TFC Blog: I Can Advocate!

In the fall of 2009, the Lord began to truly open my eyes and break my heart  to the reality that many children in this world are without the most pivotal of needs: LOVE.

God solidified this ache within me to “do something” for the least of these in June, 2010. He allowed me the opportunity and provided for my husband and me to go on a short-term mission trip with our church. We went to Ethiopia to support and serve the ministry of our homegrown missionaries, Joe & Karyn Bridges. The ministry was The Forsaken Children, and the Ethiopian partner ministry we worked with was Onesimus. My life has never been the same since that journey, and I have not been able to ignore the numerous mentions in God’s word regarding our responsibility as believers to love and care for the least of these.

I have not returned to Ethiopia since my two trips in 2010. Although I’ve yearned to go back, [. . .]

  

[ Finish reading my blog post at The Forsaken Children Blog ]

One Less - the least of these

Heard this song for the first time today. The lyrics are beautiful - be sure to listen below. Although Mr. McGoo and I have not been called to adopt (at this time or never, who knows what or when God will lead), we've been led to care for the least of these through giving financially and being fully involved physically with The Forsaken Children (TFC) ministry in Ethiopia. TFC works to care for the least of these in Ethiopia, the street children. Daily the ministry strives to care for the street children and the community around its compound, working to be the hands and feet of Christ while giving them lasting hope.

You see, too often as believers we either ignore the scriptures calling for us to do something, to care, to give, or to share our lives with someone else. Or we believe the lie that the problem is too big and my "help" would not be significant enough to matter so we stand idle. For too often I fell into the latter category - I felt the pull of what God was telling me to do, but felt trapped and insignificant in how to do so. The thing is, God has shown me over the last year and half that my "little" offering is all that He's calling me to... just like when Jesus took the small offering from the little boy of bread and fish to feed the multitude (John 6), He blessed the boys obedience and took the small amount of bread and two fish to make a whole lot! God simply wants our obedience, do our part, answer His calling, and allow Him to turn our little into what He plans.

Bring your small loaves of bread and two fish today to the Lord... whether that means answering the call to adopt one child personally, supporting someone that is on that journey, or by partnering financially (even $5 a month makes a difference) and physically with an organization like The Forsaken Children that are daily working to provide and care for the least of these... bring what you have and let God take it from there!

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

James 1:27 

Covered In Prayer As We Go

One of the things Mr. McGoo and I are most grateful about as we depart for our next journey to Ethiopia tomorrow is the reality that we know we are covered in prayer as we go. Friends, family, Sunday School classmates, coworkers, and beyond are calling on the Lord to do His will throughout our time in Addis Ababa. There is a peace and a comfort that comes with such covering.... being reminded that it's not about us, nor about our power to accomplish anything... such freedom in that, because we know how unequipped we can be. We are so thankful.

Above is the prayer list we've put together and sent out for our time in Ethiopia... listing specific ways we are asking God to move during the next 16-26 days. Thank you for lifting those items up.

While thinking of prayer and how thankful and blessed we are to have such a strong support group around us, lifting us and The Forsaken Children/Onesimus ministry up, I came upon this chapter of John... as I read over these words in scripture... my heart began to smile. I'm so thankful for God's promises and how He is always with us!

Thank you for your prayers!

John 17

 ¹ After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:    “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. ² For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. ³ Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. ⁴ I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. ⁵ And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

    ⁶ “I have revealed you^[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ⁸ For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹ I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. ¹⁰ All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. ¹¹ I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of^[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. ¹² While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by^[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.   ¹³ “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴ I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by^[d] the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
    ²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.   ²⁴ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

   ²⁵ “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I have made you^[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Advent Conspiracy

Worship Fully - Spend Less - Give More - Love All

It's kind of ironic that I'm doing this post just one post after our Carpe Deal'em, Black Friday splurge purchases... however I think the ideas behind "seizing the deal" are right in line with what I'm about to talk about... It's about saving money. It's about getting the same great items for much less costs. I'll get back to that in a bit. It's about spending time with family/friends while doing it and the energetic drive of it all.

Our dear friends, the Dunlap's have had an amazing year of the Lord revealing His will to them in regards to the orphan crisis and our responsibility as believers and followers of Christ to care for the "least of these" in Fall of 2009. This September, in response to their revelation, they were able to bring their little boy, Yohannes home from Ethiopia. For them, caring for the least of these was adopting and now continuing to advocate for those in need... and it doesn't have to look like that for everyone, but we can ALL make a difference and do as Jesus says in Matthew 25, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me". Like me, Mrs. Dunlap and company have not been able to look at the world and the typical American way the same as before their journey began. No longer can we just sit and say "this is the way it is"... instead, God continues to shows us ways we can make His name known and care for the least of these, somewhat taking us out of the "typical way" of doing things lately in the US.

I'll let Mrs. Dunlap say it herself here, because I'm in total agreement:

To be honest, Christmas feels a little different for me this year.  I’m completely over the whole commercialization of the season.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like to decorate, I enjoy riding around with the kids looking at all the lights, spending time with family is great, etc.  I just think (like many things in our culture) that it’s so excessive.  There are people all over the world literally dying every single day, and we’re busy decorating multiple Christmas trees in our warm, cozy houses and running from party to party and store to store to find the “perfect” gift.  It’s estimated that America spends $450 billion every Christmas.  That is some serious money.  Instead of over-indulging or purchasing obligatory gifts, think about how many lives could be changed with that money.  Since Christmas is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, shouldn’t we ask ourselves how He would want us to celebrate?  Several months ago, I ran across the Advent Conspiracy website, and I LOVE the ideas promoted there.  If you haven’t seen this video, check it out:



We’re still buying gifts for our kids and other family members this year, but we’re scaling way back.  We’re also trying to purchase more fair trade gifts & gifts with a purpose.  For example . . . to be able to give a great gift AND help a woman in Ethiopia leave a life of prostitution because she has a real, sustainable, dignified job is AMAZING, and those are the kinds of gifts we want to give this year.  Seeing poverty first-hand in Ethiopia and Haiti this year has changed our perspective a bit lot, and we’re not willing to ignore the reality that exists all over the world anymore.  What about you?  Are you doing anything different this Christmas season?  Do you know of good fair trade companies we can help support?  Tomorrow I’ll be posting about some that I’ve come across recently, so stay tuned!

