Sick at Heart

Wow. I'm at a loss for words right now. I just received an e-mail from our Liberia program director about a theft that has occurred at Kelvin & Hawa's orphanage. We know that thefts have occurred before, but to think that the orphanage had just gotten back on their feet again after their food running out in November, only to have everything taken.... it just makes me so sad.
It should not surprise me, I suppose. People who take food and clothing from children at an orphanage are desperate people. I don't imagine that plain old greed drives that kind of act(although I could be wrong)... it seems like desperation. So many Liberians are in that place of extreme need, and in that situation, make choices we can't understand. (Her e-mail is attatched toward the end of the post here, if you'd like to read exactly what took place - and how.)

Obviously, we would love for you to be praying for all the children and workers to be protected, for their food and supplies to somehow be replaced, and also to thank God for protecting everyone this time.

I guess I have just struggled more than ever in the last year and a half over the duality that exists in our world. While I prepared a Thanksgiving meal a while back that fed a group of 8 people 3 times over... all the kids at "our" orphanage in Liberia were completely out of food. While I have a comfortable bed to lie in at night, many people in our world sleep in the dirt. While the media tells me to buy that new luxury car, or this new movie, or that hot new outfit beacuse I "NEED" them... there are millions and millions (probably a gross underestimate) of precious people who do not have basic neccessities like safe drinking water or a meal for the day. While my sweet Anika and Asher have safety and protection... there are little ones (as young as they are!!) who prostitute themselves to earn a meal, until they are used up and diseased and they die.

I wrestle with these things now. I appreciate our freedom and our plenty in this country, and yet I can't help but think that we allow it to blind us to the larger reality that exists outside of our insulated walls. Our excess seems to breed complacency. I'm guilty. I just don't want to be guilty anymore.

People always ask why God allows such pain in this world. I won't even begin to tackle that one, except to say that I believe his solution has been before us all along. He gave the world "salt and light". He gave the world his people, the church... us. If we don't step up to be his hands and feet, and in HIS NAME offer hope... then we are missing something.

I'm really not trying to preach here, I just feel so deeply that we must take part in God's agenda of loving and offering tangible help to the hurting and broken. I feel like he's opened my eyes to know things that I didn't want to know, and to see things that I am uncomfortable seeing. It's all so starkly different than the life I've known, but I don't ever want to go back to the way I was. I don't want to close my eyes and "move on" and get back to life as usual. I want to be affected and moved by the hurting children in the foster care system, by the orphans around the world, by the lonely and the hopeless. Jesus was. And he did something about it. I can't change this world. I am overwhelmed by the things that I CAN'T do to help the masses because I am small and weak. But being aware of the needs has brought me to my knees, and I suppose that's a pretty good place to start. :)


Angel's e-mail:
"Prospective Adoptive Families,
On Tuesday evening we received the email below from Ed Kofi, the
founder of African Christians Fellowship International. ACFI is the
church planting ministry that runs the Daniel Hoover Chidren's Village
in Liberia.
As you will read, the orphanage was the victim of a well-coordinated
theft on Monday evening. While thefts are common in Liberia and the
orphanage has been victimized before, this time it was especially
devastating as all of the children's supplies and food were taken.
In the midst of such a troubling event, we do have several things to
be thankful for:
1. None of the children or caretakers were hurt during the robbery.
2. There is a small amount of money that has been raised through thenew sponsorshop program (www.africanchildsponsorship.com) that had not
yet reached Liberia. Hopefully, it will arrive in a day or two and
provide a small amount of relief.
3. The police in Liberia are working to find the theives.
4. We are taking a missions team to Liberia in March and plan to work
on this security issue. Please pray for this as we are still in need
of a construction leader for the team.

As we receive more information, we will forward on to you. Please join
us in praying for the children and the workers in Liberia.
Angel RutledgeLiberia Program
CoordinatorChristian Adoption Services

Email from Ed Kofi:
The children and workers at the Daniel Hoover Children Village got an
unwelcome new year visit by armed robbers on Monday night, January 5,2009.
Right now we are not asking or pleading for any help. Instead, perhaps
we could together thank God for protecting the lives of the Children
and workers. Somebody could have got hurt. Please, this should not
discourage you though the thought is agonizing. Let us know that our
God is in control. The watchmen at the village are now in the hands of police for
questioning. According to reports, all of them did not report to work
Monday night and did not tell anyone that they were not coming to
work. Their absence made the situation very grave. The armed men
raided the village, going from storage to storage taking everything
they saw including the children's food, clothes as well as the school
chairs and working tools (wheelbarrows, shovels, etc). The village has
always been the target of armed robbers because the property is not secured.
We fear for the lives of the children and workers because perhaps this may one day turn violent.We know that what has been taken God will replace, so let's only thank
him for protecting the lives of the children and workers. Though we
grieve in the national, yet, we hope in God that all is well. Thanks and kind regards.
Ed Kofi