, now she's an amputee and some how still has to care for the 25 orphans she was previously carrying for. She is fighting depression, despair and hopelessness.

The home that is caring for them has well water. the well is just this huge 30 foot hole, with no walls around it. They have to lift a bucket of water to bring up the water. They said that many of the children are getting sick and they fear it's the water and that once one child almost fell in. I almost fell in just standing and looking over it! Thankfully "Feed the Poor" is giving them enough beans and rice every two months to feed them. However, all their other needs are not being met...and they are asking me, little ole' me, to please buy the field next door so they can some how have a house one day! There were so many other needs I'm not mentioning.

But this is what is keeping me up at night. I laid awake wondering and asking God, "Who can provide a prosthetic leg for this orphanage director and how can we fit her with it?!" Only GOD can provide this divine connection. I've seen and heard about stories where He's done this and I know He is not a respecter of persons, so what He did for one amputee, I have to believe He WILL do for another one.

Visiting Orphans teams can help bring supplies, build a wall around their well, and bring love to meet their basic immediate needs, but that's where we look to churches to partner with orphanages like these. VO is only the connector. We have no other funds to help in cases like these. We can't do it without the churches...Do you know a church which might want to "adopt" this orphanage?

This was the chapter of the Word that kept swirling around in my head as I thought about all of this..
James 1: 22-24
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:27 to visit and care for orphans follows directly after. So, how can I see what I have seen and know that the Word of God says to care for the orphans and walk away and not do anything?! I am now responsible....But I know God has not only called me, but the whole body of Christ. So, I will walk confidently in the fact, that God finishes what He starts. He will not forsake this orphanage director. He will some how connect us with the right person to fit her with a prosthetic and maybe, hopefully, move on the leadership of a church to help for their long term needs and to give them a home.

Wanna Win a Trip to Ethiopia with Visiting Orphans

2010-10-09T06:55:00.001-07:00

Our friend and team leader extraordinaire, Kari Gibson is having a great give-away on her team traveling with Visiting Orphans to Ethiopia in February. See the details on her blog here. Check out her video below as well:

1 Missions Trip to Ethiopia!!!!!!! from Kari Gibson on Vimeo.

God - A Deadbeat Dad?!

2010-10-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

I attended the Together for Adoption conference this past weekend in Austin. I love orphan care conferences...Well, most of the time.

I compare them to mission trips...at first you are timid, yet excited to go. Then, you get there, you become emotionally overwhelmed, but you always return home more fired up to help end this orphan crisis then when you arrived!

I met many people I have only met through Facebook or email and got to network for the sake of the orphan like you would not believe! The first day for me was very emotional and heavy as each presenter and break out session brought me back to the center of the heart of why I am doing what I'm doing. They reminded me with overwhelming statistics and thankfully, God's word. But they also provided solutions, ideas and equipping.

One speaker was from Colorado and started the Project 127 movement which helped get about 400 orphaned children in America into Christian foster homes and out of the "system". He was by far my favorite.

Here was an awesome revelation he shared with us:

If God is the Father to the fatherless, then there must be a mother to the fatherless. Who then is the mother to the fatherless? Well, that would be the Bride of Christ, the Church. So, God also must be a Husband. He is OUR Husband. As His bride, when we doubt that He'll provide for His children, the orphans, we essentially call Him a "Deadbeat Dad"! Can you imagine calling God, our Husband, a "Deadbeat Dad"?! Yet, we do it every time we start an adoption or sign up for a mission trip to visit orphans and start doubting that He will provide the finances we need!

This was SO convicting to me.

Simon and I are getting ready to start our adoption process!!! YAY! And even though I've been in orphan care and adoption for years, when it hit home, literally, both of us began to doubt but Simon, as the husband and provider really struggled at first.

See, Simon works at the Dave Ramsey office. As you may know, Dave Ramsey believes in 3 months worth of a salary being saved for an "emergency". Although this is very wise, it seems to lack faith and a dependence on God, in my opinion. I believe there are always exceptions to this "rule". Also, once I had a couple visit me when I was working at an adoption agency and they told me that they had been saving up 3 months of their emergency fund according to this plan. However, they now wanted to adopt and didn't know if they should take this "emergency" fund to do so.
My response was, "Is 147 million orphans not an emergency? Is your wife's longing for a child not more important that an "emergency" fund?" I realize this is a controversial subject and many people who travel on our trips are diligently trying to get out of debt, as are we! But I think there is a balance between faith and fear when it comes to fundraising for the care of an orphan.

Simon's fear was that we may have to dip into our emergency fund (which I have to tell you is NO where near 3 months salary) if we get close to the completion of our adoption and don't have the last few dollars needed to bring our child home. But isn't that an emergency? Gwen Oatsvall of 147 Million Orphans stated it beautifully when she said, 'we like to view it as a ransom". If your child is being held captive by an enemy, would you do everything you could to find the money to pay their ransom?! Or would you hold tightly to all your savings and allow them to languish in the paws of the enemy?!" NO! You would sell absolutely everything you had, you would lose it all for this child to be home in your loving arms. It's what Christ did for us, isn't it?! He laid down His life, lost it ALL, paying our ransom, so we could be adopted into His Kingdom and be free from the claws of the evil one who held us captive in sin and death.

With this reminder, let's walk out in faith, believing that God HAS called us through James 1:27 to VISIT (care for) orphans in their distress. He's not a deadbeat dad. He's a faithful Husband to His bride and Father to the children He has called us to. We can believe that He will provide.

Sumer's Story

2010-09-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

One reason I love sending out orphan awareness mission teams is what I call "the ripple effect". The impact that a mission trip can have one one person is incredible. The spiritual vibrations that reverberate from that person's experience on their trip to those around them in their family and community, cause so many others to become involved.

Here is one such story. My husband, Simon, led a mission team to Uganda and Ethiopia last holiday season for Visiting Orphans. As led by the Spirit, they ended up on Christmas day in Ethiopia at the city dump called Korah. (you can read about this day on one of my previous blog entries here.) A young woman and mother named Sumer Yates, from suburban metro Nashville was a part of this team who visit the children living and working in the dump. From that one trip, she now lives in Ethiopia with her three small blonde boys and husband running a ministry called Project 61. Her entire church body at Thompson Station Church has been rocked and they have all fell in love with Ethiopia and their people and this church is now a shiny example of what God said when He called His people to care for orphans.

So, here is her story, written by the one and only, Sumer Yates!:

I stood on my balcony last night, and smelled the African air. Since moving to Ethiopia in June, life has been very busy. I had grown used to the smell and forgotten how very much I love it. The smell reminded of what brought me here in the first place.
Looking back, I realize that my journey really began over 20 years ago. In 1989 my parents were both killed in a plane crash, leaving my brother and I as orphans. Although we were never wanting for food and shelter like so many orphans in the world, I do understand the inner hurt that comes along with losing the two people in the world who love you best.

This inner hurt is like a wound that never completely heals, and the major events of life rip away the scab. For me, having my own children made me miss my mother in a way that I never had before. I was so angry with God for taking her away from me, He knew that I would need her help, that I would have questions only she could answer. He is a Father to the fatherless, but I needed a mother. It was during this time that God began to speak plainly to me, not in the audible sense, but more in a straightforward manner. It was a time of maturing where He no longer coddled, but gently started to shove me along. “My Grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness.” That was the only answer I ever got, until one day He opened my eyes to His provision. I realized that not all churches are like mine, and not all new moms are literally surrounded by so many people in the same life phase. I did not have a mother to ask questions, but I had more friends with answers than I could ever need. God met my need, not in the way I wanted or expected, but He met it just the same and I am humbled and grateful for His provision.

Three healthy kids later, a great marriage, a large circle of great friends, a job I love, a nice house, and a husband with job security, I was content. I was enjoying my abundant life. Until one night at a Beth Moore Bible study, she began to talk about Esther and about the fact that Esther was an orphan. Beth was relentless on the gravity of her circumstances, saying repeatedly “can you imagine what it would be like to lose not one but both of your parents?” I was a mess by the end, and once again angry with God. “Why would You beat me over the head with that hurt in a room full of people, some who know my story and some who do not? What was that all about?” That was my reminder that God is more concerned with my character than my comfort, and He was about to call me from contentment to a Holy discontent with the plight of orphans around the world.
A few months later I was sitting in my quiet time chair feeling discontented and knowing that I was supposed to do something, but not sure what that something was supposed to be. I was frustrated, and said “God, I have put my yes on the table, I have told You that we are ready to do whatever You want us to do, but You have not given me any directions.” He replied, “Really? Because you are sitting in something really big and in the way.” We had always discounted the idea of selling our house, because we had such a great mortgage. We bought at a good time and had a low interest rate, we could not rent anything cheaper…at least not in this country. We began to make plans to put our house on the market, with really no idea why.

Around that same time, I began to read Katie Davis’s blog about her life in Uganda, and a friend found us a trip to Africa to visit Amazima Ministries. The trip was through Visiting Orphans and it was set for Uganda and Ethiopia. For me, I had absolutely no desire to go to Ethiopia, but it was the only trip offered that included meeting Katie. Corey and I both knew that I would come home with some direction for us about our next step, and I was sure it would be found in Uganda.

I loved Uganda. It is a beautiful country with beautiful children who have dark chocolate skin that fit with my idea of Africa. I wanted God to call us to Uganda, but while I was there I did not feel the way I expected to feel. I did not have any strong pulls or any overwhelming sense of purpose. I felt heartbroken, and sad for all of the children we visited. I was also worried that I had someone completely missed God’s leading in my life and the life of my family. I cried when I got on the plane to head to Ethiopia, I wanted to stay in Uganda, but really had no idea what type of ministry I would even do there.

Surprisingly though, on Christmas Day in Ethiopia I fell in love. I had not wanted to go to Ethiopia, and of all the stops on our itinerary, the trash dump was the one I dreaded most. And yet, standing in the trash dump, I knew I was right where God wanted me to be. I knew that I had found our place. I did not feel heartbroken or sad, I felt hopeful, and I knew that God was telling me “this is it.” Together, we can help them. Together, we can change their lives. In Ethiopia I saw God’s vision for this people so clearly, and I immediately thought of so many ways to minister to these people. I saw immeasurable needs while in Africa, but only one calling for my life.

In the trash dump, there are fires burning and ash covers everything including the children. After leaving, God reminded me that in Isaiah 61 he says that he will bring beauty from the ashes. Those verses go on to say “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, for the display of His splendor.” That is my vision for these children who spend most of their time in the trash dump, and for the 100,000 plus people living in the adjacent community, that their lives would glorify God. That they would be a testament to his promise that He will not leave us as orphans, and that this generation would be a planting of the Lord.

Since visiting the trash dump that day, my life has been a whirlwind of activity and preparation. It has been God relentlessly calling us to go all the way. When I try to pull back, He pushes harder. God has been very plain with me that this was our crossroads. This is where as a family we decide what our story will be. We can choose to lay it all down, put it all on the line, and follow where He has called; or we could stay and choose what is easier, and what seemed to make more sense. I knew that God would never stop loving me, no matter what I chose; but I also knew that my time on this earth is short and opportunities like this do not come around very often. I pray that it is all for the display of His splendor- Sumer Yates 9/10/10
(with permission from Kari Gibson's blog.)

Why We Go to China in Pictures...

2010-09-16T13:45:00.001-07:00

The following photos are from an amazing photographer, Mallory Krieger, who traveled with Visiting Orphans to work in an SWI (orphanage) in Chaoyang, China. I always think that photos speak loudly enough for us as to why we need to go and love on these children. These photos especially grip me because my two nieces are adopted from China and I adore them so much. You can't help but think about what their lives would have been like if my sister and her husband had not followed God's leading to adopt.

I do hope these photos break your heart..enough for you to make the decision to go....We have a team scheduled to go to China next Summer from July 23rd to August 3rd if you'd like to join us....

For the Skeptics...

2010-09-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

I received this email this morning from Pastor Isaac who runs the Canaan's Children Orphanage in Uganda. Occasionally I will receive a few skeptics about our ministry and why we visit orphans. Maybe this will help crush any doubts and future skeptics:

My sister Amanda allow me to share with you and your husband Simon as you together mobilize teams to come in Uganda and Ethiopia it is my desire and prayers for most of the people in USA to know the IMPORTANCE of visiting Orphanage homes.

First of all it is Biblical, we see God pledging to be the father to the fatherless and there is no any other way how God can fulfill that task unless some one stands in the gap,so when ever teams comes to visit Orphans and show them love, kindness, compassion,sharing with them the word of God like Bible clubs, singing together,playing together, that is how God can become a father to the fatherless.

Actually that is how those Children can prove the sweetness of their Father God the Almighty like as you have been doing.Psalms 68:5,James 1:26-27.

I always see the teams coming with gifts or surprises,really that is great and wonderful allow me to let you know that when ever we give the children the gifts that the teams bring the children become so much excited and because of so much joy the Children start to cry and when you ask them they say that they have never thought that there are people who can love them as to that extent. Ecclesiastes 11:1.Mathew 25:34-46.