Seriously take the time to check out the quick video embedded there... should we be okay with that - should we be able to sleep at night that we and our fellow Americans spend $450 BILLION every year often buying things no one needs while people worldwide, even here are hungry, without shelter, dying from diseases that have accessible cures if only the finances were given?! I'm not okay with it.

I went further onto the Advent Conspiracy website and love the concept behind it all: Worship Fully (isn't that what Christmas is REALLY all about anyway - worshiping our God for bringing His Son to us!); Spend Less; Give More; and Love All. Take a quick moment and jump on their site to read about each one - they really have hit it spot on. But for now, I'll share the "Spend Less" concept, as I know some of your are thinking already - what a Grinch, we like giving, shut it... but let me show you this.

[Spend Less]

Before you think we’re getting all Scrooge on you, let us explain what we mean. We like gifts. Our kids really like gifts. But consider this: America spends an average of $450 billion a year every Christmas. How often have you spent money on Christmas presents for no other reason than obligation? How many times have you received a gift out of that same obligation? Thanks, but no thanks, right? We’re asking people to consider buying ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas. Just one.  Sounds insignificant, yet many who have taken this small sacrifice have experienced something nothing less than a miracle: They have been more available to celebrate Christ during the advent season.

How much could be accomplished for others and the kingdom if/when we spend less on Christmas? That's my question for us all today - what can you do?

Now back to how this is in line with Carpe Deal'em and the pursuit of savings. We scaled back this year and have just purchased for some family members. In addition, on some gifts we even purchased items that not only give something just to the person we're giving to, but also for a greater cause. For example, last year I got my mom and mother in law these beautiful necklaces - not only were they given a great accessory for any outfit, but the purchase of this necklace also gives a sustainable job to the women of the Karamojong tribe in Uganda. That's a win/win purchase... and the Dunlap's blog post has some other options for such win/win purchases. In addition, Carpe Deale'm helps ensure we "spend less" - when you get things 50-75% off that leaves addition room in the budget to help the least of these.

So take an extra moment and think of ways you can love on your family and friends, but spend less so you and give more, and/or purchase items that give more than just to the family member or friend... that give to those in need and support a greater cause beyond ourselves. How are you benefiting the kingdom this Christmas and sharing the name of Christ the Lord? With your time? With your finances? I'm challenged by this daily.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

   “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
   their righteousness endures forever.”

 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Purchase with a Purpose.

Something Significant

Quoting Suzanne today in her post "God of Miracles" - what a call to action for the Lord!

Are you going to stay in your comfortable little place and make sure that you and every one else around you is happy and comfortable? We have the rest of our lives to be comfortable...in heaven...FOR ETERNITY. I wanna go outta here all wrinkled, tired, and ragged...LOOKIN like I have lived life to the fullest. At this ONE chance...a very SHORT chance (called life on earth)....DO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT to bring God and God alone glory.

Fully Funded & Ethiopia Updates!

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Dear Ministry Partners -

We are so excited and in awe to express that we are now FULLY FUNDED for our December journey to Ethiopia!!!!! The Lord has SURELY provided and met our needs!!! We give ALL the praise to Him!

THANK YOU for being a part of this journey both in prayer and financial support, and we so look forward to sharing with you more along the way. We could not do this without you! Please continue to keep us, the current staff on the ground, and the street children of Ethiopia in your prayers. Pray for our preparations for the journey and the development of the sports ministry and networking we will do (especially Mr. McGoo) while in Addis Ababa. Pray that God will get all the glory and we will not get in the way!

In addition to testifying to God's awesome provision, we want to also encourage those of you who have been spurred to give to continue to give to The Forsaken Children - the ministry we are going to partner with! The Lord has NOT been shocked by our funding thus far... if He has spurred you to donate this go around, it was not by chance, we pray that you will continue to give to the ministry even if the funds are no longer going directly to our journey. It's all His anyway!

Thank you again for being a part of this journey & we look forward to getting an updated McGugan Mailer to you soon as the trip draws even more near. We depart for Ethiopia December 10th. Mrs. McGoo will head home December 26th (16 days) and Mr. McGoo will follow January 5th (26 days).

Check out another GREAT updated coming from Ethiopia (below) that depicts beautifully what this ministry is all about and all that God is accomplishing along the way!

Family – Ethiopia’s Promise of Hope

October 6, 2010

For years I have been making the statement, “Children are the promise of hope for every generation.” Just today I have been reconsidering that.
As I thought about my own childhood memories and the importance of my family in those, I began to realize that at the core it is the family that is the promise of hope for a generation. It should be the family that rallies around a child, defending, teaching, and loving her so she will be able to do the same for her future family. In this way the healthy family is cyclical, producing children that grow into their own healthy families and so on.

As I thought about my childhood what truly struck me was that I was only as much of a promise of hope as my family was a positive, supportive, and loving influence in my life.

Now I am stuck wondering what this means for the street children of Ethiopia. I suppose I know what it means if nothing changes for these children and the family unit is not restored in Ethiopia. It means a future similar if not worse than the present condition of the country. In the same way as healthy families, broken families are also cyclical for generation after generation.
I believe for Ethiopia’s sake and regardless of reasons to do otherwise, we must start to believe in the Ethiopian family again. We have to consider alternatives to the traditional family unit many of us have known in the West, but nonetheless the family, God’s original intent as the foundation of a society, must be the focus. Rather than pontificate about how the family unit can revive and become the promise of hope for Ethiopia, I will share a few stories of how this is happening one child at a time at The Forsaken Children’s partner project, the Onesimus Children’s Development Association.

