Hearing from you
I know many of my friends have traveled around the globe and have visited orphanages and spent time with orphaned kids. I would love to hear of your experience too!
Back in 1998 I had my first real experience with orphaned children. We were in a small community just outside of Uzhgorod Ukraine and one of our outreaches during our short term mission trip was to go to the orphanage. I remember that feeling of hopelessness for these kids.As the children came to greet us I noticed how shy they were (which I understood), but I was taken back by the close shaven haircuts of the boys and girls. They also had patches of green on their bodies which were there to prevent infection.
As the children took us on a tour of their "home", I could tell that these kids were excited to show us around. They were proud of what they had, I was shocked by what they didn't have. They lacked toys and clothing and bedding. I am not complaining as I understood they were at least in a better place than the otherwise might have been.
We spent quite some time with these precious children and then it was time to leave. As we left the children came to us and sat down beside us, or on our laps and looked into our eyes and said, "will you be my father?" and to my wife Ruth they said "will you be my mother?" Our hearts were ripped out as we had to say we couldn't do that.
My last memory of that day was the children that tried to sneak on our bus to drive away from the orphanage. It was heart wrenching to send these kids off the bus and send them back to their "home", as we departed to our safe, well fed, comfortable world.
This was a seed that was planted in my heart and the beginning of what God has been preparing in my heart for 15 years.
I want to hear your experiences, please write it here and tell us.
Back in 1998 I had my first real experience with orphaned children. We were in a small community just outside of Uzhgorod Ukraine and one of our outreaches during our short term mission trip was to go to the orphanage. I remember that feeling of hopelessness for these kids.As the children came to greet us I noticed how shy they were (which I understood), but I was taken back by the close shaven haircuts of the boys and girls. They also had patches of green on their bodies which were there to prevent infection.
As the children took us on a tour of their "home", I could tell that these kids were excited to show us around. They were proud of what they had, I was shocked by what they didn't have. They lacked toys and clothing and bedding. I am not complaining as I understood they were at least in a better place than the otherwise might have been.
We spent quite some time with these precious children and then it was time to leave. As we left the children came to us and sat down beside us, or on our laps and looked into our eyes and said, "will you be my father?" and to my wife Ruth they said "will you be my mother?" Our hearts were ripped out as we had to say we couldn't do that.
My last memory of that day was the children that tried to sneak on our bus to drive away from the orphanage. It was heart wrenching to send these kids off the bus and send them back to their "home", as we departed to our safe, well fed, comfortable world.
This was a seed that was planted in my heart and the beginning of what God has been preparing in my heart for 15 years.
posted by s.d.w. at 5:51 AM
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