It is also very important people who can come as a team to visit the orphanage ,when ever they come by the time they go back after the lives of the children have been changed and also when their lives of the children are not the same.You know my sister those children are coming from different situations,the back grounds of those Children are horrible and so when the teams come and they touch on them,comfort them that is when they will prove the Father hood of God.

Lastly let me take this opportunity to let you know that ever since we got to know one another and you started visiting us in Canaan we have never been the same , our hope and trust in the Lord has grown.When ever teams come it leaves our children healed and blessed spiritually and physically and the entire home is blessed because different people among the team are used by God in different ways so as a result the entire Orphanage home is blessed.

Thank you so much for the great work that you are doing ,and the work that you have done for us and the work that you are still to do for Orphanages until Jesus comes back.

We shall keep praying with you,for God to enable you and give you good health and his provision to each and every one who would like to come and visit Orphans because it is not by might nor by power but by His grace and spirit.

On behalf of all the children of Canaan and every one else we love you so much and thank you.

Pastor Isaac.

81 Year Old Woman Starts Orphanage

2010-08-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

I just have to post this article I just found! For those of you who think you are too old, too tired, too busy, too anything to GO, just read this! Proof that God is never finished with us. This woman was never able to have children, yet by age 81, she ended up with 300 orphans under her care!

What a Great Way to Wake Up!

2010-08-23T15:55:00.001-07:00

Our Uganda teams stay at Canaan's Children Home orphanage in Jinja, Uganda. This is how they get to wake up every morning! Won't you come and be a part of our Holiday December trip to visit these orphans?! Let's pour out the love we have received over our Christmas holidays onto these children who do not have the families we have. I promise in every way that you will not be disappointed! We are currently accepting applications.

A Wonderful Adoption Story!!!

2010-08-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

A NEW ADDITION TO THE YOUNG FAMILY!
One of our Visiting Orphans board members has just adopted a 13 year old boy from China. It's such a neat story. Read Christine's post about it here: http://orphanresponse.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/forever-faithful/

The Young Family just sent an email out and their son is now home with them! Praise the Lord. Here's the email announcement:

His name is Wenke Li Young and he is 13 years old. We adopted him from Siping China. This is the orphanage we visit each summer, and it has been a pleasure getting to know this sweet boy. We are so proud to now call him our son. He is adjusting well to American life, although everything is new to him.
I hope you get to meet our son, he really is something special. To read his story, please check out our blog: orphanresponse.com, the post “forever faithful”.
Blessings from our family to yours,
Tracy, Christine, Zach, Ben, Lilli, Wenke

A Glimpse of Heaven

2010-08-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

Children dancing and playing the drums is TOTALLY acceptable and encouraged in Uganda! Remember, these are orphaned children loving, praising and worshipping the Lord! We could learn a thing or two from them. I LOVE church in Africa! I think it's very similar to what heaven will look like. :)

This is a video from our last team's time at My Father's House and Royal Hope Academy orphanage.

The Common Denominator

2010-08-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

I heard a news report yesterday on one of the Christian Broadcast stations that because of the downturn in our economy that more of the church body is choosing NOT to go on mission trips. I would like to refute this!
I can contest as the Executive Director of Visiting Orphans that this is simply not true! Our agency is sending out four times the number of short term missionaries in the year 2010 than any previous year. Yes, there may a few other factors to take into this growth, but the growth would not happen if God's children simply were not choosing to put their faith in God and visit orphans all over this world.

I personally believe that this larger unemployment rate is opening up more energy and time in peoples lives to go on trips and serve. It's also causing people to be more desperate and question what try doing with their lives and time, wondering what their purpose is. They are realizing what life is all about and it's not about material things, but serving others. Then, they go and visit Haiti or China or Africa and return with a new sense of destiny and perspective on what's truly important in life.

But it's also the folks who still have their careers and full time jobs who are choosing to GO. The church is truly becoming more compassionate and aware and BRAVE! They want LIFE. They don't want to be lulled to sleep anymore by their consumeristic culture. And last but not least they are putting more faith in Gods finances and not their own to get them to the mission field. Where is that bigger faith coming from? Maybe it's coming out of truly wanting to experience God and take Him at His word...Maybe people are wanting to seek more Truth and think they can find it on the other side of the world...I don't know. That's a good poll for us to take. I do know this, there is one simple common factor, they all just want to go and love orphans. They are "getting it" as we say at VO. Some how awareness is spreading and Gods people are listening and hearing and responding.

So I refute that false news report! Wonder where they are getting their information...truly now from us....

A Mission Trip's Impact

2010-08-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a letter one of our recent Africa team members sent to his friends and family explaining his experience in Africa:
Friends and Family

I am finally back stateside after a life changing trip to Africa. I willingly went on the trip to create change in myself, and in my life and boy o' boy, did it ever! I wish I could accurately articulate every fiber in my heart and mind that is different, but I know for a fact I'm not quite there yet.

The trip, as most of you know, was spent between two different countries, Uganda and Ethiopia. The two nations could not have been more different on some fronts, and could not have been closer on others.

The sites and sounds of Uganda were full of rolling grass covered hills, dark clay roads, mud made homes, and children yelling "Muzungu!" Which translates to 'white person,' a term of endearment there (or at least that's what they said). We saw over 700 children in 6 days! We actually lived in a home, that houses over a 115 kids, which was one of the most impactful parts of the trip. Seeing the same children every day, building bonds and relationships was amazing!

Ethiopia was a much more urban environment as we spent most of our time in the capital, Addis Ababa. This part of the trip was different for me, as it meant I was able to see Ashlie, my best friend, and her new baby boy, Easton. I can admit feelings of selfishness in Ethiopia, as most of the time I only wanted to hold my first nephew and comfort my best friend.

At this point, I'm not going to write about the dark past of the children, or the terrible conditions most of them live in, mostly because I don't have the words yet. There is a weight on my heart now that I have never felt before, and as I figure out to position and reuse that weight, I'm want to mention the hope and joy that filled the children's faces. It was mind blowing, that these children despite having every reason in the would to be filled with hate and despair they chose HOPE and JOY!

Think we could learn something from them? I think so.

To those who were able to help make the trip possible, I sifting through thousands of pictures to create a personalized thank for each of you.

I have included just a few pictures from the trip...Again, there is so much more to see, but this will work for now.

Love,

Kevin

Welcome to the Heart of Africa

2010-08-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a great short video from our last team who went to Uganda. Our teams work with Royal Academy and My Father's House in Kampala. Here the children are welcoming our team as this was the first team to visit them! I LOVE how excited the children are. They are singing, "Welcome to all our visitors. Welcome to the heart of Africa!" The heart of Africa certainly are these children b/c they are the heart of God. And as their orphanage director, Rebecca Sorrenson said, " As I scan this line of children, I just see stories of children who come from backgrounds of polygamy, islam, rhasta, witchcraft. Children who have been abused, neglected, raped... NOW LOVED! treasured, saved, Praising sweet Jesus, adopted into a worldwide family with the King of Kings as their Father! What an awesome orphanage director! She knows the truth of the Spirit of Adoption and these children are learning about the love of their Abba Father. You can visit this orphanage and many others on our December/January trip to Uganda. You can find out more and sign up here.

All Over the World

2010-08-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

Posted by Alicia

It's amazing to see our teams touching so many continents at one time. We currently have a team in Honduras ministering to the orphans there. You can follow their journeys here and here

We also have a team in Ghana, Africa. VO's sweet Autumn is with this team. It is her first trip to Africa and I can't wait to hear if she loves this place as much as I do. She is updating her blog as well.

And then we have a team that leaves for Uganda on Saturday.

Join us in praying that God reveals Himself in a mighty way to the people of Honduras, Ghana and Uganda. It's exciting to see so many people going and serving in the name of Jesus.

The Most Amazing Vision I Have Ever Read About...

2010-07-30T07:44:00.001-07:00

I do not know the man that wrote this but I received it today. All I know is that I know the feeling that Chad writes about...about seeing the church playing in the river and seeing the lonely Christ all alone working in the fields and being in between him and the church. Hearing the cries of those who have not been helped or heard the good news of salvation. Please read this and share it. We need to respond...we need to take up our cross and be those that are helping Christ in the fields of the fatherless....

It is long, but it's worth every minute you give to read it...

Chad Taylor:
A Panoramic Vision of THE Harvest
I have had this repeated vision over and over the last 22 years since I was saved. I saw impressions of it when I walked across America in 1990 with only a sleeping bag and a "Jesus Saves" sign blazed across my backpack in neon red. I saw the vision while walking the streets of this nation's largest cities long after midnight.

It engraved itself in my consciousness as I preached on the streets of Seattle at the age of 18 with only the homeless and the gutter as my congregation. I have seen the same vision while ministering in the sultry south on the mean streets of Atlanta where racism and religion still prevail. Over and over the past 22 years this panoramic vision of "the harvest" has left its enduring mark on my soul, and finally I am to make it plain. Make it plain so that those that read it can run—run into this field the Bible calls, "The Harvest."

Vision of the Field
I saw a field going on endlessly as far as the eyes could see. It reminded me of the gravity of Abraham's vision in Genesis when God said, "Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward Heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them" (Genesis 15:5). That's how boundless this harvest field was. It stretched on in every direction, until it left you dizzy with the sheer magnitude of it all.

As I continued to look down the endless rows of wheat, I saw as it were a figure far off in the distance, working. The heat waves coming from the hard-packed ground made it difficult to see, so I stepped into the field to look closer. I glanced down at the furrows and rows and I noticed much of the ground was hard-packed and fallow, yet other smaller parts were dark with fertile soil and tilled. Large sections of the field that I could see from my vantage point were unharvested, and the ground showed signs of neglect—fallow, hard and dry.

I continued to walk toward the figure that I had first noticed deep in the field. I heard a peculiar sound as if it were coming from all directions. Like a distant whine or a baby crying? I stopped to listen more closely. I heard it more audibly now as I paused—it was a mournful cry, like someone weeping. As I listened more intently, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, "It's the cry of the harvest; a forgotten, abandoned harvest—like a baby left discarded from its mother!"

I could clearly hear the mourning and crying from this wide harvest field as if it was crying out to be redeemed, accepted and received. I was shaken and my heart broke as I heard the pitiful cry of the harvest all around me. The words of Job sounded like a crashing cymbal in my spirit, "O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest!" (Job
16:18). This harvest of disquieted souls refused to be discounted, and their plaintive cry came before me.

Vision of the River
I continued walking and the cry from the harvest seemed to wane; it appeared that the figure in the field was now even farther away. As I continued to walk down the rows which were mostly dry and cracked, unexpectedly I caught the scent of water. I abruptly turned toward the breeze that carried the smell of fresh water wafting through the air and I began to run toward it. I pushed through row after row of heavy-laden stocks of wheat bent over and bowing low to the ground. I sprung right through one more row, and there it was—the river.
I was taken aback in this series of endless rows of grain and then, abruptly, this gurgling river. Before I could run and leap into the cold water, drinking from its welcoming shore, I looked at what was before me and I was still. In the river and along its sides were hundreds if not thousands of men, women and children jumping, swimming and laughing.

I yelled from where I was near the edge of the harvest field only a few dozen yards away, but they could not hear me. The people were deaf to my cries as if I was not even present. Didn't they see the figure working in the distance all alone? Didn't they hear the despairing cry coming from the very field that was all around them? Didn't they see the massive field that was left unattended and forgotten? Couldn't they see me just a stone's throw away, waving my hands and shouting? Some were even gazing intently into the river as if they were hypnotized by its ebb and tide. It was uncanny.

A Sudden Anguish Swept Over Me at a Revelation of the Immense Labor Left Undone
The river was so intoxicating and appealing, it took a great deal of effort not to be drawn closer by its strong allure and promise of refreshing. I was about to step in closer when the sound of crying and mourning grew louder. The cry of the harvest pierced my heart again and I turned back toward the field. I saw the lonely figure in the now-setting horizon and was determined to forge ahead.

I looked back one more time at the crowds and the river. I was amazed that they were somehow completely unaware of the vast expanse of field that surrounded them on both sides. The persistent cry of the harvest could not reach their ears; either because of the festivities or a mystery that I did not understand. I tried shouting again and pointing toward the figure alone in the field, but no one even glanced at me or heard.

A sudden anguish swept over me at a revelation of the immense labor left undone as the field stretched out for endless miles around me. Solomon, in his equally endless wisdom wrote, "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under Heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). I knew beyond any doubt at this moment it was time to labor. The fields were ready. They were ripe.

I called to mind another Scripture that leapt from the pages of the Bible, "Whoever gathers in the summer is a wise son. Whoever sleeps at harvest time brings shame..." (Proverbs 10:5). Lord, never let me be put to shame!

Vision of the Headstone
I finally turned my back on the river and took in the rich harvest anew before me. Jesus' exhortation to His early disciples in Matthew 9:37-38 was now in striking clarity as I gazed out at the field, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." I asked myself that very moment, "Lord, did I forget to pray?"