Yohannes

Yohannes (left) with friend, Nebiyu

After Yohannes lived a lie for over a year, telling everyone at Onesimus that his family was basically no more, the truth came out. Yohannes’s family was alive and well, living hundreds of miles from Yohannes’s chosen home on the streets of Addis Ababa. As time passed and countless hours of counsel, encouragement, and love were given to this 13-year-old boy, Yohannes’s heart began to change and he accepted Jesus as his Savior. Today, Yohannes is reunited with his mother and father and lives in their home where he was missing for over 4 years.


Metu

	Metu (center) with her Halfway Home sisters and friend, Desse

After her mother died, Metu’s grandmother left her to fend for herself on the streets of Addis Ababa at the age of 6. She lived there for close to 6 years with no one to protect or care for her. Metu learned that she could not trust anyone, much less the adults in her life. This all started to change when she entered the gates of Onesimus’s Drop-In Center. Day after day she challenged the staff who constantly responded with incredible grace and unbroken commitment. The day came when she entered Onesimus’s Halfway Home. Now, at 13, Metu loves and trusts her House Mother, who cares for her and three other girls in a family modeled Halfway Home. She has also grown to know God and to embrace him as her Father.

Ephrem at home

Ephrem
After being taken from his family in rural Ethiopia, Ephrem was forced to work in a sweatshop to make another man rich. Eventually Ephrem ran away from his grueling life only to be stuck on the streets of Addis Ababa. Making the most of his newfound freedom, Ephrem adjusted to a life of sleeping on the streets, scavenging for food, and begging to make a buck. His gang of fellow street children led him to Onesimus’s Drop-In Center one day and his life began to change. Today Ephrem lives with his foster family who loves him as their own.

Yohannes, Metu, and Ephrem’s families are a promise of hope for Ethiopia!

Posted by Joe

So thankful for God's faithfulness and provision through people like YOU!

Partnership Campaign & Door Prizes

So the organization that Mr. McGoo and I are totally involved with and working for this December in Ethiopia, The Forsaken Children, is hosting a Partnership Campaign! Within this campaign, the goal is multi-dimensional: to raise awareness about The Forsaken Children, their mission, and the children in Ethiopia they serve; to make donating a little more fun for people by having door prizes associated with the giving; to gain additional future partners for TFC in the future; and to gain a large number of funds for specific needs of TFC (i.e. covering the increased expense of a larger compound for Onesimus, school fees for the children, helping increase the number of children touched by the ministry, etc).

We invite YOU to be a part of this Partnership Campaign!

For just a $10 donation, should you choose, your name can be entered into a door prize drawing with some great prizes... "A Week of Dinner for 2" - giving you 7 gift cards to some great restaurants; a NOOK Wi-Fi; or even some additional small gift cards. The drawings will happen on Oct. 28, 2010 so you have until the 25th of October to get your donations in - spread the word!

Spread the word - post the link (http://theforsakenchildren.org/partnership-campaign/) on your Facebook page or own blog post and invite your network of friends and family to join in!

With a whole lotta people giving just a little bit... this Partnership Campaign can be a HUGE SUCCESS with YOUR HELP and benefit street children in Ethiopia for a lifetime as we share the lasting hope of Christ!

We invite YOU to be a part of this Partnership Campaign!

Note (because some will ask):
Although the funds going for and through the Partnership Campaign will not go towards my and Mr. McGoo's efforts to raise support for our journey to Ethiopia... we can testify that God is providing already for that trip for us and we are certain He will continue to do so! We want to advocate for this Partnership Campaign, and ask you to give $10 here, $20 there, and spread the word, in order to help TFC continue to reach and minister to the street children of Ethiopia that we have fallen in love with! THANK YOU for your help in doing that!

Some of the children The Forsaken Children minsters to through their partner ministry on the ground of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Onesimus - uniforms provided and donated by The University of Memphis! Go Tigers!

Ethiopia Bound McGoo's

We have FINALLY completed and written our follow up McGugan Mailer after our amazing experience this past June in Ethiopia. In addition... the McGoo's are Ethiopia Bound AGAIN this December!

 

You read that correctly! We are excited to announce that Mr. McGoo has been offered & accepted an internship with The Forsaken Children this fall as Sports Ministry Intern. With this internship, Mr. McGoo will work to design, plan, and implement a sports ministry program on the ground of Addis Ababa that ministers to the street children of Ethiopia and shares the love and hope of Christ through sports! This fall, he will work on the plans and preparation... and we will depart for Ethiopia around December 10th. Mr. McGoo will stay for 3-4 weeks and Mrs. McGoo will join him for the first 2 weeks.

We couldn't be more excited as to how God is opening up additional doors for us to serve Him and the children and staff who have so greatly impacted us while in Ethiopia. We cannot wait to use the talents the Lord has blessed us to with to share His name!

Below you'll find our latest McGugan Mailer... The first page or two wraps up our journey in June, and the remainder of the mailer discusses our upcoming journey and how YOU can continue to be a part of the process.

Thank you for your prayer, support, and encouragement along the way!

Let the support raising begin!

McGugan Mailer - 2010 Volume 4

HELP RAISE $4800 in 48 HOURS!

Dear friends of ours (The Dunlap's) are just a couple of weeks away from bringing on their little boy from Ethiopia! Their journey has been amazing to follow and a pure testimony to God's provision and faithfulness!

This weekend, I invite you to be a part of bringing their 3.5 year old son home! Check out how YOU can make a big difference without giving up much along the way... however, if you feel led to give sacrificially - I know God is surely glorified within that too!

$4800 in 48 HOURS:
Help bring a little boy in Ethiopia home to his forever family for only $10!  Visit www.dunlapadoption.com to donate online!

It's a  FACEBOOK/TWITTER/BLOG-A-THON to raise the money needed to purchase the family's airline tickets to bring their child home, and they could use YOUR help!

