Yesterday was an absolutely crazy day! I guess I should back up a bit to say it started at 9:30pm on Tuesday night when I got a call from a friend telling me that there were 300 Haitian orphans arriving the next day and they were looking for families to host them. I quickly got on the phone, sent out emails and prayed...before I went to bed I had $5000 pledged by a church, and 14 host families all in about a 2 hour span.
The next morning, my phone began ringing around 6:30 am and rang non-stop until 8pm last night. I also received about 100 emails, all wanting to help, to host or to adopt the 300 orphans arriving from Haiti. After a grueling day of fielding phone calls and emails, it came to light that the children were not coming right away as expected and that the details were not quite as we had been informed. However, it was wonderful to be a part of the response that people had. People from all over the United States were calling and emailing - it was touching to hear people's heart through their voice messages and emails......so many people wanted to help.
One thing I pointed out to Michele (our executive director) is that while the Haiti crisis is huge, there is an orphan crisis EVERY DAY. When there are over 145 million orphans needing care and families it is a crisis. Unfortunately, the response there is less than stellar...........I talk to so many people that call about hosting the Ukrainian children that are willing to host but when the full details are shared, they are not willing to do anything that truly costs them.
For some, the financial aspect of adoption is a deal breaker while for others it is the investment of their time, their emotions or their comfort that keeps them from being willing to give a child the future they deserve. I wish that people would truly grasp what Jesus was saying when he shared that the two greatest commands were to love God with all you heart, your soul and your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. If people were truly able to wrap their minds around that then there would be no obstacle to adopt.
While the response to the Haitian orphans was wonderful and real, I wonder how many would have committed to being willing to adopt if they knew it would cost them...........their money, their time, their emotions, their comfort........I would like to think all would still want to, but past experience has taught me that there are few who are truly willing to pay the price.
My prayer is that the crisis in Haiti will continue to touch hearts, and that the global attention on the Haitian orphans will shed light on orphans all over the world and their need for love and care. I pray for families to find the courage to adopt, to trust in God's provision for their finances and to see the orphan through God's eyes.
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my thoughts exactly. i was going to do a blog post about the same thing. it was great to see so many people stepping up and willing to love these children but it seems like many will help when the need is dropped in front of them packaged in a face of a sweet baby but few will actually GO for orphan. my heart breaks, too, for lonely orphans around the world that the world doesn't seek out. does it really take an earthquake for the plight and cry of the orphan to be heard? sadly, i guess it does b/c they've been crying all along and there hasn't exactly been long lines of families begging to care for them. i felt so much hope yesterday seeing so many families saying yes to the orphan but sad at the same time. so sad.
ReplyDeleteI talked to my husband about these very same things last night. He called our response yesterday a "no brainer" and yet adopting until this point has been anything but. Yesterday, in our Bible study with the kids, we studied the passage in Matthew about the two greatest commandments. It was very powerful in the light of what was going on and the anticipation of possibly hosting a Haitian orphan. I had also finished reading Crazy Love the night before, and honestly I was completely stoked by the thought of everything that might happen. I'm beginning to ramble, but YES we are continuing to pray and seek God's face regarding adoption, and I hope that yesterday's events will compel many Christian families to pursue adoption!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your continued ministry and encouragement!
Grace and Peace,
Angel