I began to walk doggedly toward the lonely figure, at times stopping because of the heat. Then unexpectedly, I stumbled upon what seemed like a stone or some kind of marker off ahead in the dirt. It looked like a carved stone or rock, apparently there for some inherent purpose. I noticed bouquets of flowers, all kinds of memorabilia and small personal items scattered around. As I drew up closer I knew what it was—a grave marker like in a cemetery, and clearly inscribed on it were the words, "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved" (Jeremiah 8:20).

I was aghast. Below this agonizing inscription I saw specific years of the calendar etched in its stone: 1610, 1689, 1705, 1790, 1830, 1875, 1920, 1945, 1970, 1989, 2000 and so forth. Other dates were recorded below but were worn and illegible. I knew what they were—times and seasons, dates and generations where a great cycle of harvest had come upon the earth and had not been seized; a kairos moment that had come and gone.

One More Date Was Carved in the Headstone: 2020
At the very top of the marker was one more number as if it had just been cut into the stone—2020. I was cognizant in that moment that through the years of 2000 to 2020 was another divine cycle or season for the harvest of souls in the earth. We are in the middle of that cycle now in 2010. 2020 was a divine mile-marker in the world's history and also a great signpost for Heaven as well. I dropped to my knees right there in the field and cried aloud, praying, "Lord, send out laborers! Lord, here am I. Send me!"

Flowers and trinkets adorned the headstone as if generation after generation had paid homage to times past, rather than seizing the moments that they had then. Historic opportunities had come to win the world to Christ but had passed them by. I was melancholy and sad as I watched this memorial stone fade behind me while I continued to walk deeper into the field.

What I saw next was unforgettable: The headstone was now only a memory when out of the heat-waves and swaying wheat I saw an angel and a woman.

Vision of the Angel and the Woman
The woman was dressed in what appeared to be Biblical-era clothing and was gleaning in the field behind what was clearly an angel. Her faded lavender dress was laden with wheat as she filled a large basket beside her. A red sash was around her waist. I knew exactly who it was—Ruth! The Ruth I had been recently reading about and ministering from in the Bible. That vivid illustration in God's Word where Ruth followed the reapers in Boaz's field was right there before me. I remembered the Scripture in Ruth that stated, "And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers" (Ruth 2:3).

It was such a sight to see the angel a few yards ahead of her with a scythe cutting the wheat in bushels. They both worked in tandem, reaping the wheat seamlessly in a synchronized motion as if it was rehearsed. I stared in awe at this amazing sight and I knew it was prophetic; a divine message played out in this drama unfolding before me. Then the words of Jesus in Matthew added one more stroke to this masterpiece I was beholding, "The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels" (Matthew 13:39).

Ruth is a picture of an end-time Church following the Kingdom of God into the fields of nations, preparing the way of the Lord. A time was now upon us that we would work with the angels of Heaven invisibly in the immense field that lies before this present generation. Heaven and earth would work in unprecedented unison to see it reaped.

I remembered in Jewish tradition that on every Pentecost the book of Ruth is read. On Pentecost in the Upper Room when they were waiting on the promise of the Holy Spirit's power that would take them around the world, the story of Ruth was repeated. As I stood in this vision, I saw it too. We are the Bride that would find her Boaz, her Christ, in the threshing floor of nations. That's where the lovers of God would truly be found. I prayed that He would find me there, too—in the field.

Vision of the Clouds
Abruptly and without warning, a dark cloud came down blackening the air with strange smells and acrid smoke. I was nearly blinded, my eyes watering as this strange cloud descended. It took all of my senses not to give into a sudden feeling of drowsiness; my eyes grew heavy and I could barely walk. I was like a drunken man weaving back and forth in between the rows of wheat, staggering. Voices came from somewhere in the smoke; it sounded strangely like music, and then at other times it was incoherent. I was disoriented and confused, and I desperately tried to find my way out of the cloud.

As this disturbing experience continued, a specific Scripture arrested me, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41).

I fell to my knees as this terrible smoke swirled around me, and I began to pray loudly, "Lord, here am I, send me! Lord, lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil!" As I continued praying, a breeze which transformed into a gust of wind began to blow and the cloud retreated. I knew this wind was the "Ruach HaKodesh" or the Spirit of God. This was the same wind that brought the dead bones to life in Ezekiel and the same wind that blew through the Upper Room and sent them outward to the uttermost parts of the world. It was that same Spirit which was clearing the dark smoke from the air, now giving me a clear vision of the harvest field again and the lone figure in the distance. I had my senses back.

As I looked out again at the endless rows of wheat, I saw similar dark little clouds appearing, swirling. These clouds were distractions and mirages that caused many to withdraw or to simply freeze and do nothing. I recalled another Scripture as I stood where the cloud had once been only seconds ago, and I prayed it out loud, "(God) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son!" (Colossians 1:13).

Vision of the Saints
I continued to walk now with more resolve and I began to see large patches of field already reaped in sheaves. Every hundred yards or so I would come upon another swathe of harvest that was thoroughly cut down and laying in perfect piles of sheaves bound tightly in bundles. I marveled at the harvested portions of field and wondered out loud who could have done it. I looked more closely and I saw memorial markers or capstones near the middle of these cleared out areas. I walked up to one in particular in a very large and wide harvested area, and it read simply, "Corrie Ten Boom."

I walked on further and I read another capstone in a cleared area nearby, and it read, "William and Catherine Booth." Each area of field had a small memorial to the Christian that had harvested so diligently in it. Most of the names I had never heard of before. Others I had only heard or read before in books and memoirs such as, "Jim Elliot," "Hudson Taylor," and "D.L. Moody."

I continued to walk, observing each harvested area, and finally I stopped to pray in another clearing. I prayed out loud, "Lord, let there be a small memory of my work on this earth as well. Whether it is to be read by others or not, let my short life mean something even as these others before me have." I remembered the prayer of David and I said it out loud: "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is." (Psalm 39:4)

Vision of the Lonely Christ
I stubbornly left this last patch of harvested wheat, not wanting to depart, somehow thinking that one of these great harvesters would step out of the field to meet me. No one did. I was once again drawn to the lonely sentinel that worked in the field ahead. As I focused on the personage again, it didn't seem as far as it was before. I could now make out the face and appearance. It was Jesus. He was sweating and dirty, working vigorously and tirelessly. He looked up at me and wiped the sweat from His brow, and said, "So, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

He had such a sad look on His face, yet I knew He was happy to see me. I had pressed on and not been deterred even by the glorious things I had glimpsed—the river, the saints before me, the angels and the woman that harvested. I had pressed into the field even beyond the frightening cloud that had tried to stop me. He spoke again, "Awake you that sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light" (Ephesians 5:14). I was awake.

I knew this was a prophetic panorama of the great harvest of humanity that Jesus had spoken of in the Bible. It was also a stark revelation of the utter lack of laborers despite over 2,000 years of enterprise. Now after all that I had seen in this vision, nothing could compare to the lonely anguished look on Jesus' face as He invited me into "the fellowship of His suffering." I remembered in the garden of Gethsemane He had asked His disciples to pray with Him in that, His darkest hour. Now, He is not only requesting us to pray with Him but to work with Him in the harvest fields of the world—the colossal expanse of human life where the more than half of earth's populations has never even heard of or extolled the name of Jesus Christ.
As this vision was ending, Jesus stopped toiling for a moment and looked back at me with a look of kindness. He handed me His threshing instrument and said almost in a whisper, "Ask of Me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession" (Psalm 2:8).
I bowed down greatly.

Chad Taylor
Consuming Fire Ministries
Email: info@consumingfire.com

Letter from Ugandan Orphanage Director

2010-07-28T09:58:00.001-07:00

One of the wonderful aspects of my job as Executive Director is that I get to receive the thank you letters of praise from orphanage directors our teams partner with all over the world. Here is a recent letter from Pastor Samuel of the Tumain Children's Home in Pallisa, Uganda. Our June team traveled to work with his orphanage, his church and some community children's clubs. Very few Americans travel and stay in Pallisa, so this was a great blessing to all who were involved.

Peace, Joy and Grace be unto you, I bring greeting from Pallisa family and thanking God for making it possible for us to host the V.O team also in Pallisa, what a blessing from God.

We are so grateful for what you all guyz did to bless our Children with sports equipments, Clothes, shoes, Children’s crafts, teachings and your big hugs that you gave us may the Lord increase you daily.

Results: During your stay here we have recorded now 6 People that received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior in our Church, some did when Chris preached on Sunday and other during the week, to my surprise, we received one guy who prayed Volley with the V.O team and he was pulled by their Character so on Sunday he came to Church and said he want to change his Characters too.

Children Clubs: Our 3 clubs that the V.O team worked with where so blessed and we have seen a very big growth in our attendance for the last one week. Now they know that there other people somewhere in the world who care and love them and also that Jesus is not only for blacks but for all.

Women’s Ministry: We where so blessed to have Mum Barbra on the Team and Tamara and some one else that I have forgotten the name, their stories healed many women’s hearts, knowing that they are not alone who go through what their going through. “When the old Muzungu told us her story I felt like rising up again, knowing that I am not the only one” said the lady on the Sunday service.

Children’s Home: The V, O team blessed us so much with food, beddings and games. We have food that can last for 5 months now; this was a very big wave off to my worries of how they are going to feed. They will be able to have balanced food and gain their health so that by the time we send them back to their parents/ relatives they are very ok.

Vote of Thanks: On behalf of the Ministry here in Pallisa I would like once again to appreciate the June 2010 V.O team for leaving your comfort zones and come down here in Africa to work with us. Our countries in Africa deffer in there Challenges but you are able to come in and help us.

I thank everyone who support the June team with any kind of support, you did not support them but the Children.

We love you so much and please know that you left a maker in our heart. We will pray for you and you pray for us.

Pray for the Aug Team that will be here soon.

Please Pass it to another.

Pastor Samuel

Ordinary Hero

2010-07-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

At Visiting Orphans we have wonderful opportunities as a parachurch organization to partner with other not for profits. Our heart in doing this is so that a ministry or not for profit agency can focus on the vision God has for them while we focus on what God has called us to which is sending out the Body of Christ to visit orphans in distress.

One such ministry we partner with is a local Nashville not for profit called Ordinary Hero. They do awesome things for orphans all over the world...partnering with international adoption agencies to highlight waiting children in other countries in the hopes that the right family will find them and finally adopt them and bring them home. They also help foster children locally and impoverished families, even helping most recently with victims of the flood here in Nashville. Kelly Putty, the Executive Director and Founder has so much on her hands right now, as you can imagine, so it was with joy that we had this opportunity to serve her and her agency in sending out an incredible team to Ethiopia.

She has written a very comprehensible blog and she's a professional photographer so you will love her recaps and images. You can follow along here. I am thoroughly enjoying her blog personally!

Visiting Orphans Video Release!

2010-07-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

We are excited to release Visiting Orphans' first official video! We hope that it inspires and motivates you to GO and visit the orphan in distress. Please share this video with anyone who is doubting that God has called us to fulfill this commandment in James 1:27. Let's get the word out!

Be sure to turn the music player off at the bottom right hand corner of the blog and then to view the video in full screen mode, click on the symbol with 4 arrows....

Visiting Orphans from Amanda Lawrence on Vimeo.

We Must Be in Heaven!

2010-07-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

I received an email this morning entitled "We Must Be in Heaven!" from our July Africa team leader, Kari Gibson. Here was the letter and a photo I received of the team. What an encouragement to hear good news from a distant land!

Dear Amanda,

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me the great honor and priviledge of leading this remarkable team to Africa. I truly have no words to express to you the AMAZING TEAM I am with. I have truly never watched a team come together and bond and love and serve one another. I have been blown away!!!!!!!!! They have gone over and beyond what I have ever watched a team minister to children. Its God breathed. They are taking their gifts, talents and passions and pouring them all over the children at every project we have visited. I have watched the team unite and come together for a real purpose. We wept (ugly cry) at My Father's House and school celebration. We are overwhelmed with the reality of what it means to simply love orphans. There has been an outpouring of everything you would have wanted the team to do for children.

YOU WILL LOVE REBECCA!!! What she planned for our team was so remarkable, I really can't even describe it to you. The celebration was unlike anything I have ever seen in my life or ever will experience. I can't wait to show you photos and the videos.

You will need to make the stop at My Father's House/school, Return Ministries and living at Caanan's Home a fixed agenda year after year. I could spend years here with these 3 ministries and still never tap into the miracles I have witnessed in only 2 short days.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the remarkable job you have done for our team. Every single moment has been a blessing. My life has changed forever serving with Visiting Orphans!!!!

BTW- the team may not get on the plane on Aug. 1^st We just might try and stay here forever:))) What's even more crazy... we haven't even been to Ethiopia and my heart is sooo full to the brim. WOW the rest will just be overflow.

Pastor Isaac is organizing our time at King Fisher Lodge and the nile boat ride. We cant wait!!!

Ohhh yayyy and I get to meet Katie Davis, my hero in 24 hours. Pinch me!