Here are the details:
    The goal is $4800 in 48 HOURS!
    Begins TONIGHT at 11:59 and ends at 11:59 PM on Sunday.
    If 480 people each contribute $10 . . . the goal will be met!
    Donations will be run through the Paypal “Donate” button on their blog (top, left-hand side).

    ***Please consider donating $10 or more & help us spread the word exponentially using Facebook, Twitter, blog posts & any other forms of social media you use!  It’s easy – just copy and paste this information:***

And check out their blog: http://www.dunlapadoption.com/

**UPDATES:**
Friday 8/20 @ 9 PM: $800!!!  
Friday 8/20 @ 11PM: $1045!!!
Saturday 8/21 @ 8 AM: $1,220!!!
Saturday 8/21 @ 2 PM: $1,510!!! 
Saturday 8/21 @ 8 PM: $1,720 !!!
Sunday, 8/22 @ 1 PM: $2,535!!!
Sunday, 8/22 @ 9pm: $3,030!!! 

Thanks to everyone that participated! The Dunlap's raised over $3500 in their 48 hr blog/twitter/Facebook-a-thon! Praise God for His provision!!! 

We love you Brad & Katie!!!

What It's All About

In June, Mr. McGoo and I traveled to Ethiopia to be a part of a short term mission trip in Addis Ababa. There we worked under the umbrella of The Forsaken Children and specifically worked most of the week with their Onesimus (formerly Children's Home Ethiopia) project that ministers to the street children of Addis Ababa.

Since our return to the States, we've done our best to share our passion for this ministry and give people a glimpse of what captivated us while there and how they too can help. Regardless of our success or failure with such attempts, what I'm posting today is a PERFECT depiction of what it's all about!!!

Read below and see a story that is so beautifully a telling of the work God is doing through The Forsaken Children and the Onesimus Ministry. This story brings a smile to my face, as Mr. McGoo and I are both very fond of Yohannes and it thrills us that not only does he now know our Lord and Savior, but he is also going back to his family. At the same time this testimony encourages me for the work of this ministry and how blessed I am to be a part of it. BEAUTIFUL what God can do!

The following blog post is from The Forsaken Children's Blog:

Yohannes’s Lie

July 28, 2010

Yohannes at Halfway Home

For over a year Yohannes told the same story… “My mother is dead and my father is a drunkard living on the streets.” Such a story seemed legitimate and familiar, especially coming from a 13 year-old street boy. But one day this all changed when Yohannes slipped up and mentioned his mother, referring to her as if she was living. As Nega, Children’s Home Ethiopia’s Director, prodded the true story of Yohannes’s journey to the streets of Addis Ababa unfolded…

Nega always says a street child’s story is like an onion. Everyday you peel back a layer until you come to the truth. 

Yohannes’s parents are both alive and live in Southwest Ethiopia with his siblings. Due to poverty, boredom, and curiosity, Yohannes jumped on a train to Addis Ababa approximately 4 years ago to check out this grand city of supposed opportunity. Yohannes did find opportunities – not for wealth, education, or good food, but rather for unending freedom to play with friends, get high, watch pornographic and violent films, and many more activities that numbed his soul little by little.

If living on the streets sounds unappealing to you, imagine yourself as a 13 year-old with not restrictions whatsoever – that freedom is what the streets are for many children and that is what many street children love, become addicted to, and struggle to leave behind.

Hunger probably lead Yohannes along with about 13 of his closest friends to start coming to Children’s Home Ethiopia’s Drop-In Center in 2009. As his belly was filled, his eyes and ears started to open and see what he was missing on his beloved streets – the love and protection of caring adults, of a family. Nega, Bisrat, Nesegnet, Ribika, and Fitela taught him, fed him, clothed him, listened to him, and even cared for him when he was near death due to illness.

Yohannes’s deadened heart began to feel again. when he went to the streets each evening the rush of street life began to pale in comparison to the rush of being unconditionally loved.

The time came when Yohannes had a choice to leave the streets and enter Children’s Home Ethiopia’s Halfway Home. He chose the Halfway Home. Alemayu and Abazu, House Parents, dedicated themselves to Yohannes; sharing their lives, love for Jesus, church family, and home with him. Could he trust this love? Almost as a test and probably due to an ache for the freedom of the streets, Yohannes ran away from home.

The intensity of parental love is often hard for a former street child to fully embrace, not knowing if he or she can truly trust that the love is genuine, unconditional, or that it will last.

	Yohannes with his Halfway Home brothers and sister

Gone for close to a week, Yohannes came back to the Drop-In Center after Nega found him on the streets. He reluctantly went back to the Halfway Home. A week passed, then a month, then several months, and in August Yohannes will have been in the Halfway Home for a year.

In June Yohannes became my spiritual brother when he accepted Jesus as his Savior.

Yohannes’s progression from coming to the Drop-In Center to find food, to starting to trust the love of the staff, to moving into a home, to becoming a child of God paints such a vivid picture of why The Forsaken Children exists. The street children of Ethiopia are unreached, unable to understand the love of God the Father, often due to their own disconnect from their own father and family. Leading such children to Christ often requires reconnecting them with what their hears long for, the unconditional love of parents. Given this love, children, like Yohannes are coming into a true and intimate relationship with our almighty God.

Yohannes will be reintegrated into his family in Southwest Ethiopia on August 4, 2010 – NEXT WEEK! We are thrilled that Yohannes’s parents became believers since Yohannes’s disappearance from home. Both Yohannes and his parents are excited to be reunited.

Posted by Joe

Guest Post: The Children in the Alley

A dear friend of mine traveled to Haiti a week or so before Mr. McGoo and I departed for Ethiopia. This friend is one of the people God used to lead me on my journey of awareness regarding the Orphan Crisis in the world, and thus my calling to care for the least of these. She shares my passion for such things and it has been awesome to hear her stories regarding her time in Haiti, how the Lord used her, and how God is going to continue to use her along the way.

Today she posted one of her testimonies to God's goodness and compassion on the least of these. I believe it speaks some great truths and wanted to share. Thank you Tabitha for your love for our Savior and the things He too is passionate about!

