Yesterday we received word that 35 cribs and mattresses along with 10 walkers were delivered to the Chilik orphanage in Kazakhstan!
We will travel to Chilik in a few weeks as part of our mission trip to deliver 200 pounds of medical supplies donated by the MedWish International in Cleveland, Ohio.
Thank you Lord for continuing to bless our ministry and allowing us to support these sweet children!
Last night at 7:30 I started to read "Fields of the Fatherless" by Tom Davis (get it if you don't have it). At 9:30 pm I had completed the book and had a renewed sense of commitment to keep on fighting for the fatherless. The fatherless are orphans yes, but also widows, single moms, the poor, starving, lonely, the sick, anyone waiting to know YOU care.
In his book, Davies quotes Henri Nouwen who said:
"The word compassion is derived from the Latin words pati and cum, which together mean "to suffer with." Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak and with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human."
Simply put, you need to be involved to be compassionate. Watching the news at night and feeling a sense of sadness when you see babies in Africa starving does not equal compassion. We need to act. Action does not require only giving of your money. Step away from the fear associated with putting yourself "out there" and move to change lives!
Try as we may, we can't do it all but each one of us can make a small difference, one act at a time. God will richly bless your life when you start caring for the people He aches for and you will be filled with an infinite amount of joy!
Davis says "I believe when you strip Christianity down to its basics, this is what it means: to feed, to clothe, and treat the fatherless as members of one's own family." I completely agree.
Here is a reminder why we and everyone involved with our organization chooses to ACT:
"I hated my life since the 3rd grade when I was unmercifully beaten. I felt then that life is lost and death is looking for me. And my tears were telling me that life was nothing in comparison with death. I felt like a little cockroach, which (responds in) fear when seen. A bunch of American people came to our school. I thought these people wanted to laugh at us. But I was mistaken. They are people willing to give up the most precious gift a person can process, love. (Their) intentions to share seemed strange as they had their own kids. But these people have such big hearts to give that there is still enough room even for us little cockroaches. Then I began to feel myself not a cockroach anymore that deserved to be killed, but a littlehuman being. It is a wonderful feeling. Believe me." - Russian orphan, from "Fields of the Fatherless"
In just over a month our team will be heading to Taraz, Kazakhstan to replace the beds and mattresses at the Ulan orphanage. We will also be visiting two other orphanages where we will love on the children. Below is a list of items we want to include with the other donations we have received:
- Face paint and brushes
- Stickers
- Construction paper
- Crayons
- Jewelry making kits
- Soccer balls and basketballs (deflated)
- Hand pump to inflate balls
Would you please consider donating one (or more) of these items? Items should be new. If you can't shop for the items a monetary donation can be made via our website and we will shop for you!
We are so thankful to everyone who purchased tickets and donated the items for the raffle.
The grand total raised is $6409.22! All the glory to God!
We are only $1166.22 away from our goal of $27,000. The orphanage director in Ust-Kamenogorsk has requested that we send the money we have raised thus far so construction can begin before the temperatures drop to freezing. We are excited to see the progress being made over the next few weeks/months.
Thank you again for making a difference in the lives of these babies! We are continuously humbled by your generosity and support!
Congratulations to:
1 - Jim Hansen
2 - Karen Kitzman
3 - Karen Floyd
4 - Pam Raspante
5 - Branden Hochstetler
6 - Jacquie Izzo
7 - Karen Floyd
8 - Diane Lanigan
9 - Christine Milani
10 - Kelly Sarandis
11 - Kelly Bhagat
12 - Angie Dickey
13 - Christine Milani
14 - Kim Prud'homme
15 - Alaina Falk
16 - Julie Woods
17 - Jennifer Heckert
18 - Erin Herman
19 - Beth Cohen
20 - Dave Truman
21 - Richard Ybarra
22 - Kelly Bhagat
23 - Gena Lloyd
24 - Ann Hochstetler
25 - Kristan Stuck
26 - Margaret Zumbrun
27 - Lisa Chaney
28 - April Powers
29 - Melissa Clearview
30 - Sarah Way
31 - Rebecca Rossier
32 - Ann Hochstetler
33 - Kelly Bhagat
34 - Kate Carbone
35 - Julia Palazini
36 - Courtney Stone
37 - Kristi Metz
38 - Liz Nelson
All the winners were chosen using a third-party online drawing system and are completely random.
