DUE TO REALITIES
WE
SERVE
For a number of reasons, my heart is heavy today.
- A dear friend serving in China has been going through a major loss with her family - after serving little children and babies with down syndrome and two months ago having them "ripped" from them to be put back into an orphanage....because of government incompetence...and watching the once thriving children fade back into their traumatic shell.
- Another friend in India struggling after a theft of his passports/visas and funds he worked to raise on a recent trip to the USA.
- Then there is the ministry in another area of India - believing God and building a state of the art Child Healing Center that will serve children and families across India that have experienced trauma.
- A village in Botswana still struggling to "bounce back" from the recent devastating flood.
- Our Nepal partners still struggling to bring help to remote villages and homes from the earthquake many around the world have forgotten about.
- Seeing a dear friend continue to struggle with her adoption and realizing how difficult it is to raise a child who has experienced trauma - and severe sexual abuse.
- Hearing the story of a little 3 year old sold for sex by her birth mother at the age of 3 - now a school age child with severe physical issues and the caregiver in great pain and confusion of how to help her and now learning she likely need major medical attention due to the damage to her body.
AND then there are our Jeremiah/Dayspring children in Kyrgyzstan - struggling to beat the odds - of what happens to youth and children who have grown up in an orphanage. Now living in Jeremiah/Dayspring homes - we see the change - the hope and the successes. We also see the struggles they have, the lack of self-regulation, low competence, and difficult attachment issues. We witness their hopes and their moments of doubts.
Every moment of every day we are reminded of our own shortcomings, and we ask ourself many difficult questions about the past, the present, and even the future. People ask us questions about why we do this at our age. Others ask when are we going to retire. Still others remind us that we are nothing special and how others are doing it better, are younger, better equipped or have better backgrounds for this. We are reminded of our past failures by some and questioned as to how we could be doing this all now at our age?
WHY? Well, the only answer IS "WHY NOT?" You see, none of us will ever be good enough, or equipped enough. But we don't need to be - all we need to do is to be obedient to what we know we have been called to do. All of us can SHOW UP AND STOP FOR THE ONE IN FRONT OF US! Each and eevery oneof us can make a difference, no matter how we have failed in the past, no matter that we don't know everything, or have all the answers.
We can step out! We can show we care! The world is not being kind to children. Around the globe, there are orphans living in bondage of governments and literally passed over. But we can show a different side - we can encourage those serving, we can pray and we can make a difference.
SO FOR US - WE CONTINUE TO WHAT WE CAN DO...
We have just completed a training with 25 caregivers who care and trying hard to make a difference in some very difficult circumstances. Those 25 caregivers represent over 200 children who are both in residential placement and living with families in the area. We just praise God that we can continue to grow the youth in Jeremiah/Dayspring, encourage our partners in different countries by praying, training and consulting. So maybe we become reflective at times - and even have a heavy heart. But we know we have a purpose - we CHOOSE TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO.
And we do THANK YOU - as you make it possible for us to serve and show up!
Just a few pictures from our dear caregivers here in Nicaragua from last week.