I knew there would be orphans living behind the school.  I was prepared to see their copper hair and distended bellies; a picture of the worms they had and the hunger they felt.  I knew that their saddened eyes would rip my heart, and that it would hurt every day to leave them right where they were – in the alley.  

I will never forget the day I sat at Starbucks looking at a slideshow of the school in Lamenta.  Lamenta was a small community near the epicenter of the earthquake in Port Au Prince, Haiti.  I watched picture after picture of the devastation that occurred on January 12th 2010.   As Don, one of our team leaders and engineer by trade explained the construction work needed to make the school safe again, I was distracted by the faces of the children I saw in the pictures.  Who were they?  Don told me of 2 small children that lived with their widowed mother in the rubble behind the school.  Since the earthquake, their home had become a 2 foot alley filled with trash and broken concrete.  He told me of another sweet angel that lost both parents in the earthquake and spent her days strapped to a chair due to mental retardation and cerebral palsy.  I tried to stay focused as Don talked about the construction and the painting but honestly all I could think of was how I was going to get in that alley.   

Walking into the compound of the school was eye opening.  The children were all sitting under tarps in the blazing hot sun.  The teachers were dripping with sweat and trying hard to keep the children focused as the “blancs” unloaded their supplies.  Their sweet giggles made me smile and it was hard to not just sit and watch them all day.  I remember thinking that these were the lucky ones.  They either had parents or a sponsor from the states to make sure they received an education and learned about the good news of Jesus Christ.  I tried to imagine what my kindergarten classroom was like; full of color and imagination, cool and quiet.  As I walked through the halls of the dimly lit, open aired school I tried to picture what it would look like with bright cheerful colors on the walls.  And then I saw it – the chalkboard. 

This school in Lamenta was also where the community gathered to worship the Lord.  There had been church and a bible lesson for the children just hours before the earthquake ripped through Port Au Prince.  The chalkboard was cracked and broken, but the lesson was still on the board.  It read “Dieu Aime les enfants” and the date read January 12th 2010.  The Creole translation is “God loves all Children”.  At that moment, 2 things were on my mind.  First, I did not want to repair the broken chalkboard.  It was beautiful; the message of love still visible through the cracks of the broken wall.  I was also reminded of how broken I am as a person and how it is hard to be transparent and show your flaws, but that’s when the Lord’s redeeming love speaks the loudest.  It speaks through the cracks.   My second thought was: how do I get to that alley? 

As I made my way around the back wall of the school, I found the alley.  It was 2 foot wide and shaded by leaning trees.  I crouched down to make my way over to the kids hoping not to startle them.  There were two small children seated quietly on little chairs.  They were playing with stones from the alley and occasionally they looked up at me inquisitively.  As I studied their faces, I thought of what it would take to get them on the other side of the school wall.  A few feet beside the toddlers, a young girl sat in a ruffled dress.  She was strapped to a tall wooden chair, most likely for her own safety.  She appeared to be partially blind, but as I spoke softly to her, she smiled and rocked back and forth. 

The physical therapist in me wanted to evaluate the chair that this sweet girl was confined to, but the rest of me wanted to just sit and play with her.  I wanted to tell her she was beautiful and that God loves all his children.  I wanted to whisper that things will not always be this way for her; that one day all this will fade away and that she will have a strong body.   Sarah Jane and I sat and talked in the alley for quite a while.  I dreamed of what it would look like to get her in a wheelchair.  If not a chair, at least a cushion seat for pressure relief would be nice.  As we loved on these children, two others walked up and sat beside us.   Of the 5 children, none had shoes and most did not have underwear so we made mental notes of what we could bring them the next day. 
Since I have been home, I have struggled with the images of those children in my head.   The little girl with special needs is not alone, even in that dark and dirty alley.  The widow that I met that day is caring for her the best that she can.  It is my desperate prayer that I can get her in a wheelchair.  Please join me in praying for this.  I have contacted Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in hopes of getting a wheelchair donated and things are looking hopeful!  Sarah Jane is making her third trip to Port Au Prince next month and will be able to visit these children again.  I am encouraged that I will be able to update you with a picture of her in her new wheelchair!!! 

It is hard to leave a short term mission trip and not feel responsible for the hurts of the world, and I have reminded myself frequently that I am only responsible for the “ONE”.  The one that God puts in front of me is the one I can help.  This verse has helped comfort my heart when I think of all the children I saw – it helps remind me that “Dieu Aime les enfants”.  I hope it encourages you too.   “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. “  “God sets the lonely in families”       Psalm 68:5-6

The Question

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it."

"Well, why don't you ask Him?"

"Because I'm afraid that He would ask me the same question!"

- Anonymous

 www.theforsakenchildren.org

Thanks Karyn for posting this quote on FB! Had to share on my blog too!
GREAT quote and a very compelling challenge!

Things I Love & Truly Miss About Ethiopia

Mr. McGoo has already posted his own list about Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after following suite with the Bridges' blog post a month or so ago. If you haven't checked out both of those blog posts, stop and enjoy... the Bridges' post comes after they spent over a full year living in Addis Ababa and Mr. McGoo's was posted soon after our arrival home Sunday evening (6/20).

I'll do my own little reflection today regarding THE THINGS I LOVE AND TRULY MISS ABOUT ETHIOPIA. These are in NO certain order, simply a stream of consciousness really. Also please forgive me for any generalities I've made that might not work for everything, as we only spent a week in Addis Ababa... this is in reference to what I learned, saw, and understood along the way.