Love you,

Kari

Beloved Amazima & Katie Davis

2010-07-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

Do you know how much I love the ministry of Amazima?!

The first time I ever met Katie Davis or heard her stories of the girls she adopted and the children she helped feed I woke up in the middle of the night, just SOBBING! I knew this cry wasn't a normal cry but one that was a heart cry. I knew with this cry that God wanted me to some how be involved with what she was doing over there. But would she also feel this way? Would this incredible young lady want to partner with our mission sending agency to send help? Did she even need or want our help? Would she trust us and believe our heart was completely for her and this ministry? All I knew that I could do was just ask....

Thankfully God had truly set this up and Visiting Orphans gets to send the most wonderful people of God to help bring donations, feed and teach these amazing children about the love of their Abba Father. Won't you come and be a part of this with us?! We have a trip this December to Uganda and many more in 2011. All scheduled perfectly with Amazima so that we can serve and lead a vacation bible school for the children in both her program and in the Karamajong tribe. All I can say is "thank you God for allowing us to even be a minute part of what Katie is doing there." Thank you for her example of sacrifice, abandonment and inspiration. You can read more about Katie and the Amazima ministry on her blog at http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com.

I am so thankful to be a part of this...

(to hear the video you will need to stop the music on the music player below right.)

Our June Ethiopia and Uganda Team

2010-07-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

Our June Ethiopia and Uganda team just arrived home last weekend. As soon as they arrived home, we sent out one team to Ethiopia and another back to both Ethiopia and Uganda. So we are busy this Summer with back to back trips to Africa!

Here is a picture of that fearless June team. I love the diversity in the Visiting Orphans teams...all denominations and ages represented! From the teenager to those who would normally be enjoying their retirement. More pictures to come!

Costa Rica Team 2 - a "goofy" adventure:)

2010-07-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

You know it's a busy season for Visiting Orphans when 3 blogs from 3 different teams are posted on our blog all in one day:)

Our second team to Costa Rica is well underway. One of our team members, Kim Stanley, is blogging at: http://www.goingnotknowing.blogspot.com/. She and her son Caleb were supposed to be on the first team but passport issues prevented them from joining that team. After a week of re-arranging flights, going to New Orleans to get passports the same day and lots of additional costs all with very positive attitudes that were an amazing testimony of their faith and trust the God had a plan, they made it and are now with the second team in Costa Rica loving on the kids at 2 orphanages there. This is from her blog:

Monday, July 12, 2010

Day One ~ Villa's

We woke to a beautiful morning today. After devotional and an excellent breakfast, we hit the road to visit Villa's. It took us several hours ride some interesting roads. Many of the roads have holes from so much rainfall and there is not always a lot of room to go around them. We also crossed many one lane bridges. From what I can tell, the vehicle that gets there first and "honks" the horn has the right of way. We are blessed with an excellent driver and guide. I wish you could see all of the luggage they had packed on top of the bus the first day. Caleb said we looked like a scene from "The Goofy Movie" and I tend to agree!

We spent the afternoon at Villa's with the children there. Since a group had been there the week before, it made our transition much easier. They recongnized Kim W from that group and were soooo excited to see her! After a wonderful lunch prepared by the tias, we got to know the kids. We had bubbles blowing, bag painting, picture frame making, and stickers going everywhere!!! But it was fun and a great way to break the ice and get to love on the children.

On Thursday, we will take the children to the beach to play in the water and the sand! This is very much a treat for them and the tias and I am so glad that our guides were able to work this out. In just a few hours, with very limited Spanish, I learned something very interesting. Love is the same in any language, laughter is the same, joy is the same, happiness is the same, and many other emotions are the same that we saw today. Isn't God an awesome God? This has been a very humbling experience for many of us. These children are God's children also!!!

Meeting needs in China

2010-07-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Visiting Orphans has a team in Chen Zhou, China. 14 year old Elyssa Mapple on the team is blogging. You can read her blog at: http://www.visitingorphanschenzhou.blogspot.com/

Here is a small segment from her blog:

We ended up being able to buy the orphanage a big air conditioner, and a TV. I think they were very happy and thankful that we were able to get them something they needed. Okay, so back on track, at 2:45 we went to the orphanage for the last time (on this trip) :) and played with the babies for about an hour. We went downstairs afterwards and they decorated the foam visors with stick on foam stickers that we brought. They loved decorating them. Susan also got some of her pictures developed so that the older kids could have a picture of themselves in their foam picture frame that they made the other day. We put all of the frames in a collage sort of thing on their wall so they can always see them. We also brought face paint and we painted most of their faces. Katie's secret talent is face painting, haha, she was really good. Some of us also brought them glow stick bracelets that they wore and thought they were the coolest things ever! Sadly, we were told that it was 5 and that we needed to say our goodbyes and take our last group picture out by the orphanage. It was so hard saying goodbye to all of the precious ones that we have come to love; however, we all hoped that if we are fortunate to come back again that most of them will be gone to live with a family.

VO July 3-10 Team Bringing Smiles to Faces in Costa Rica

2010-07-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

The following post is taken from our co-worker and Costa Rica team leader Alicia Jordan's blog

http://thejordansdna.blogspot.com

What $80 Can Do

It can bring some big smiles to some kids in Costa Rica who desperately needed some swings for their swing set.

And these faces are why we go....they are loved and cherished by our heavenly Father. God has great plans and a purpose for their lives. They are wonderfully and uniquely made and are worthy to be loved and how they desperately need to be loved. These faces bring sweet memories to my mind!

Posted by Alicia (dna) at 8:55 PM

Announcing our Fall Haiti Trip to Port au Prince

2010-07-01T11:37:00.001-07:00

We are excited to announce a trip to Haiti that we just scheduled from October 16th to October 23rd this Fall!

This team will be following up on the work done by our assessment team which returned from Haiti in June. God is already stirring hearts and using it to do big things. The team in October will be working primarily with Foyer des Enfants de Demain orphanage (Children’s Home of Tomorrow).

This orphanage remained standing after the earthquake when every building around them crumbled to the ground, killing many. God saved the orphanage director Edrins Jean, his wife Claujine, and all the orphans they care for! Since the earthquake, this orphanage has received even more orphans who were displaced and they are in great need of help. Our teams will be working to purchase or donate new mattresses(see below photo which shows the mattresses and beds where the orphans currently sleep), bedding, clothing & shoes for the children, and toiletry items as well. They are living in tents and a shed outside of their main building because of the uncertainty of the safety of their building and the fear of possible aftershocks. Our ultimate goal is to find a church who is willing to partner with them long term to provide for their every day needs like food, as they have very little to sustain them.

As you can see - the needs are many. We’d love to find a construction team who could go and help assess their building and work to make it structurally sound. We also hope to provide more trauma counseling so that once the building is sound, they will not fear living in it again. If you know a church that may be seriously interested in partnering with this orphanage through Visiting Orphans or a team of contractors who could help with their orphanage building, please let us know at missions@visitingorphans.org. Also, we are recruiting adult team members for our Fall trip. You can sign up here . And last, but certainly not least in God's eyes,if you'd like to donate to this mission, please do so here.

ONE

2010-06-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

Matthew 18:24 "Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish...."

This verse is the last verse in the parable of the lost sheep. In this parable, Jesus is using an analogy of a shepherd, to that of God's love. Please read this with me:

"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go and seek out the one that is lost? "

Jesus is stating here that it is not the will of our Father that any little one should perish and that His heart is to GO out and seek the ONE that is lost...

As I read these verses I was reminded of these haunting images by a professional photographer who is on our Chaoyang, China trip this week. Here is the story:

The boy you see in these photos is named Yung Young. Here is his story from one of our team members, Meme Bass.

I wish I could better describe our first day, but I struggle with words because of my emotional exhaustion. Though my heart is filled with great joy and thanks for seeing the children again. I am overcome with so much sadness. In the middle of the clapping and laughing, I was led to a large nursery room that had a bed, a 7 year old boy, and a dying woman. My eyes have never seen a sight like this. I was hesitant to the enter the room so I softly said, “Ni Hao” (“Hello”). The woman replied with a weak “Ni Hao”. I approached the woman and reached out to hold her hand, she quivered in pain. Even the slightest touch was more than she could bare. After a few seconds, the woman gave her son some directions and he walked around the bed to his mother’s side, slipped his hand into a plastic bag and pulled out 4 apricots, 2 for me, 2 for Mallory. The child and his dying mother had given us all they had to give. As I have been preparing to return to Chaoyang, I knew I would be faced with challenges and images of sadness. I was prepared to see the orphaned children of Chaoyang, but I was not prepared to see a child who is in the process of becoming an orphan.

We know very little about the boy and his mother. But what do know is that she is very ill and the boy will attend the orphanage boarding school once he turns 8. With the help of our local guide, Steve, we also learned that the woman suffers of strokes and is no longer married. The only family this child has is his dying mother. I ask that you keep this woman and her son in your thoughts. My greatest fear is that we will be in Chaoyang when this boy becomes an orphan.

The team member who took these photos, Mallory Kreiger, described it in such a way that you realize that this little boy is afraid to leave his mom's side to play with the other children. Afraid that any moment he could lose his mom and possibly be absorbed into this orphanage with all the other children.

God obviously cares for this ONE and I'm so thankful that our team is in Chaoyang seeking out each ONE like Yung and letting them know Jesus, the son of God sees them and has sent them over the great waters to find them and let them know that they are not alone...that they are not lost.

What I love about this China team and all our others is that many of the team members return year after year to the same orphanages, to further build relationships with these same children, letting them know that they aren't forgotten.

So I ask you, "Is there ONE that you need to seek out? Is there ONE whose soul would perish if you did not visit him or her? Who would lose hope if it were not for you....

We Need You in Ghana!

2010-06-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

We have a trip scheduled to Ghana, Africa in August and I've been saddened and amazed at the lack of interest in this part of Africa. Our Uganda and Ethiopia trips fill up fast with waiting lists, and Ghana's orphans have just as much need as the orphans in these two countries, if not more. It may not be the popular country in Africa to visit and may require some people to REALLY get out of their comfort zone, but isn't that what a mission trip is all about?

The very first mission trip I went on, I decided, if I was going to get out of my comfort zone, I was going to really do it! So, I signed up to go to Siberia!!! And look what God has done with my life since that first mission trip 13 years ago. It's the trips that really take you out of your comfort zone that tend to make the greatest impact in your life and those you minister to. Maybe God will do something extraordinary in your life as well, if you will just trust Him and step out and go somewhere unfamiliar...

So, if you asking God to use you and to take you out of your comfort zone, join us in Ghana. A ministry we partner with, Ordinary Hero, just promoted this trip on their blog. Please read about it here and then sign up here.

We really need you to GO!!!

Images from Ecuador

2010-06-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write a blog post for each of our team's days in Ecuador, but with lack of time, it's just not possible. What I hope is that these amazing photos will speak much louder than words. Copyright permission only: www.tuckerbleu.com.

The Christian Spin

2010-06-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

I hear about this young pastor out of Birmingham, AL often these days...David Platt. He's really shaking up things...shaking up the church and our comfort. I'm in the midst of reading his book. He and the CA pastor, Frances Chan actually "get it"! Take a look at this video clip. It's why I do what I do and so desire to do even more. How my heart aches to actually sell it all and move to Uganda and be a mommy to the millions there.

RADICAL from David Platt on Vimeo.

Full Circle - From Mission Trip to Adoption

2010-06-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about my job as Executive Director for Visiting Orphans are the stories I get to hear as God brings the lives of orphans and team members full circle. I have seen numerous people who visit orphans decide to adopt after their mission trips and I've heard many stories of orphans finding homes thanks to those that visited them. But this story really brings all the details and points full circle for me.

I recieved an email last week from a woman named Leslie, directing me to her personal blog. Leslie is in the process of adopting an older boy from China. This same older boy who is waiting in the orphanage for his new parents was visited by one of our mission teams in 2006! AND it was a team that my own sister, Robin Ireland, led to the Feng Du region. The mission team members who visited her son, then, only a toddler, held and prayed over him daily. They specifically prayed that he would one day be adopted and now, 4 years later, he is finally being adopted!!

There are many people who do not believe that short term mission trips are beneficial to orphans. Many people ask me, with skepticism in their voice why we send out short term mission trips. I understand the arguments that short term visits to orphans could cause more harm to their hearts than good. I am aware of this and our heart at Visiting Orphans is to develop long term partnerships with orphanages so that orphans know they are loved and visited repeatedly by the same people who are developing long term relationships.

However, this is not always possible. Most christian Americans can only or choose only to take one or two weeks out of one year of their lives to make this commitment. And sometimes those that travel on our trips come home frustrated, feeling they did not do enough to make a difference. But, I want to showcase Leslie's blog to prove to those who doubt themselves and others who go on trips, that short term trips DO make a difference in orphan's lives. Just read about Jamison, the orphaned boy that our 2006 team visited who will very soon have a forever family!

Zaccheus

2010-06-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

One of our days in Ecuador consisted of working with a ministry called Opcion de Vida. This is a well established ministry to the street kids in Quito. Our team's task for the day was to take an interpreter and a handful of invitations and walk around the city looking for street kids to invite them to come to the ministry for a game of soccer.

