Wednesday, July 3, 2013

A Home for Orphans

He's going to be renovating a building to house/train 8 boys who are aging out of the system. 

These boys are all 15 and 16 years old. 

My 18 year old who we will pray over and worry over the entire time he is there will be renovating a home for 15 and 16 year old boys who would otherwise be out on the streets. 

My 18 year old is going to cross the ocean to provide a home for boys 2-3 years younger than he is.  Boys who are Elijah's age. 

Does that not just rip your heart to shreds??  Boys.  Young boys.  Young girls.  Put out at the age of 15 or 16 or 17.  Put out on the streets to make it on their own.  Unskilled.  Homeless.  Alone.  Most will step out of the gates of the institution and right into a pit.  Prostitution.  Drugs.  Crime.  Starvation.  Jail.  Death.  Without anyone to surround them, support them, teach them, love them - they are lost. 

Ben is going to help keep 8 boys from dropping into that pit. 

The church he will be working with over there already has 2 houses.  One for girls.  One for boys.  They are creating a third. 

It will be a house with house parents.  Parents who will care for them.  Pray for them.  Teach them.  Train them.  They will learn how to keep a bank account.  They will learn responsibility.  They will be given jobs to do.  They will go to trade school - right there in the house.  They will learn to abide by rules within the home.  They will go to church.  They will learn about Jesus.  Hopefully, they will come to know Him as their Lord and Savior. 

I would rather that each of the boys was safe inside the safety of family but that is not a reality for the vast majority of those caught in the institutes in Eastern Europe. 

What this church is doing is worthy of our support.  They are being the hands and feet of Christ to 8 boys who have nothing. 

When Ben found out about the trip he jumped at the opportunity.  Three years ago he was supposed to cross the ocean to help us bring Aaron home.  Unfortunately our adoption took a crazy detour and Ben was unable to make the trip.  It has always been one of his greatest regrets.  By going on this trip he will be able to see Aaron's birth country.  He will also get a first-hand glimpse into the orphanages and internats over there. 

I am fairly certain he is going to come home with a broken heart and a changed outlook on life. 

Ben needs to raise $1,900.00 to take part in this missions trip. 

He decided that he wanted to take his graduation money that family and friends sent him and will use that to help cover his trip.  We are also having a yard sale this weekend to help him raise what he needs. 

I also wanted to give you the opportunity to come alongside what he is doing since I have had many of you ask for the opportunity to help.  I mean seriously... I was getting THREATS from some of you that if I didn't give you the opportunity to help that I would be breaking the law!! 

SO... We have set up an account with YOU CARING.COM.  If anyone on here wants to donate to Ben and to the missions trip then click the link below and you can take part! 

If Ben raises more than he needs than all proceeds will be donated towards the group home. 

And if you think about it... pray for me.  I'm putting my son on an airplane in less than 2 weeks.  We do not personally know anyone on this missions team.  This is a HUGE step of faith for all of us.  We are grateful that one of the father/son teams going is a Reece's Rainbow family.  We were hoping we could meet them at the RR reunion but they left before we arrived.  Knowing that another RR family is going to be on the plane with Ben gives me great peace of mind despite not having ever met them in person.  But even so.... I'm going to be biting nails the entire time he is across that ocean.... I guess that's what Moms do!