THE THINGS I LOVE AND TRULY MISS ABOUT ETHIOPIA

- Unhindered Affection: If you care for someone, appreciate someone, and/or love someone - you show it in Ethiopia. Men holding hands/women holding hands as they walk down the street together means nothing more than, "I appreciate you and love you, dear friend". I think we call could use a little more of that in our lives - a friend giving an encouraging hug, a quick grab/massage of the shoulders, a touch here or there on the arm... males not worrying about being macho enough, rather showing they truly care and not being afraid of that. I loved it. I truly felt a difference on Saturday, our last day in Ethiopia when we didn't visit the children but rather prepared for our departure home - I felt something missing a bit - my affection meter had been raised and gotten used to so much more affection, and on Saturday it was going back to the "American, here's my bubble, stay out of it way". I physically felt a difference that day and wished for the unhindered affection to continue. It's contagious and I think healthy!

- Tight Hugs, Wet Kisses, Cuddles, and Beautiful Smiles - ugh, how I miss them. The children! They gave such wonderful tight hugs, wet kisses, cuddles, and the most beautiful smiles. Daily I had multiple children sitting on top of me - I loved it! I prayed that they could feel the love of Jesus pouring out of me! That any love and affection I could give was only because of Him! I wanted them to feel they mattered and were cared for, even if it meant from a white women thousands of miles and many many hours away. And that even more than I could ever love and care for them, we have a Creator and Savior that loves them beyond measure! I have been aching for those tight hugs, wet kisses, cuddles, and beautiful smiles this week. I want to look into their faces, each one, and remind them again that they have a Hope and a Future! I'm so thankful for the work of The Forsaken Children and all the staff in Ethiopia working hard to proclaim that fact to the children daily. I ache for eight hands to be all within my hair, pulling and tugging, touching and braiding, for the smiles on their faces as they leaned down to make sure I was okay. Contagious. I want more!

- Food (berbere spice/seasoning) - Most everything cooked in Ethiopia is made with a spice or seasoning called berbere. It has a kick to it but I sure like it. I almost brought some home, but I so rarely use spices I knew it would sit in our "pantry" for the most part. However, I might have to borrow some from a few Team Ethiopia members in the near future. I really enjoyed the food in Addis Ababa... especially the process of eating with your hands. You see, most everything is served on a bed of injara - think a pancake like substance. You pull pieces of the injara off an use that to pick up the food, bit by bit, piece by piece, using that almost as your utensil. I loved it. I think there's something more personal and intimate about eating with your hands. I miss it.

- Perspective - it's hard not to have perspective when you're not surrounded/attacked by the "American Dream" in direction. When you see a child or person in general curled up in the median of a large street sleeping - hard not to have perspective about what matters. When you see children wearing shoes three sizes too small because that's all they have - it puts things in perspective. When you see "home" after "home" and shelter after shelter made of the scraps we'd throw away in America - it puts things in perspective. What's important in life? What matters? Addis Ababa, Ethiopia helped me obtain and gain perspective.

- The Laughter - Whether it was the children's or Nega's - I miss the laughter in Ethiopia. I told Nega, Onesimus formerly known as CHE, Director on more than one occasion that I wish I had recorded his laughter to take it back home. If I was having a bad day, all I would need is to replay the recording of Nega's laugh and it would be impossible to go without a smile. In the same way that Nega's laughter is something I miss from Ethiopia, all the childrens' laughter is too! I love the fact that this project, this Drop-In Center allows for a safe place for the children to come and be CHILDREN... to laugh and play. To be fed, loved, attended to!

- Coca-Cola Ethiopian Style and Shai - glass Coca-Cola bottles with Amharic writing on the other side...Mmm Mmmm Good! Different than Coke here at home... the sweetness is different and delicious. I surely enjoyed my fair share of Coca-Cola's while in Addis Ababa. Yum! Oh and the Shai - hot, delicious tea.

- "Nega Says" - So take the game, Simon Says, and throw the director's name in there instead... bam! You've got a brand new game that the kids were CRAZY about... NEGA SAYS! It was hilarious and so much fun. The smiles on the childrens' faces as they played! The laughs and yells as people messed up and were pulled out of play. The laughter of the staff members as they got tickled by the entire event also. Oh, and the joy of watching the LEADER of Nega Says, whether that was me one time, Mr. McGoo most of the time, or Joe trying a time or two! Hilariously fun!

- Feeding One Another - I've already hinted that I'm missing the food in Ethiopia... however an even greater or another part of that is the cultural process of "feeding one another". We were told this was a sign of respect, admiration, and caring. Nega told Mr. McGoo that feeding someone once, wouldn't do - but feeding them twice, the bond would never be broken. I had the pleasure of watching Nega feed Mr. McGoo twice during our dinner with the staff and it practically brought tears to my eyes. Those two husky football lovers quickly learned to care for one another. The most intimate time I remember in this "feeding each other" process for me happened at the boys halfway home. During a coffee ceremony one of the boys sat next to me in a chair, practically in my lap. For some reason during coffee ceremonies, we were always served popcorn (will have to figure out the cultural reason, if there is one, for this later)... I saw my little friend beside me eyeing the popcorn, so I grabbed a handful and fed him - he reciprocated. There, for the next 45min to hour, we fed one another popcorn. Ahhh, my heart melts thinking of it again and seeing his gorgeous face. I miss that.

- Through the Eye of the Camera Lens - As team photographer/blogger for the week, I rarely was without the camera around my neck. There is something about watching the children, staff, and people in general on the streets through the lens of my camera... catching small moments I never want to forget... holding a watchful eye to that moment you know the team would want to share. I'm not sure I accomplished my photography task very well - I go with the "take enough photos and surely you'll get a few good keeper shots" approach, however I truly enjoyed the process of viewing it all through the eye of the camera lens.

- Weather - Uhhh, coming back to Memphis was a HOT surprise! Addis Ababa's temps were impeccable during our Ethiopia adventure. Most days pants were the dressing of choice and need, as well as once the rain came a light jacket would do. I would gladly take the mountainous weather of Addis Ababa right now!