This ministry has showers and place for the street kids to sleep and they feed them dinner. But you have to persuade them to come, first. So, Simon and I and our interpreter set off to find some of these kids who were living in the streets. Our walk seemed very unsuccessful at first as for some reason there were none to be found. Then, when we were almost back to the ministry's building we saw a boy with his jacket laid out on the concrete and he was collecting something into it. So, we approached him. As we got closer, we could see he was collecting some type of berries and he was looking up and talking to someone in the tree. When we reached him, we looked up and there were two other young boys up in the tree who were shaking the branches for the berries to fall to the ground. All three of the boys were happy to see us and we invited them to the ministry.

As we walked away and back to the ministry building, I made a comment to Simon that our day had not been successful because we had only met and invited three boys. His response was full of faith, "But Amanda, it may be that it was just those three boys we were supposed to have met and invited. Maybe they will come.." I didn't have much faith and didn't think about it again...just wrote it off.

Well, to my surprise, about an hour later, all three of those boys showed up. We took them into the ministry's office and gave them new shirts, toothbrushes and other new items. I began talking to the older boy of the three. He was one of the ones who was in the tree, so I've decided to call him, "Zaccheus". :) You might remember the story in the new testament of how Zaccheus was up in the tree waiting for Jesus to pass by and when Jesus saw him, he invited him to come down and join him.

Zaccheus was very open to us and so I asked him if he knew who Jesus was and he said yes. He also began telling us that he practiced "animalism" and "cutting" to let out of his pain. He proceeded to show the scars and cuts he makes all over his forearms. Immediately I thought of one our team mates, Katelyn, who had just shared her personal testimony. Her testimony is awesome b/c through the love of Christ, she beat her cutting habit. So, Katelyn and I began talking to Zaccheus even more about Jesus and you could tell he was so ready to receive him as the Lord of his life. So, we prayed with Zaccheus and he received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior that day. He promised to keep coming back to the ministry where he can be discipled and we gave him a bible and he loved the verses that our team mate Stephanie showed him.

I keep thinking about how he was up in that tree shaking the tree so he could get the ripe fruit to fall. He didn't realize that he was the fruit that was ripe and ready to picked. My prayer many times is "Lord, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. So, I am asking you to send out workers into your harvest field." Zaccheus was truly so ready to receive the Lord as his Savior and all God needed was a worker to go and invite him into this relationship. Simon had the faith to believe they would come and God did the rest through our team.

The harvest truly is plentiful, they are ripe and ready to be invited... but, the workers are few. They need you to come to them and invite them...

Life in an Ecuadorian orphanage

2010-05-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

Maria de Campi orphanage has about 43 children, most of which are under the age of 5 years old. The children older than 5 were in school, so our team spent the day with those under the age of five. They were so excited to see us! As soon as I walked into the orphanage a little 5 year old precious Ecuadoran girl jumped up into my arms. As I went to walk to meet the director of the orphanage, this little girl had wrapped her arms and legs all the way around my neck and each leg and was holding on with dear life. She was not going to let me go! Finally through redirecting her attention to another team members, was I able to walk out of her grip. Throughout my day this was the scene, some children, from 1 to 5 years old, crying until you picked them up. But as soon as your arms would start giving out and you needed to put them down, they would throw themselves onto the ground with their heads hitting the concrete in hysterical cries and would continue the behavior all day. The only thing that would console them was just holding or carrying them. They were so hungry for the love and comfort and attention.

The Director informed us that all of the seven babies, except one had just gotten over the Roto virus and so they needed to disinfect the baby beds. Simon and I got to work on this immediately. We carried the tattered old baby beds outside into the sun rays and pulled out the foam mattresses which were falling apart and ripping at the seams. Simon swept out all the crumbs and dried spit up and throw up and got to work on disinfecting the beds and I disinfected the mattresses.

They asked for two girls to help in the baby’s room all day. Adrienne and Stephanie volunteered to do this. They were busy changing diapers, kissing, holding and feeding the babies. They said that one baby stayed on this wooden rocking horse all day, rocking back and forth by itself until it rocked itself to sleep. I’ve seen many children in orphanages, who rock themselves back and forth all day long, just looking for something to stimulate them and to comfort them.

Then our team turned to washing the hair of the kids as they all were infested with lice. We had a great company that donated the lice shampoo and combs to us. So, as we turned on the outside facets, the kids ran to get their hair washed. They loved playing with the water in the hot Ecuadorian sun more than having their hair washed, of course, so it was quite a chaotic watery mess. But in the end, all children had been treated. Unfortunately our team did not have the hours and days we needed to sit for the endless hours which this task demands, to pull out the eggs the lice leaves behind or to wash all the bed clothes. Sadly, this may only give them reprieve from the lice for a few days. It’s such a common epidemic in orphanages in Central and South America. In Africa, you will find most of the heads of the children shaved at orphanages and those in school, as a way to deter lice. I don’t know which is best…to grow up with no hair at all to distinguish me between a boy and a girl or to have gorgeous hair like they did at this orphanage, but to endure the discomfort of the lice. Thankfully those of us in America do not usually have to make this decision…

Cherri found a sweet little African-Ecuadorian girl named Tabitha who was about 5 years old. She only wanted to be held for hours, and every time you saw her cuddled up in Cherri’s lap, you saw a tear resting on the hollow corner of her eye, waiting to run down her cheek. She was such a sad little girl. She stayed in Cheri’s lap all day until we were about to leave when we were able to give each child some new shoes and lo and behold, this made her so happy! Each child was so happy to pick out the shoes they wanted and exchange them out for the old shoes. Every trip I go on, there’s something so magical about new shoes for children in orphanages. They are such a luxury to them and in America, most of us have over 10 pairs of shoes in our closet at all times.

I can’t wait to bring a team from VO back to work a number of days with the children in this orphanage. A young selfless Christian missionary who had been working in this orphanage this year invited our team to come to Ecuador for the first time, solely to work in this orphanage. As our team left that day we left 30 cans of formula, many baby and children clothes and toys. We also purchased hundreds of diapers as they had just run out that morning! We then headed to the nearest children’s supply company and purchased 5 new baby bed mattresses and 3 new wooden rocking horses for the orphanage. We wish we could be there every day to rock these babies and toddlers. We know these caretakers, who maybe number about 5 for all 43 children do their best, but we know that in their busyness to care for the children, that there’s no way the babies and toddlers get to be held and rocked as they should. Maybe this will bring some sort of comfort until we get back there again soon….and we will! Soon...

not that different...

2010-05-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the husband doing the blogging tonight! I just arrived to Ecuador yesterday only to realize that the city of Quito really isn't that different from the other cities that we visit. For instance... the buildings are very similar, the people are just as kind and humble, everyone drives VERY aggressive as if they make their own rules:), and most importantly- there are many orphans who need love in a way that we who have parents just don't understand!

Today, I was blown away when we pulled into the orphanage and I saw all the little 5 year olds fly around the corner as if they were in a race to get to us first. I remember this feeling like it was yesterday in Uganda... The smells, the sounds of babies crying, the children grabbing your arms... it is all a BIG cry for love, for help, for attention. The thing that saddens me the most is how small my offering is and that there is just such a need. It can overwhelm me sometimes... but as the song we have been singing goes:

God is big, all over me,
God is big, all over you,
God is big, all over us,
God is big, all over the world!

Lord, just let me remember how big you are! Thank you for noticing these little ones and for being their TRUE father. Please give them life Lord and redeem these children from a life of longing. Thank you Jesus.

Con Mis Manos in Quito

2010-05-23T16:46:00.001-07:00

Con Mis Manos means "with my hands" in Spanish. We sang this song with the most wonderful children at an orphanage in Costa Rica and here we are learning it for the children and women we will be working with this week. This is a talented and inspired team!

The premise of this song is that we will honor God with our hands, our hearts and our lives. Our prayer is that we will be God's hands and feet with all those we meet and love on. Even if we don't know their language, may they know our hearts and see Him in our faces.

Tomorrow we will be working with special needs children in an orphanage and then on Tuesday with an orphanage with 43 children from babies to older children. Wednesday we will be doing a program at a Women's Prison. Most of the women in this orphanage are being held due to drug smuggling. There are American, French, Russian and African women. This is the verse I just got for today that I am holding onto:

Acts 2:5 Now ther were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? .."

Re-routed

2010-05-23T07:12:00.001-07:00

Our flight to Quito was rerouted last night to Guayaquil due to a large fog cloud that had descended onto the airport. This is not the first time God has interrupted or allowed our itinerary in-country to change. I always trust that it's for our best and it usually means a great nice hotel and good night's sleep to start off our time in-country.

And I was right...we got a great night's sleep and had a wonderful breakfast. When I travel, I try to eat some if the local delicacies, so this morning I chose a fish soup called Encebollado for breakfast. It's a soup with fresh tuna and you pour a little olive oil in it and squeeze some lime into it and then you throw some plantain chips in there as well. WONDERFUL! It reminded me of Tum Cha thai soup. (I know i butchered the spelling of that!). They did have cow stomach on the buffet line as well, but I can't go there. I did once in Ethiopia and I just can't deal with that.

Photos and the Work Being Done at the Korah Dump

2010-05-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

A professional photographer, Cherrie Cornish, traveled to Uganda and Ethiopia with our last Visiting Orphans team we sent to Africa. Her photos capture the spirit and beauty of each person she photographs. Here are some photos made of the children in the Korah city dump in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Our teams are forever changed and impacted when they visit these impoverished children. So much so, that a team member, Sumer Yates, from the last team that visited them in January has set up a not for profit called Project 61 to help send 120 children to school and in just the last 3 months she has gotten 102 of them sponsored! She and her family are moving to Ethiopia in fact in just a couple of months.

Cherrie took photos of each child at Korah to send to the children's sponsors. In fact, we have just planned another trip this Summer to Ethiopia for Project 61 just to help these children. The dates are August 18th to the 29th. You can find out more here.

***photos may not be reproduced or used without permission by Cherrie Cornish

Growing Weary of Well Doing..

2010-04-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

Our agency is growing...within the last 9 months, we've grown from a one person show (me) to 2 full time employees and 2 part time employees. And all of this growth is happening in my home office! :)

As you can imagine, a not for profit isn't just rolling in the dough, so it saves us thousands of dollars to work out of my home for now. We have a growth plan in place...but we are definitely in that stretching time and that place of transition where there are growing pains.

Some of those growing pains are hitting home...literally. I decided recently to move out the two twin beds I had set up for my "children to come" bedroom so we could make it into a temporary office space. When the reality of what that indicated hit me, it stung.

See, when my husband and I moved into this new home, we (or I) decided that one of the extra bedrooms should be set up as a prophetic act that soon we would have kids. You know, the build it and they will come idea... and I fully believed in this act of faith. I have even been saving precious little dresses and boys clothes in this room's closet as I come across them. I just knew that one day soon God would call us to adopt a sibling group or that I would get pregnant and I wanted to show God that I was ready and prepared and our hearts were open.

However, it's not looking like this was God's plan for our lives yet. Right now, He is blessing Visiting Orphans and this home, which is His home to do what He wills with it. So, the act of moving out the baby and child furniture to make room for the growth of Visiting Orphans is very bittersweet.

I think laying down our lives for that of the Lord, looks different to everyone. I laid down my desire to be a mom when I was in my twenties. I remember literally dying to it, straightening my posture again and accepting with hope and promise what God would have for me. He led me into the corporate workforce where I was trained and prepared for what I am finally doing today. I wasn't married until I was 36 years old and there wasn't one day that went by that I didn't desire a family. Now that I'm married, that desire is even greater. So everyday I have to lay that down and choose to TRUST Him. To trust that He is good when my flesh wants to think He is just mean and selfish. To trust that He has my best intention in mind...when reality sometimes suggests otherwise. To trust that one day I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

I share all of this, because I want you to know me. I am not a woman who has it all figured out. Who is greatly blessed because I have a full time career in orphan ministry. Dont' get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE what I do and I am indeed blessed on every side. I am as Pastor Isaac from Uganda puts it, "a mother to the world". I told someone recently and I promise I'm going to make a t-shrit that says this...but I feel like I am pregnant with "multi-millions". Everyday I go to bed with hundreds of faces in my head from orphanages I have visited...Rosalyn, Daniela and Naomi in Haiti, Faida and Norbert in Gulu, Adongo in Jinja, Ababa in Ethiopia, Aracely in Costa Rica and many other nameless faces which in time and circumstances I have lost over my life. I pray for them, I desire them to each be here with me. The sad thing about each one I just mentioned is that they are "unadoptable" by whomever deems such things. So, I labor and carry them in my heart and in prayer. I hope I am truly "mothering" them in the Spirit.

But isn't it funny that I would lay all of this down in an instant if God gave me my own family. Maybe God knows this...He's quite smarter than we think! :) So, He waits and tarries...and I choose to love and trust Him. I know one day I will indeed be a mom to some of the most amazing chidren I could have ever imagined. I look forward to that day and in the meantime, I will throw this longing and energy into saving the millions of children, who like me, do not have a family and long for that which they are at the mercy of God to give them.

