Orphan Awareness

Last night Ana spoke at length with Inna on Skype they were so full of excitement and joy to see and speak to each other it was precious and contagious.

When the girls were talking, Inna asked what happened to Lena and Eddick when they were in America. She said ever since they came back they get along now and they are actually friends. She said when they got the gifts we sent the first thing Eddick did was run over to then girl's dorm to show Lena and he would never do that before. She said Lena is so excited to come to America and cannot wait. She also told me it was a secret, but Lena has been working on a painting of a deer for Russ to surprise him. It is so amazing how eager these kids are to please before they left we told them that while we were busy working on paperwork they needed to do two things practice their English and learn to like one another and get along. Russ also ask Lena to paint something for him. I think he has forgotten about that so he will be very surprised. She is such a loving girl warm girl. Inna also said that all of the kids who came to America are different than before they came, they are closer now and they take care of each other. That is precious. Those kids met God while they were here and they now have a hope and a purpose and a future. It is good to know, I can picture the joy in their eyes and the contentment as they wait, I saw that in Inna when we were there bringing Ana home. Inna was so differant after finding a family to belong to, just as she describes in these kids. That gives me a peace and I know they are ok. You should have seen and heard the excitement in Inna and Ana as they spoke to each other yesterday and when they were on Skype it was even more, Ana was so giddy she could hardly speak at times. They both kept touching the computer screen as if they could touch each other. Their joy was beyond expression, they have both made it to a better life and they are so excited for each other.
In school Ana wrote a paper in Ukrainian that was to be titled All About Me, I sent it to Lillian so she could read it to me. It was so precious every other sentence would say I Love My Family. She told about the big family she had, her Mama, Her Papa, her brother Isaac, her sister Heather. She said that the happiest day of her life was in the orphanage when we came to get her. When she wrote about her future she said that she loved her family so much and that she knew we would never leave her. Such simple and yet powerful words from a child showing how very much. Many people are giving an greater gift, Ana was waiting 5 years some children have been Waiting for you all his life. I look at pictures of the children when they were younger at the orphanage and it hurts to know I didn't have the opportunity to rescue them sooner and then I realize God has a prefect time and a perfect plan and these kids are who they are because of the path they have walked. I think of the abuse Ana went through as a child she says her biological mama and papa were always mean and never wanted her in their house. When she shares details of her past I look at her and cannot understand how someone could treat her that way let alone her own parents and then I thank God that He left me find her so things could be different in her life. There are children here in our country and around the world who desperately need a family to belong to. God calls us to care for the fatherless. Some people say there are 143 million orphans in the world how can you make a difference? Guess what...IF JUST 7% OF THE CHRISTIANS WOULD CARE FOR 1 ORPHAN THERE WOULD BE NO ORPHANS!! Sadly only 3% of adoptions are by born again Christians. The purpose of life is to glorify God. God calls us to love one another. Love is choosing to serve putting others or a need or cause higher than yourself and serving. Serving is doing something you do not want to do. So basically love is choosing to do what you do not necessarily want to do. My prayer daily is:
Lord help me to be who you want me to be, help me to love others as you love them. Help me to see others with your eyes God. This past Sunday was Orphan Awareness Sunday I hope all of us had an opportunity to become more aware of the plight of orphans.