- Feeling Right In the Middle - And lastly, but certainly not least... I miss feeling right in the middle of where God wants me to be like I did while in Addis Ababa. God so surely orchestrated and called Mr. McGoo and me to this trip and it felt so good to be right in the middle of it all. Beyond that, the work that The Forsaken Children is doing with Onesimus and its other projects such as Kota Ganate and such is surely doing the work of the Lord. So cool to be a part of that! I know there are ways to be right in the middle of it while at home, and Mr. McGoo and I are looking forward to continuing to figure out how to live that out daily!

Ethiopia - The Forsaken Children

While in Ethiopia next month on our short term mission trip, Mr. McGoo and I will be working with The Forsaken Children Organization, which works to give hope to the street children of Addis Ababa.

TFC (The Forsaken Children) just recently posted a new blog post on their site - I believe this post gives such a clear depiction of the vision and mission they have for the children and community they minister to! Check out the post HERE and learn a bit more about this awesome organization, and then view this quick video HERE about their specific agriculture project, Kota Ganate that is making a difference in a big way.

Both of these things, the blog post and the video will give you a better glimpse of why we're going to be a part of this organization. God is moving through TFC and we're excited to be a very small part of that ministry. I cannot wait to share with you about their mission more personally as we go to be the hands and feet of Christ in June.

Interrupted

The Lord is showing me that we have a choice... we have a choice to live by the Spirit and testify to the Gospel in word and deed, or we have a choice to settle in, be comfortable and look like the culture around us. Too often, I fall into the latter category - how am I any different? But the Lord is reminding me of a new way - an uncomfortable yet so much more rewarding way - the way of Matthew 25:31-45. It's time for a new generation of believers to really "get it" and begin living out our faith in tangible ways.... not because we are saved by such deeds, but because by our faith we have been called to action (James 2:14-26).

I want my life to be Interrupted, interrupted by a calling to step out of the American Dream and start caring for others more than myself. To be different for the cause of Christ because Christ gave it all for me! I have a feeling the Lord is preparing me for just that as Mr. McGoo and I raise support, prepare, and look forward to our mission trip to Ethiopia with great expectation. We are being blown away by the provision of our Father! We knew he would provide through ministry partners, yet He continues to blow our expectations out of the water! Check out our fundraising thermometer to the right!!! What a testimony to our God and how BIG HE IS! God is good and we're so encouraged by the prayers and financial support we've already received. The Lord is truly building a ministry partnership for us and we are so thankful for those who are joining "Team Ethiopia". God is definitely showing up and showing off!

To testify of some folks that are definitely GETTING IT and being spurred on by the Spirit, I have provided an amazing blog post below. Sarah is a friend of a friend who has just returned from a 10 day medical mission trip to Haiti. Her boldness and vulnerability below encourages me and yet challenges me. If you click the title of her blog post, it will link you to her blog. Check out this incredible reflection. Praise God for those walking the walk and talking the talk!

Dear All, Reflections from Haiti 2010

I’ve had a very difficult time talking about Haiti since I returned. I don’t know how to answer questions...especially the vague ones like “How was your trip?”. I just don’t even know where to start. It was so big and powerful. It was so heart wrenching and life changing. It was too significant to respond to that question with a one-word answer like “good” or “great”. I just can’t sell it short like that. From the moment I sat down in my seat on the flight back to the states from Port au Prince I wept. I didn’t cry...I wept. I wanted to stay. There was just so much left to do, so much left undone. I love Haiti. I love Haiti’s people. I love Haiti’s desire to rebuild. I want to help Haiti rebuild. Ten days was just not enough. But for now, ten days is what I have. I walked away with the best ten days that I have lived in a long time. I walked away with the best ten days that I have loved in a long time. I learned to love in Haiti, a real love like Christ offers, an unconditional, radical, crazy love. So what am I bringing back from Haiti? A sense of freedom. Freedom from the American dream. Wreckage of the disgusting idea I used to have of what success looks like. Abandonment of the desire for wealth and the idea that material things will fix us or fulfill us. I could go on and on, but I will keep this relatively short. I want to paint you a picture of Haiti even though I can't possibly accurately explain it to you. The images I have witnessed were painful, reassuring, and uplifting all at the same time. The heartbreak I saw was widespread across an entire country. If I could make you feel the touch of an orphans hands on my face, an innocent child whose parents are somewhere below the rubble of a building, I would do it. I want to show you picture after picture of a country destroyed, 300,000 homes flattened, the small amount of industry they did have in piles of concrete along every street but yet an incredible nation of people who still long for rebirth and renewal. Since I’ve been home I’ve thought so many times of my Haitian friend who lost his family in the earthquake. After escaping a collapsed building he ran home to find his house in crumbles. There among the rubble was the tips of his brother’s fingers. He dug up his brother’s and sister’s cold bodies from the mess that was once his home and right now he is ministering to his people. Feeding them, clothing them, and blessing them. The rug has been pulled from under the nation of Haiti. Every meaningful monument and symbol of hope has collapsed alongside 200,000 Haitian lives. I can't help you smell the bodies of those buried beneath The Cathedral in Port au Prince as they were praying to God, but I can provide the imagery to help you understand the urgency. I can't help you understand disasters, nor can I say that I understand them. All I know is that when disasters like Haiti occur it's an opportunity to wake up and serve, a chance to be the hands and feet of Christ today. We are asked to make disciples of nations. We are asked to serve in the land that we are given. We are asked to give up control. Control of our hands, our money, our time, and our future plans. Why are we so hesitant to do this? Maybe because there is something to be said for “having it together” in America. Well, Haiti has taught me to break free from these expectations. I don't want my plans. I want God’s plans. How can we be okay with self indulgence when there are infants being left in dumpsters to die? How can we be okay with living for self when there is over a million people sleeping in tent cities without food and water? Isn’t time to take care of each other and love each other like Christ has loved? After leaving Haiti, I have returned with ten days of memories, amazing friendships, and millions of reasons why it makes so much sense to live a crazy radical life of love like my Savior, Jesus Christ.