"Thank you Lord that my lot in life is what it is...thank you that this pain helps me to relate to the pain of an orphan. The longing they have to be loved by a mom and dad. The longing that I have to love my own child. May you infuse that longing and make it Yours. I pray you would fill it up and radically use it to make a dent in this unruly population of orphans. Don't let me forget this longing and this pain...use it for Your glory. Better is one day in your courts, LORD, than a thousand elsewhere. I'd rather be right in the center of your will than anywhere else or in any other situation. I love you...."

How Do We Help Many? Start With ONE!

2010-04-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

The following blog was written by Frank Pass, the leader of our Chifeng, China team which just returned. It's so convicting!

Then those “sheep” are going to say, “Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?” Then the King will say, “I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.” Matthew 25:37-40 (The Message)

We had been in China for 7 days and it was day 5 of our time at the Chifeng Social Welfare Institute. This facility is primarily a special needs orphanage and we had been able to love on some very precious children. We had been there long enough that we knew them and they knew us and bonds were beginning to form. We definitely had developed a deep love for these kids.

For our morning devotional I read to our team from an article on “gendercide” in China. Gendercide is a term that has been coined to describe the practice of selective abortion based on the sex of the child. For years China has had a “one child” policy designed to stem overpopulation. This policy has led not only to the practice mentioned above but also to a deluge of girls being left in orphanages. In China a boy child will care for his family while a girl will become a part of the family of her husband. For this reason boys are much more valued as children.

As I read this article I was overcome with a sense of hopelessness. How could I make a difference in the face of such huge numbers? Regardless of what I do, millions of babies will still be aborted and millions of children will still be orphaned. It was with this sense of despair that I led our team to the orphanage that day.

It was a Monday. We had been at the orphanage since Thursday. The Chifeng SWI has about 100 children under their care. About half of these kids are “healthy” school age children who attend class at the orphanage but are cared for in foster homes. Most of the children who live at the orphanage have some pretty severe special needs. Over the weekend we had primarily been with the school children so it had been 2 days since we had been with the special needs kids.

When we arrived at the door of their room they screamed and ran to greet us. Their faces were alive with joy. They were so happy to see us and it was in that moment that a truth that I knew in my head, a truth that I had shared with our team, became alive and real to me. I could not make a difference in the lives of millions of children but I could make a difference in the lives of these kids.

Some people use the plight of children as an excuse for a lack of faith. How could a loving God let children suffer? Or maybe they say why should I serve a God that would allow such cruelty to exist? Such an attitude misses the truth about God’s heart for those who suffer. God does not leave orphans in their distress. God does not ignore the suffering of his children. God calls on us, His servants, to minister to those in need. When we let our anger over injustice stop us from serving or when we allow our inability to reach many keep us from reaching one then we have missed out on the calling that God has for us.

There are many ways that we can make a difference in the life of one. Groups like Compassion give us the opportunity to sponsor children, adoption is a real option and not God’s plan B, there are foster care programs in your community and Visiting Orphans sends teams all over the world to care for precious children. Scripture is clear that God cares for the orphan, He has a heart for the least of these and He calls on us to be His hands and His feet to reach out to them. What will you do and what will you say when you stand before the King?

The Gendercide in China

2010-04-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to bring your attention to this article written about, what they term as "gendercide" in China. My nieces are from China and this pains my heart so much. They are so incredibly precious to my heart. Since China has encouraged and enforced a one child policy for every famiy in China as population control and because girls are so devalued in China, and boys so esteemed, by the year 2020 men will outnumber women by 30 million.

This is why we send mission teams to China...to minister to all the children whose mothers were brave enough to risk giving them life. However, their "lives" are greatly diminished behind four walls where they lanquish with very little love. Our teams go in to breathe life into their desperate souls. We have 4 trips to China this Summer. Each team returns changed forever and even our travel agent, Mike Snyder, tells me that his adopted son, Liu remembers not only our Visiting Orphans team who came to visit him in his orphanage, but also the team member's name who loved on him so much: Zach. Short term mission trips to orphans DO make a difference in an orphan's life. His is living proof. (his picture with Zach is above.)

Here is an article which tells of this awful gendercide in China: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1265068/China-The-worlds-new-superpower-beginning-century-supremacy-alarming-surplus-males.html

We have a team in Chifeng, China right now. My co-worker Autumn Kerr, is there with them. You can read about her time in China here.

Our future teams to China include:
Heng Feng: June 4 - June 14
Chaoyang: June 22 - July 3
Chen Zhou & Yongzhou (Hunan Region): July 7 - July 17
Chen Zhou: Sept 8 - Sept 18.

You can sign up here for theses trips.

Why Men Should Visit Orphans

2010-04-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

A trend that I see in missions to visit orphans is that almost always the women on the trip out number the men by 3 to 1 or more on some trips. Sometimes we are happy if we even get one man to join our mission teams.

My husband, Simon, has been an amazing asset to Visiting Orphans. He has such a passion for our trips and whenever he leads a team he is able to really influence some wonderful men to join our teams. This was the case with our January 2010 Africa team. There were 11 men out of 30 people, and this was fantastic, but rare. I want you to watch how this trip impacted Jesse Lee and Daniel Locke on this trip.

Jesse actually joined this trip independently from Simon's influence. He was so impacted that he is now leading our June 2010 trip. Hear straight from his mouth on this video interview why men are so crucial and needed on our teams to reach out to the orphans..(you will need to turn the music off on the player on the right side bar)

Daniel was a friend of ours who couldn't wait to go to Africa and has such a heart for the orphans. Daniel personally crafted collapsable full size soccer nets out of PCV pipes so he could travel with them. You can imagine the kids reactions when they saw him pulling these out of his bag and putting them together. These men are examples of the Father's heart to these children who have no fathers.

Most orphanages have plenty of women care takers but very few men on staff who ever interact with the children. So, the young boys and girls grow up rarely knowing the love of a father. This is especially true in China. If you are a man reading this post, I pray you would feel that desire in your chest to go and would understand that that is the Holy Spirit speaking to you and beckoning you to come...

p.s. There are still a few spots left on Jesse's team to Africa. You can find out more here. We need men on all our teams though..not just Africa. Join my husband Simon on our trip to Ecuador from May 22nd to May 29th. You can find out more about this trip here.

A Mother Bear's Heart

2010-03-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

I'm mad this morning...and righteously so. There are a number of reasons what has triggered this. Maybe it's because I thought I was pregnant for the second time and I wasn't...maybe it's because I spent the weekend with my nieces who are adopted from China and I miss them...or maybe it's because I can't seem sometimes, no matter how hard I try, to get the Church of Christ to GO and help orphans. I do know this...all of this has stirred my mother's heart and I feel like a MOTHER BEAR and my children are in harm's way!!!

I commented on a friend's Facebook page yesterday that I have always felt pregnant with orphans. Both of these women were adopting and talking about how their lives and bodies are mimicing natural pregnancies. How about carrying multi-millions in your womb?! 147 million as you go to bed and labor to get up each day?!

I KNOW the reality of this number. I have traveled to multiple countries and seen countless orphanages. Add the number of faces I have met in each orphanage over the years and try sleeping at night, knowing what you know. Knowing what you know, but not having the megaphone you need to get this reality out to the church? Or maybe you have had a megaphone at times, and yet, the church is deaf or involved in their own "AGENDAS" that they think your missions to orphans are threatening or competition to their congregation's hearts and money. That will break your heart!

So, I am here this morning in particular knowing that there are one million orphans in Ghana alone and yet, no one is signing up to go and help these children in Ghana. Or the fact that there are two particular orphanages in Quito, Ecuador who are looking forward to our team coming, yet our team is not forming or coming together.

When I decided, 13 years ago to go on my first mission trip, I decided that if I was going to get out of my comfort zone, then I was REALLY going to do it. I didn't want to go to a country that was easy..so I chose SIBERIA! :) I wanted a REAL experience! And look where I am now because of what God started in my heart on that first trip to Russia. I was amazed at their culture. Everything was new and exciting. The food was rich, the showers were ice cold, the colors were bright, the people were fascinating and the experience was unforgettable.

My favorite day was ministering to the street kids. It was the first time I had ever shared my testimony while someone translated and I was talking to teenage boys. What in the world did I have in common with teenage boys?! But, I just opened my mouth and God filled it. I told them about how once I gave my life to Christ I had no more desire to party or drink as I had once enjoyed. I had no idea that alcoholism was so prevalent in Russia...but these boys had felt the affects of it their whole lives and they eagerly rushed to give their lives to Christ. I will never forget that. The rush and joy I experienced seeing these boys with nothing whose faces lit up as they received the love of their Abba Father for the very first time. God is faithful.

I share all of this this morning with a heavy heart. One that longs to be a mother personally and so I can desperately relate to the longing of these children with no mothers and fathers. I am the bridge God needs right now to hopefully inspire and move you to finally GO and make disciples of all nations. If you don't go like I did when I went to Siberia, there may be children, orphans who will never know the love of their Abba Father. They will never become disciples of His. And this I know Church, we are ALL CALLED TO GO! Matthew 28:19: Therefore GO and make disciples of all Nations...

We need you especially to go to Ecuador and Ghana. If you don't go...who will?! They are lives, forsaken, alone and abandoned. Their hearts cry out each day and night for the love of a mom and dad. If they cannot have a family one day, GOD, their ABBA FATHER is the ONLY ONE who can meet this need. If we do go and introduce them to this loving Father, adopting them into His amazing family and inheritance, how will they ever respond to this invitation? Please go....

Thank You from PANI of Costa Rica

2010-03-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Below is an email from the Director of PANI of Limon, Costa Rica. PANI is basically the Children and Family Services office of Costa Rica. The Director, Mirabell, and her daughter spent almost every day with our team. She was a very Godly woman who was SO thankful for our support. The photo above is of Mirabell hugging one of our team members, Jason Crossman on our last day at the orphanage. I see Visiting Orphans having a long term partnership with these orphanages and even this morning I received a call from a church who is interested in partnering with them long term! The Lord is so so good...

Hello. I would like to thank you for the wonderful moments that I could spend with you and the group, along with the children at the orphanage. It was a beautiful experience and the first of its kind for PANI's orphanages.

I think this type of activity in the orphanages is significant and Visiting Orphans has demonstrated that it is possible. Thank you for choosing us. God knows what He is doing; these are not random acts; God is the one who gives us these opportunities. Thanks to people like you, the work is bearable. Sometimes due to the daily chores, we don't stop to give these kids affection. Through this opportunity, these children were given the love they so desperately need.

I hope you have a good trip. May God bless you for everything I have shared with you. On behalf of the nannies, the PANI staff, and the children, thank you for your generosity. May God guide and bless you and your families always.

May God return you well to your families.

Maribell Urbina Oneil.

Images from Costa Rica

2010-03-10T21:02:00.001-08:00

Here is a quick blog post about our amazing first trip to Costa Rica. I am currently on a plane home as I type. Can you believe there is now wifi as you are in the air on a plane?! Very excited about this as it gives me a great time to upload pictures and blog and just catch up!

This first team to Costa Rica was so sent by God. Each person was so called and it was obvious as they interacted with the children. I've been on many mission trips. I don't usually see children cry when we leave. Most orphanages we visit have already had visiting teams, and they understand that the team will come and then have to leave in a few days. The orphanages we visited here in Limon had never had a team visit them. The girls at the second orphanage all cried as we were leaving. I have noticed that I've really had a heart for the pre-teen girls I meet. In Gulu, it was Faida. In this orphanage, it was another girl. She is 13 years old and she cried the hardest and the most. She was in the orphanage as her step father had been abusing her. This is where my heart is... I will write more and show you her beautiful picture tomorrow...for now, please enjoy some photos from our time with these children God so esteems!

Bumps

2010-03-09T09:46:00.001-08:00

Here's a great blog post by Alicia Jordan, a team member on our Costa Rica trip...
http://thejordansdna.blogspot.com/2010/03/bumps.html

Day 4 by Art Wasem

2010-03-08T05:52:00.000-08:00

This is a blog post from one of our Costa Rica team members, Art Wasem:

Well today was our last day at the Coco Orphanage. We brought presents for the kids. We were able to spend about 6 hours there. We painted faces and shirts, played all kinds of games and just loved on them again. I didn’t realized how hard it was going to be. Of course the women were wrecks when we left. Jason and I are use to touring and saying goodbye to people. Myself I know that there will be another time in a better place called heaven when we will get to love them again. I look forward to that time. I hope we have made a difference in their lives, to know that someone would come thousands of miles to let them know they are important. Important enough that the God of the universe would die on a cross for them and maybe that we are willing to come and tell them that is enough to believe it. I know I do. I know they could see it in our eyes and heart it in our voices
So who are these kids?

Jennifer The baby. I called her Jen after a friend of mine. So sweet. The first day she just was looking around. Yesterday she was smiling and bubbling. She was there with 4 siblings. Her mother shows up and takes them then brings them back every couple of weeks.

