What Can I Do?

I finished reading "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns about a week and a half ago. If you haven't read it yet, I would strongly encourage you to grab it and read it. He is the president of World Vision. If you have been reading my blog for a little while, you may have noticed that I put some new buttons along my sidebar. I have been feeling convicted about doing more for the orphans in this world. And one small way I can do something is by sponsoring a child. It is really amazing how for so little you can help feed, educate, and clothe a child. And they are going to church and learning about a Savior who loves them wildly. We sponsor two children through Compassion International. For $39 a month, you can help do all the above for a child. In return, you get letters from these amazing children. And it brings tears to my eyes when I read they are praying for me. Praying for me. These children who have to walk every day to bring water to their families, who may eat the same thing every day, who live with the threat of disease, who may sleep on the floor. They pray for me. But no matter how wealthy we are here in America, and we are wealthy here (according to Stearns book, if you make over $25,000 a year, you are wealthier then over 95% of the world, and if you make over $50,000 you are wealthier than 99% of the world), we all still need the same Savior. We all still have the same need. We all still need forgiveness, grace, mercy. I can't tell you the joy and excitement I feel when I see we have received another letter in the mail.
We also sponsor a young lady through Amazima. If you have time, you really need to click on that button and head over to the website. Click on Katie's story, and you will read how this amazing ministry got started by a young 18 or 19 year old girl. This ministry is based out of Uganda, Africa. This country holds a special place in my heart because my sister went there with Compassion International and our church has hosted the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda as well. Katie has a book coming out the beginning of October telling her story, and I can't wait to read it.
We would like to sponsor one more child, and I believe we will probably do it through World Vision. We would like to have a sponsored child for each of our own biological children. But we look at our sponsored children as part of our own family. We pray for them everyday. And see their pictures every time we open our fridge.
As the Church, part of our responsibility is to the orphans and widows of the world. I would challenge you to look at ways that you could possibly encourage an orphan, perhaps by sponsoring, or even through adoption. It will be a decision you won't regret, if done to bring honor and glory to God. Please check out the sites on my sidebar, and even if you can't sponsor a child, you can give money to those areas in Africa right now being hit hard by the famine.