Two Boys…Two Lives
Our team had a great, full day which is pretty typical of most Visiting Orphans mission trips. We started at our America World Transitional Home. There were many children and many babies and each one of them were wonderful. It warmed our hearts so much to know that our Ethiopia program staff is working diligently to place each child in the arms of their forever family. I wanted to take a moment to highlight one particular child. This child, a boy about seven years old, has been on our Waiting Child List for a number of months. He's smart, well behaved and very artistic and LOVES to laugh! When all the children sang, “This is the Day, this is the day that the Lord has made…” he smiled the most and sang the loudest. You can see a picture of him with my husband, Simon on America World’s Ethiopia Waiting Children’s website. I honestly fought back big tears as I took this picture. I pray you will be touched by the story of this little boy and that it will bless you and your family immensely. There is such a great need for homes for children his age. If you are interested in information about adopting a waiting child, please contact America World Adoption.
It was awesome to visit the home and meet all of our staff. This program has grown so much, and it was wonderful to see and witness. We have sixty nannies on staff and four nurses! It was beautiful to see that every crying child was tended to by our staff. Our Orphan's Ticket Home campaign helps fund some of these needs at the transitional home and we appreciate your generous contributions. This is SUCH a blessing to see!!
After the transition home, we went to play soccer with the street kids and tell them about the love of Christ. We saw two young boys fighting over the glue they were sniffing. Visiting Orphans has chosen to visit the street kids like this on each trip, but this was the first time I met any boys addicted to glue. So, with my friend, Ephraim, who has this ministry with the street boys we began telling him and all the other boys and strangers there about Jesus and all he did on the cross to set us free. We then led him in prayer to receive Christ. We are not sure if it was heartfelt or not, but either way he heard the gospel and so did many others. After we shared with him, we brought him to the Ethiopia Guest house and let him shower, gave him some new clothes, some food and made sure he had plenty to take home with him. We then prayed with him again making sure he understood that Christ was the one who provided for him. We told him that Jesus and our team loved him. Ephraim promised to keep ministering to him and to continue to meet with him and the other street kids he mentors. Please say a prayer for him as he has a big addiction to overcome. Please also pray for both Ephraim and the street boys that God would work mightily in this ministry.
Tomorrow we will visit one of Mother Theresa’s homes and the AHOPE HIV orphanage. It will be an even harder day for the team emotionally as both homes have sick babies and children. We want to leave a lasting hope with them though, so please pray for us.
Thank you,
Amanda Lawrence, Director of Development
**To join our next mission trip to Ethiopia where you can visit and work with the orphans and street kids, please visit www.visitingorphans.org.