Alexis, The blind boy. I hung put with him the most. Very funny and boy when he talked it was a blur of Spanish.

Katia, The oldest of the girls, such a beautiful young lady, She became very silent when we left and didn’t want to be in the picture. Please pray for her heart and body to remain safe. She is so full of joy.

Karen, a girl with I think MS. She was always in a chair and never talked to me but had a wonderful smile and eyes that knew.

Raul, we were told he was very protective of his space and he would lash out. He sat and didn’t pay attention to anything in the room. Whenever he was engaged he would play or take part in the crafts. I wondered if he ever ate. He was so thin.

Raphael the stud. The oldest of the young men. The last day he was visited by 3 Chiquita’s and became so typical latin cool. He loves football and has such a heart for the other kids in the home.

Ariele The littlest boy al typical always running always into everything smiling laughing boy

Antonio The skater. Loved the skateboard and fell perfectly. Scared the stuff out of Autumn

Mayury I didn’t spend a lot of time with her. Hopefully there will be a comment by someone on the team. She is the one I was pulling out of the pool when Jason squirted me with water and caused me to fall.

Maria I loved the way she jumped at jump rope. She totally did a heal grab kick type of move.

Jessica didn’t spend a lot of time with her either, OK team bail me out.

A funny Story

So I decided to take a walk on the beach at sunset. Nikki was on my computer and I knew I wouldn’t be missed for awhile. I walked across the street and down a 30 foot path strewn with coconut shells and leafs. There is a pile of driftwood at the high tide mark that hasn’t been swept out to sea yet. I remember from some discovery show that sea snakes sometime hide in there so I was careful crossing it. The water was amazingly warm. Mid 70’s and I love the black sand. I walked maybe a third of a mile to a creek that was running to the sea. The water was cooler and you could feel the texture was different from the salt water. I realized it was getting really dark so I turned back. As I took a step my feet brushed what felt like sticks in the water. As the wave receded I didn’t see anything. The next wave the same thing happened again. It felt as though I was walking over tiny little tree limbs. This time I noticed an outline in the sand. It was a crab. I wondered if it was alive and it stuck out its claws at me and made a jumping move and sound. The next wave I saw another one about a foot away from the first and then another one a couple inches from that one. As that wave receded I saw literally thousands of crabs with their claws raised between where I was and where I needed to be. Oh, did I ever mention that I was barefoot? All I could think of was. ‘Well, this isn’t good!!!’ There was no escaping what came next. It was dodging little pinchers not stepping on the crabs and running like heck to the drift wood pile. Didn’t see any snakes. Of course I didn’t stop to check anything out either.

Mental note, bring shoes to the beach.

Blog for our El Salvador Team

2010-03-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

Here is the blog authored by our March El Salvador Team Leader. Follow along as they travel to orphanages on the coast of El Salvador:

The Boy Autumn Fell in Love With..

2010-03-07T16:17:00.001-08:00

This post is from my co-worker and friend, Autumn Kerr:

The first full day we spent here, we visited an orphanage in Limon, Costa Rica called Coco's. There were about 10 kids there. And this little boy was the absolute cutest thing ever! He's 2 years old and he's really shy - I don't think he talks. Or if he does, he hasn't yet in front of us. He seems kind of scared and really does not respond well when you try to pick him up and hug him. He let me pick me up on day 1 but he clearly didn't really want me to so of course, I put him back down. He did let me play with him for a long time - I tried to get him to color but he didn't seem to know how or want to. But he was having fun putting the crayons in and out of the box - he probably did this for about an hour. And whenever he would get the crayons all back in, I would clap and say "yay" and he seemed to really love the praise. In fact, it was in that moment that I got a big ole smile out of his adorable face and was able to snap this most adorable picture. He's so cute!!!! I found out through our translator that him and his 4 siblings have been in and out of the orphanage - their mother picks them up and takes them for awhile and then drops them back off. I would imagine that's probably harder than if they had just been dropped off but I don't know for sure. I'm just thinking that they probably never get used to being any one place or with the same people and that's probably why all of them are really shy and don't seem to respond all that way to affection. In fact, I also noticed that they don't seem to be used to anyone playing with them - for how young they are, they seem to just play with each other and a lot by themselves. They are precious, beautiful children. And my heart so breaks for them. I wish I could adopt all 5 of them.

Today, we took the kids from this orphanage and another orphanage to the beach. It was a total blast. We all had so much fun. Thankfully, it stopped raining and we had a rain-free day It was very cloudy but I think that was good because then it wasn't super hot. There was also a pool there and covered pavillion where we ate lunch. And a local company that wanted our tour guide to bring future tours to them for business, took us on a free boat ride down the river and we saw monkeys, slauths and cool birds. And the kids seemed to love it.

The little boy I mentioned above was there today and shy as usual. He got hit in the shoulder by the swingset that a little girl was on and he walked in front of. He started crying and my natural instinct was to run over and just hold him. I tried to and that didn't seem to help. I decided to pick him up and take him to the caregivers that know him but unfortunately they didn't console him as I hoped. And he sat in the chair crying by himself and I was helpless to do anything because I knew if I went to him, he'd cry harder since he doesn't know me or trust me. It totally broke my heart. I had to walk away because I just started bawling. It really broke my heart to see him crying like that, knowing his little shoulder was hurting and he's only 2 years old and I can't even pick him up or do anything to make him feel better. Whew, it took me awhile to collect myself after that. But after a little while, I saw that he was no longer crying and he went near the pool with his siblings and seemed to be ok.

So many beautiful children here. I pray that they will all end up in loving families that will console and encourage and adore them the way they deserve. And I pray that somehow our time here has encouraged and helped them to see their value. And to point them to their father in heaven who will never leave or forsake them.

Mission Trip Fundraising Ideas

2010-03-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

Meet Kari Gibson, blogger extraordinaire! She is one of the leaders for our July Africa mission team. She has created a wonderful blog for her trip. What I want to feature though is her blog post on fundraising. This woman sold over 800 t-shirts last month for Children's Hopechest, raising over $24K! So, if you are wondering how to raise money for a mission trip, I would take some of her ideas to heart...

http://mycrazyadoption.org/crazy-fundraiser-for-a-mission-trip

Britt Nicole's Video About Africa

2010-03-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share Britt's new video about her newly released song, "Walk on the Water". She's shares her experience with Visiting Orphans and footage from her time in Africa. I just love this girl and her heart! Enjoy...

Costa Rica Bound!

2010-03-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

Our Costa Rica team heads off to Limon, Costa Rica this Wednesday, March 3rd until Wednesday, March 10th. The neat thing about this team is that the entire team is from Nashville, TN, where our office is located! So this team has gotten to meet weekly and really get to know each other.

Our team members are:
1. Carrie Grace-Congdon
2. Mary Botha
3. Art Wasem
4. Jason Crossman
5. Autumn Kerr - the Team Leader
6. Me :)
7. Tiffany Lankford
8. Tara McWilliams
9. Nikki Dunaway
10.Alicia Jordan

This team will be visiting two orphanages in a part of Costa Rica that is still third world. I know most of you, when you hear Costa Rica, think resorts and vacation, or atleast I do. But honestly, most of Costa Rica is still very much still third world, especially on the Caribbean side of the country.

I have a wonderful friend from high school, Brian Benson, who runs an eco tour business and through this connection, he was able to meet with the government and the respective orphanage directors. He has been living in Costa Rica for years and had never seen the orphanages. He so happy we are investing in these children and is so happy that we opened his eyes to the plight of the orphans there in his beloved country.

These children have never recieved a mission team before. I can't imagine how special they are going to feel when our team arrives. This team is coming with toothbrushes, toothpaste, clothes, school supplies, towels, and bathing suits for each of the kids! They are leaving personalized journals for the older kids as well and a skate board at each orphanage! God has been so present in this team, confirming each team member in His unique and awesome way. This is a great trip for anyone who is going on missions for the first time and our two Summer Costa Rica trips are already almost full!! God so SEES these children. "I will not leave them as orphans...I will come to them!"

Here is the itinerary for the week:
Thursday March 4th
We get on the road after breakfast and drive to Limon (3.5 hours) where we meet the Director of the Limon PANI orphanages and her partner. We head to the Coco’s orphanage for lunch and spend the afternoon with the children.
Dinner is served in the hotel.

Friday March 5th
On the road at 8am sharp to commute to Limon ($5 min) and visit another orphanage called Villas del Mar. We spend the entire day (Until 3-4pm) at the Villa orphanage. In the evening we meet up with Barrett, a Christian man who runs a ministry and skateboard park in Puerto Viejo (near-by town 20 min. south of Cahuita). We will have a BBQ cook out dinner at the skate park and enjoy the evening. We head back to the hotel around 8pm as a group.

Saturday March 6th
Today will be a beach day with all the children for both orphanages. After breakfast we commute to Limon and spend the day on the beach. Bring your swimsuit, towel and sun block. It is going to be a great day!
Dinner is served at the hotel.

Sunday March 7th
On the road at 8am to Limon. Today we spend the entire day in the Coco’s orphanage (Until 3-4pm). The late afternoon is free.
Dinner is served in the hotel.

Monday March 8th
On the road at 8am to Limon. Today we spend the entire day in the Villas del Mar orphanage (Until 3-4pm). After we leave the orphanage, we drive to Puerto Viejo (near-by town 20 min. south of Cahuita) to enjoy the town and have dinner at 7pm.
Dinner will be at one of Puerto Viejo’s top restaurants, Loco Natural. We head back to the hotel after dinner as a group.

Tuesday March 9th
Free day for the team: rafting or beach and return to San Jose for our farewell dinner in our hotel.

How God Changes a Heart Through Missions to Orphans

2010-02-17T15:04:00.000-08:00

The following is a letter written from one of our mission team members who traveled to Haiti this month. Dr. Amy Schroeder-Whipp, joined this trip at the last minute as the orphanage we were helping, Danita's Children had requested medical personnel. The letter is written to the orphanage director. I have to share it with you because it is an awesome testimony of what God can do in a heart which is totally surrendered and obedient to Him in walking out missions to care for the least of these. It's why I work so tirelessly and passionately to send people to walk out James 1:27 to care for orphans in their distress.

Dear Danita,
I am going to try and tell you my story to help you understand what God is revealing to me about my trip to your facility. My time with you at the orphanage was very brief and God does things in His own time.
As you know, I am a podiatric physician and surgeon. I live in the Chicago suburbs. I have been married to my husband for over 2 years. He was my first and last boyfriend; we met in college over 10 years ago and have been together ever since. He works as a financial planner/advisor for a Christian-based organization that works exclusively with physicians called Larson Financial Group.

I was fortunate to grow up in a Christ-centered home and cannot ever remember life without my Heavenly Father, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. My husband and I have moved about the country, living in Iowa, Florida and St. Louis before recently settling in Chicago, which is where the rest of my family is, and where I’ve always considered my home to be. My husband and I have always been active serving in church, being part of small groups, and spending time alone with God each day reading His Word and speaking with Him in prayer and meditation.

I have never desired to be a mother. My husband has never desired to be a father. We like kids, but never wanted our own. I never felt I had motherly instincts and I’ve never felt love for a child. My focus is mainly on my relationship with God, my marriage, and my career. I enjoy traveling and fitness as my hobbies. I also have a dog who I consider to be our “baby.”

Right before Christmas this past year, my husband and I individually felt God was speaking to us about adoption. I brought it up to my husband and we laughed together, surprised how God was telling us both the same thing. We said we’d just be open to His leading. We talked to a couple of families we know who have adopted, just to hear their stories. We decided to just keep praying for God’s direction and felt at peace about that.

The day I heard about the earthquake I was driving in my car to work. I immediately started weeping, not something I do frequently. I had no idea why I was weeping.
I did not want to go to Haiti. My husband received a text message from one of our pastors 72 hours before the trip, asking “Does Amy have a passport and can she go to Haiti on Monday?” My immediate answer was “No, I can’t go to Haiti on Monday!” This was followed by a list of various reasons I could not go: I just started a new job with a non-Christian employer who would never allow me to take a week off at the last minute, cancel surgeries and reschedule my patients. I did not have a passport and it was Friday morning, etc, etc. My husband however, encouraged me to think about it. After praying and submitting to God’s plan, not mine, I thought “Ok God, if you want me to go to Haiti, then help me get there.” Obviously, through a small set of miracles, my boss let me go, I got a passport in less than 2 hours, and I was on my way.

My plan was to go to Haiti and provide for the medical needs of the children at Hope for Haiti Children’s Center as best I knew how. I felt that God has blessed my life abundantly, and I should serve Him back.

My husband did not share this with me at the time, but he felt there was another reason God wanted me in Haiti. He heard God telling him that I would come back changed, not as the same Amy he knew. He didn’t know exactly what this would be, but that it would be something life-altering and very special.

Honestly, I was disappointed when I got to the orphanage. I saw there was already a pediatrician there, and I thought, “Lord, why did you bring me here? They don’t need my skills.” I enjoyed being with the children, but felt awkward around them, like I didn’t know what to do or say. I thought the kids were cute, but I really didn’t have any emotions or feelings for them.

