Let the little children come… a One Orphan team member reflection

Please enjoy this sweet word of testimony from recent One Orphan Ethiopia team member Abby Kensey.

I had the privilege to travel to Ethiopia from September 22nd to October 1st, 2017. 

I went into my trip with a line from the song, With Every Act of Love by Jason Gray on my mind and heart.

That line says, God put a million doors in this world for His love to walk through, one of those doors is you.  

I also carred the scripture where Jesus commands, Let the little children come to me… The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like them. Matthew 19:14

While I knew there would be a language barrier, and I was going to experience things I couldn't imagine no matter the preparation I attempted, my prayer was that God would allow his Spirit to flow right out of me into the kids I got to hold close. 

While some of what we saw was very difficult, and has caused me to feel like a part of my spirit is still wrapped around one particular infant, other parts were not as weighty.  In the majority of the orphanages we visited the children and their nannies had wonderful relationships and loved each other very much. Our team was supported by friends and family members who donated hundreds of pounds of tangible gifts to show love in a way that doesn't need spoken. Every place we were in allowed us to get right into their everyday lives and physically love on the children the way we desired. We sang, rocked, made beaded bracelets, blew bubbles, and took selfies. Let me tell you, there is no communication barrier when it comes to those little ones understanding cell phone cameras!

Since returning home I am definitely feeling an emotional struggle to process everything and to know what's next. God has given me the word HOPE. I'm especially drawn to Romans 5:5, This hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us.  While I don't understand all I saw, God does and I can rest in the hope that He loves every orphan I encountered and His perfect plan will not end in disappointment on the other side of eternity..

So where might that leave you, the one reading? What can you possibly do? Pray. Pray about where you might fit in the hope for Ethiopia. America World continually sends teams to Ethiopia and they need prayer warriors before, during, and after their trips. The orphans need prayer for their needs to be met while adoptions are currently halted. Pray about how you might be able to give. Not only do our mission teams require financial support, but America World supports families in Ethiopia to help them avoid having to put their children into orphanages, however, their ability to support families is currently decreasing without outside support. And we need to pray for God to change the hearts of those in Ethiopian leadership who can make the decisions about allowing children to leave the country to their forever families.

I pray that you will finish reading this and be encouraged to know that God is working through the America World teams who continue to go as the hands and feet of Jesus because of so many of you. I personally would like to close by saying thank you.

Learn more about supporting efforts in Ethiopia here.