God Bless.
SarahJane

In Awe: Story #1

Prior to turning in our short term mission trip application for Ethiopia, I knew in my heart that the Lord was going to provide for our trip. I knew He had legitimately put the calling on my heart to care for the "least of these" (Matthew 25:31-46) and was beginning to work in my hubby's heart in a big way also... that God had said GO this summer... and later I knew that Ethiopia was the trip I was supposed to be on... and that He'd show my hubby if he should go or wait until the next time... I KNEW... but still, the past few days I find myself in AWE of our God. No other way to describe it... I am in AWE of His MAJESTY...

Let me give you some cool testimonies of the work our Father has been doing over the last several weeks...

Story#1 -
Mr. McGoo and I had talked about looking into going on a mission trip together this summer prior to Central Church putting out their short term mission (STM) trip options. We have never been on one before together - I have never been on one outside of the country and Mr. McGoo has never been period. Before Central posted their scheduled trips, the Lord began to work on me regarding orphans, widows, and our duty as believers. I began to know that whatever trip I wanted to attend, it would be working with children and orphans in some shape or form. And then the STM listings came out - - - Guatemala or Ethiopia were the choices. After some prayer and time, the calling for Ethiopia began to become more evident... from reading the book my hubby had gotten me for Christmas, When God Stood Up: A Christian Response to AIDS in Africa to having a heart for Africa for years to writing blog posts like the ones here and here... Ethiopia was the trip.

Then Mr. McGoo became aware of some Study Abroad opportunities for his schooling - the trips would be very productive, very interesting, and would help to excel his graduation date - - - although Mr. McGoo still had an interest in the STM trip, we decided it best for us in the long run to pursue separate trips - me to Ethiopia, he to study abroad. I began praying that God would open up and close doors as He saw fit and desired. I prayed that a particular study abroad trip would succeed because it was exactly what Mr. McGoo would love to do. I prayed!

Days before the STM applications were due, Mr. McGoo got word that his most desired trip was canceled due to little pursuit by other students... and later that day he also received another call that the second study abroad opportunity had filled to its limit and Mr. McGoo could not be admitted. The professor of the full study abroad program stated that Mr. McGoo's application was the strongest of all, but due to him also pursing the other study abroad trip, they had to admit other students that first inquired about theirs... Uhhhh... sign?

We took it as the Lord working and closing doors as He saw fit... so Mr. McGoo applied for the STM trip to Ethiopia with his Mrs. --- praying that God would provide.




Story #2 coming on the next post. Here is some fun fast facts about Ethiopia, as well as a small geography lesson below.

Fast Facts about Ethiopia from NationalGeographic.Com

Population: 77,431,000

Capital: Addis Ababa; 2,723,000

Area: 1,133,380 square kilometers (437,600 square miles)

Language: Amharic, Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic

Religion: Muslim, Ethiopian Orthodox, animist

Currency: Birr

Life Expectancy: 42

GDP per Capita: U.S. $700

Literacy Percent: 43

Raising Support

You might be wondering what this meter or fund raising looking thermometer is for that you see in this post and even more specifically on the right of my blog page. This thermometer is something that you will see on my blog until June, when my hubby and I travel to Ethiopia for missions. It will track our raised support progress over the next several months.

We are joining a team from our church, Central Church, to serve an organization in Ethiopia called The Forsaken Children. In order to make this trip possible, Mr. McGoo and I are on the hunt and praying for over $6000 of support to be raised by our trip dates: June 12-19.

The cost of the trip alone amounts to $6,000 for the two of us ($3000 each) and then there are costs associated with multiple vaccinations needed prior to departure, updating our passports, and possibly buying items for the children we will be serving if the monies are available.

Support letters are going out this week via snail mail and email.

In addition, we have created a Facebook Group. If you're interested in joining the group or sharing it with others, search for "Ethopia Bound McGoo's" and request an invitation to join. We will post updates on our financial needs and successes, as well as how the team is preparing for our journey.

We are looking for folks to become ministry partners with us... folks that want to join our team... although we are the ones going, we need folks on the team that will send us there by either financially or prayerfully supporting us.

Mr. McGoo equated it to a NASCAR racing team (I know, surprising he even thought about NASCAR, UFrank must be wearing off on him)... although there is a driver on the track, who often gets the recognition for his/her accomplishments, the reality is an entire team stands behind that driver. An entire team makes the race/the mission possible. Without the team, the driver would not succeed. Likewise, although we are the ones GOING to Ethiopia to serve the street children of Addis Ababa, we need an entire team of folks behind us. Will you become part of that team?

We're so excited to see what the Lord does through this entire experience! Info on how to support will be in the support letters going out, as well as on the Facebook group page. Donations are tax exempt.

Questions? Email us on this topic at EthopiaBoundMcGoo@gmail.com

Show Love

Today I'm wearing my SHOW LOVE Tshirt (example to your left). The shirt not only shares the message of the orphan crisis in the world and our call to action as believers, but it also supports the Dunlap Adoption fund. I love it! They are quality shirts and I am honored to be in possession of one. If you want one too (you have two to choose from, my hubby got the lighter grey one), check out the Dunlap Adoption blog and order yours today! Each shirt supports the Dunlap families' pursuit of adopting a boy (or siblings) from Ethiopia... giving a child or two a FOREVER HOME and sharing the love of Christ with them.

In other news, today has been a good day... in addition to my hubby's amazing surprise and MUCH NEEDED, by the way, he came and got me for lunch today. I always love seeing my man midday. It puts an extra smile on my face, especially for the afternoon hours of work. We enjoyed the Memphis Pizza Cafe and had some great "what does the summer hold for the McGoo's" kind of discussion.

The plan tonight is to work on staying stress free... maybe complete the priming of the guest bedroom, eat some Turkey Tostadas (a new recipe I'm going to try), and reading a bit about the Respiratory System in my A&P2 book. We'll see how it all unfolds.


Oh, and such powerful truth is spoken in this blog regarding orphans and our call as believers... wow! This family is doing a WORK for the Lord and for the least of these. They are an encouragement, an inspiration, and are speaking truth with a challenge! Check it out!