It wasn’t until towards the end of our trip that I really noticed Jean. I don’t even know his last name or how old he is. I believe he is somewhere between the ages of 4 and 6. I believe he is mostly blind and has cerebral palsy. I know he has seizures. Anyhow, I was in the cafeteria. He was sitting in his stroller, drool all down his neck, rolling his eyes around, head tilted way back. I looked at him and started crying. I thought about him in his darkness. I wondered how often he got picked up and held. I wondered if he knew what love felt like. I wondered if he remembered his mother. I wondered about his story. I still wonder because I do not know much about him. I cried for his loneliness. I picked him up and held him. I tried to sing “Jesus loves me” in his ear. I felt his arms and legs slowly relax as I held him against me.

After that, I tried to spend as much time with him as I could, while still passing out medicine, changing bandages and making rounds on the other children. I slept next to him my last night in Haiti. I fed him breakfast and lunch the next day. I felt concerned about him getting enough calories since he eats so slow and has trouble chewing and swallowing. I left to get on the bus to go home. I was happy to be going back to my family. I felt a little sad about leaving, but I left knowing the children are all well cared for and loved there.

I boarded the plane to Miami, still wondering why God had wanted me on that trip. I just didn’t understand. I thought,” I hardly did anything for those kids. How did I help them, God? Why did you want me there?” I opened my journal to start writing and all I could think about was Jean. I felt a deep, painful ache in my heart that I have NEVER felt before in my life. I desired that child: To have him, to hold him, to love him, to care for him, to provide for him. I felt a tender mercy for him and his contracted and twisted little body. I thought, “What is this Lord?” I spent hours on the flights to Miami and then on to Chicago seeking the Lord for an answer. I feel uncomfortable saying this to you Danita, since you are his mother. I thought I heard God telling me he was my son. I was in shock to think this. Why would I have the desire for a child when I’ve never wanted one before? I’ve held plenty of babies, babysat for the children of my friends and family. And why would I want this child? One who could never really love me back, or care for me when I get old?
I was afraid to share this with my husband when I got home. He knew it was coming. I shared my experience with Jean to him and he started to cry. I have never seen him cry before. He had the same desire in his heart for Jean, even though he had never met him or seen him. We feel to our knees immediately and asked God for help, for discernment and a clear understanding of His plan for our family.

I have fervently been seeking ever since, trying to understand if this really what God was telling me or not. I have spent time in the Word, listening for God’s voice and seeking wise counsel from those I look up to spiritually. Some of the verses I am reading:

“But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Matthew 9:13
“My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.” Psalm 119:28 (my mother is praying this verse for me.)

“Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

“He who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6

Now I know God sent me on the trip to break my heart towards children. He did not only want me to use my medical skills to serve Him, He wanted me to feel and experience mercy towards those children. And I did that, for the first time ever.
I picture Jean living in my house. I thought today of him feeling snow on his face for the first time, wondering what he would think of something so cold and so wet. I am continuing to journal. I am writing out my prayers to the Lord and little notes to Jean as well.

I was afraid to write you this letter; that you might find it offensive. Danita, I am not saying you and your staff cannot care for him properly. I know you can. I can too. Being a physician, and my husband working exclusively with physicians, we could give him excellent medical care. We would provide for him spiritually as well even though he understands very little. I know God touches Him and comforts him inside is dark world. I know your plans are not to adopt out children. I understand and respect your reasons for that. I know that if this is God’s plan for Jean, you already know this or He will reveal this to you. If this is not God’s plan for Jean, He will tell me that, too.

Please prayerfully consider what I am saying. I have thought about how complicated adoption in Haiti is right now. I’ve thought about the finances, the difficulty and commitment of caring for Jean’s needs, the amount of time it may take to carry this out, and the possibility that your answer may be no. But I know from past experience that often when the Lord speaks to us, we have to move forward in faith, even if we don’t know all the answers and details.

Please feel free to contact me at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Amy J. Schroeder-Whipp

The Story of Johnny

2010-02-12T15:50:00.000-08:00

I SO wish I had so much more time to post all the videos, photos and stories I have from my trip to Haiti and Africa. There are still so many stories in my heart, mind and dreams.

I wanted to get this one up on the little boy, Johnny, that had been relocated after the earthquake to Danita's. He lost his family in the quake and if this man, Micah, from Vapor Sports, had not intervened in his life, who knows if he would have made it. Each team that has gone to work at Danita's has helped Johnny with his restoration and physical therapy. There is another video in an earlier post which shows Johnny trying to walk again with the help of short term missionaries.

This man Micah, drove into Porte au Prince right after the earthquake with Danita and just went to one of the 2 hospitals left standing and told those working, I just want to be a "grunt" man. I will do anything to help.

He ended up being the one removing the dead as they died in the orphanage, sometimes after days of decomposition and only having garbage bags to move them. Sometimes having to put them out the back door of the hospital in the garbage bags. He helped with amputations. He tried to calm hysterical family members who were trying to convince the nurses and doctors that they needed to help those that they loved. Just dealing with horrible situations and some of the saddest and most desperate stories I have heard.

He did have awesome opportunities to lead those dying to the Lord, so I can't thank him and our God enough for putting him in the right place, at the right time. And he was in the right place to find Johnny and this boy's destiny has been changed forever. Thank you Micah for not being afraid to go into the fire of Porte au Prince and enter into the trauma and change lives eternally. I know your life was changed eternally as well!

The Gift of Writing

2010-02-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

Visiting Orphans is so blessed by the mission trip team members that God sends our way. Missy Williams, one of the team members from our last trip to Haiti obviously has a gift of writing and photographer. Here is her great blog and a recent post about her time there. Beware..you may cry about this story of Jameson.

Dr. E!!

2010-02-02T16:02:00.001-08:00

Our Visiting Orphans team to Haiti was blessed with the most gentle and best pediatrician I have ever met. His name is Dr. Eric Escue and he was a GOD send to this team. He was never too tired to answer the same questions over and over again to the members of the team and you could tell he held this responsibility of caring for these orphans with high regard. I remember him literally shaking as he carried the new children off of the plane to the truck, just amazed at how loving the doctors in Porte au Prince were and how happy he was to just have a few words of one of the little girl's diagnosis just written on her body cast.

I called him a "Softie" because although it would get crowded in the clinic with the children just coming in and out, some just wanting to be weighed and others complaining of small stomach aches, yet, he would never ask them to leave. He also could barely ever turn them down if they asked for something. Truly he loves these kids and is in the RIGHT profession! If you are in Memphis, TN, I highly recommend him!

I wanted you to read his blog reports as he worked day in and day out to make sure these orphans were healthy and cared for. You will love his perspective and tender heart in his writings!

Doctor E's Blog

My Fair Lady, Naomi

2010-02-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

It was sad to say good-bye to everyone today, but we all celebrated by spending the morning playing with the children. Most of my posts have been pretty heavy, so here's a fun video of my time with Naomi this morning. She was one of the children that came from the streets as opposed to another orphanage that had crumbled in the earthquake.

When she arrived, she had quite a wild look in her eyes and began begging immediately, jumping on everyone and taking and stealing everything you had. She does not do any of those things anymore..and her behavior is starting to become more loving and definitely more interactive and appropriate which you will be see by this video. This was due to the consistent love and care she was receiving in this safe harbor of an orphanage. So, this is why I called this post, "My Fair Lady, Naomi". So many of these new children literally change almost over night when the love and security of God surrounds them.

Our time there was the hardest I've ever worked on a mission trip, so I enjoyed this day of just playing with the children... I'm so excited as we will be taking 2 more teams in March to help with the continual influx of new orphans. This was one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever taken and my heart breaks thinking of all the tears and physical pain I saw in these children who were victims of this disaster. Please be a part of these teams. If you don't GO, who will? How else will these children know the love of Christ? Haiti needs YOU, your soul and your Spirit...not just your money. We have a way for you to go....

The Rescue

2010-01-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

We were included in another rescue today! Our team loaded up and headed to the "landing strip", which was just a big field. We then had to be sure that all the goats and people were off the "runway". Kids had followed us there from the village and we waited about an hour. As the plane approached the villagers all came out. They, as you can imagine, are very interested on any word or sight about the earthquake that hit their country just a few hours away.

Three children were flown in on this flight. One orphan with cerebral palsy was just left by her mom at the hospital after the earthquake. Another young boy was in a body cast and an amputated arm and a young woman in another body cast. It was amazing to us and especially the doctor on our team, Dr. Eric Escue, that the doctors in Porte au Prince had written in sharpies all over her cast. They had written when to take off the cast and what the diagnosis was. They had also written that they loved her and so did God!!! Here is the video of when we received them and loaded them into the truck. I will try and post the actual landing of the plane later... One note is that the boy in the full body cast just got an xray and it looks like his femur was broken and that it was never set. So the cast was in vain. Pray for him (Yonic is his name) as he now goes through surgery as soon as we can find an orthopedic surgeon.

Danita, the director, left for Porte au Prince yesterday to bring back more orphans. Thank GOD our next Visiting Orphans team will be here on Tuesday morning by the time they get here... It's such perfect timing. This team was able to help with the first set of new orphans. We helped provide structure, time off for the staff so they could concentrate on many more other pressing items for bringing in these new children, loved on the orphans, teach them the new rules and boundaries and calm their fears about an earthquake hitting again.

My Bionic Sister

2010-01-30T06:29:00.000-08:00

I have always referred to my sister Robin, for those of you who know me, as "Martha Stewart on Speed". Honestly, she is a woman who rarely ever tires and just runs circles around me. She LOVES to serve people in every way. Therefore, you can understand why she is the first person I think of to join me on any international or mission trip. So, she was the first person I called to jump at the last minute to come on this trip to Haiti.
As you can imagine, she dove right in, raising $10K in just days to help this orphanage and was able to bring 2 suitcases full of medical supplies. When she arrived, she organized the new makeshift clinic and began serving the doctors (she is doing this now as she sits right next to me helping the doctor write up the chart on each child). Then, she volunteered with another team member, Toby Ryder, to cook all the dinners for the team members and staff here. So, she's been SO busy and such a blessing!

Last night, we got to hear one of the most amazing personal testimonies I have ever heard from, Toby. God seriously saved him out of complete drug abuse and saved and healed his wife of burns over her entire body! After this incredible testimony of God's power, we started home to the missionary house. It's dark here with dirt roads and no street lights.

We heard a motorcycle coming around the corner and he accelerated as he turned and when he turned, my sister was right there. He hit her dead on...and she flew about 15 feet and then the motorcycle landed on her and the rider jumped off and over her and ran off. We all thought she was dead as she didn't move for a good few seconds. Until she heard me start to freak out. :) Then, she said..."I'm okay, I'm okay and started moving and getting up". Her first words were, "Is the driver ok?!"

All she had was a bloody lip and a few scrapes and bruises. She miraculously walked away from this....We KNOW it was the power of prayer from everyone who is following this journey. We CANNOT thank you enough for praying for our team. We heard about the power of God from Toby and then last night we WITNESSED it! Your prayers saved my sister's life from injury and death. I cannot thank you enough and it renews my faith that prayers are truly SO needed and they SO work. Thank you so much...

Rehab for Johnny

2010-01-29T13:14:00.001-08:00

We are so excited to see Johnny, the little boy whose femur was broken starting to walk again. His femur was broken for 11 days before they found him. Thankfully a christian doctor who had flown into help gave him surgery at one of the hospitals that was left standing in Porte au Prince. Here he is finally starting to walk again...I will post the story of how he was found by an American couple soon...

I Am Not Forgotten

2010-01-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

It has been so chaotic trying to teach and get these new orphans assimilated into life at Danita's Children's Home. Everything is new and they've been through such trauma with the earthquakes. We've done the best we can to communicate with the children. I've found that Haiti is not like Uganda or Ethiopia where most children know some English. These children do not know any English so we've had a hard time communicating with them. So, you can understand how it was so special this morning when we finally found out their names and put name tags on them! I loved watching them light up when we finally recognized them and said their names. I can imagine they have felt lost, forgotten and scared. I'm beginning to get pretty attached to some of them...

Joy in Suffering

2010-01-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

This is a video of one of the new girls they brought into the orphanage. She had her arm recently amputated. When the staff found her, she was at one of the two (out of 5) hospitals left standing in Port au Prince. The doctor looked stunned and explained that she had just told him her mom had died in the earthquake and someone else had just come in and told her that her dad had died and was lying in a ditch. This was right after the operation where they took her arm.

Thankfully Danita and staff were there to sweep her up and bring her to her new home where she is surrounded by love of both staff and children. Here she is just a couple days after this operation and the death of her family. She is somehow full of joy in this moment. Pray as the symptoms of trauma will begin to manifest in the next couple of months. They are all still in shock and adjusting to the new loving environment here.

The Church Being the Church

2010-01-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

The orphanage moved the pews out of their church to set up enough beds for the new children. Talk about the church being the church!