Monday, March 8, 2010

Orphans & Missions

Compassion Bloggers: Kenya 2010

There is a group of Bloggers in Kenya this week.  Compassion brought them there, to meet their sponsored children.  To blog about their experiences. 

Compassion says this about the trip. 

“On March 4th our group of bloggers will begin an adventure in Kenya that will take them to the Maasai tribe, through the largest slum in the world and into the homes and hearts of Compassion children. Come here daily to make this journey with them through their words, pictures and videos.”

One of the bloggers I have been ng for a long time, MckMama is there.  Visit her blog to read more here.

It’s really touched me to read the blogs and view the photos & the videos.

I feel like my heart is being ripped up for orphans.  Again.

I am preparing to go on my first ever mission trip (you know the official travel somewhere kind). 

My 2 sons are getting ready for their first trips too.

I confess my heart has not been ready.  I think God is making it ready.  Reading these bloggers experiences in Kenya has touched me. It has helped me to pray.

My trip is going to be a US trip.  Zach and I are going with a group of high school kids & parents to Arizona & New Mexico.  We will be doing some work on a Navajo reservation & a Bible School with some children there. 

We will also be doing some sight seeing along the way.

I’ve volunteered to be the official photog for the trip! 

James & his grandpa are going with the senior class from our church to Mexico.  I am not sure what all their trip holds for them.  I know he has volunteered to be the official photog for their trip too! 

MckMama wrote this before she arrived in Kenya….

“I've been praying for God to soften my heart and make it ready to be ripped open for Him in Kenya. I am aware that He will probably do just that, although I have no idea what I'm truly about to experience. What will God teach us? What passions will rise up in us? What will we see? Who will we meet?”

I am convicted about my own heart as I prepare for my trip to New Mexico.  My own heart laments its missing out on the beach vacation I’ve grown accustomed to.  My own heart can be quite selfish.

So can my children’s.

We finally decided tonight, after viewing some of the blogs to sponsor our first compassion child. 

It is hard to choose a child.

Lucas looked through the pages of children online.  Looking for one who was most needy.  He finally found our “virtual brother” (his words as he prayed tonight)

There is a 6 year old boy in Kenya who “looks an awful lot like Jadon”, who’s name is Dalton. Who is now our sponsored child.

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On a different note, but not really… my search for post adoption support has lead me to start a group with another mom.  If you are in the area and are interested in joining us, we are having our first meeting next Monday night. 

I have a very good friend, who lives in another state, who I happened to visit last weekend, who has a very difficult story to tell.  Very soon I hope that I will be able to share for them some of their story, there is a great need for help there for them and their son.  They have had to keep things very quiet though & its been extremely difficult.

My friend is also beginning a support group in their community.  She described it like this…

“Helping start a support group for families who are raising modern day orphans (for any family raising children brought into their home that they did not give birth to, adoptive families, foster care, grandparents raising grandchildren, non-related guardians)

9781581349115 I am reading a new book I got last weekend.  Adopted for Life by Russel D Moore.  I’ll write more about it later.  There are so many things to learn.

Must give up my computer for my son who needs to finish an English assignment…

Pam

2 comments:

Laurel said...

I hope that you get the support that you need. I sure could have used a support group the past 8 months as we have walked through our ADOPTION CRISIS. So. Not. Fun.

Please tell us more about this book ...


mama of a dozen plus :)

Carol said...

I read a couple of MckMama's posts about Kenya and was really moved by it. I want to sponsor a Compassion child, too, and will once we get settled.