I went to a missions meeting at church a few months ago; ok I really had a staff parish meeting at 6:30 and knew there was a missions meeting at 6:00 and thought I'd attend for a few minutes before my Very Important meeting to meet our new Pastor. I wanted to get missions information for the summer because I knew that the church was planning to go up to the UMCOR facility in SLC, UT to package and sort emergency supplies. They had all been depleted because of the major earthquake in Haiti and I thought it would be a fantastic way for our family to go on a mission trip and maybe see some extended family along the way. Instead, I heard the heartbreaking story of thousands of suffering orphans in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Our Missions Lay Leader had arranged for the founders of a new orphanage in Africa that he had been interested in joining on a trip there to come and speak to our church and share their story. I tell you, after the 30 heart-wrenching minutes I was there, I had to tear myself away and my heart stayed right there in that room with those amazing Godly women.
At the time, I was reading the book The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns, who is the President of World Vision. Hubby had just finished the book and told me it was a MUST read and boy, was he right. I was in the middle of the book when I attended the missions meeting and I know that God was preparing my heart for the message that The Raining Season was to bring to my secure, comfortable, safe environment to shock me into action.
I have not been able to get the amazing stories I heard of how The Raining Season was founded out of my mind and how God moved in two women's hearts to cause them to step up and save the orphans of Sierra Leone. I have read and re-read every word on their website and their blog and my God will let me rest no more. Hubby and I went on a date Sunday night and had a very good conversation and decided to sponsor a child, we weren't sure how much to commit to or if we should sponsor one child or two.
I must admit that I had a crisis of faith on Monday before committing to sponsorship. Their were rumors of lay-offs at work (4 people did in fact get let go on Friday and I am heartbroken for them all) and I was nervous about that and decided to pray about it for the remainder of the day. I prayed every moment I thought of it (which was a lot!) and had been reassured by God that he is in control and that I needed to surrender control and show him my faith in action. When I came home from work and got the mail (like I do every single day), there was a letter from our little World Vision child in Albania. He had sent us a thank you letter for gifts we had sent him for Christmas and told us how much he loves us even though we are half-way around the world and have not even met in person.
Thank you, God! I love it when you speak to my mind & heart and then back it up with tangible evidence of what direction you want me to go in. You are an Awesome God! I love your timing - how perfect to get a letter from Albania just hours after I had decided to leap out in faith! Thank you, thank you!
Hubby and I have signed up to sponsor two beautiful children at The Covering (the name of the orphanage). They are brother and sister who only have each other in this world. Our family has had several evenings this week just looking at the website and google earth-ing and wikipedia-ing Sierra Leone. We decided to give up some of our luxuries so that we can assist these children into having a chance to grow up loved and healthy. There is hope - I can't save them all, I certainly can't save them on my own, but I CAN make a difference to one (or two)!
I have been blessed so abundantly......
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