What Can We or You Do to Help?

I had a friend feeling very sad today, due to the deplorable conditions of some of the orphanages in Russia. These poor sweet children are left sitting in cribs for days on end - using their fingers to amuse themselves - fed through bottles with large holes so they can be fed in *five* minutes - 15 month old babies left to spoon feed themselves.

This is HEARTWRENCHING!!! But at the same time, I am sure these caregivers in the orphanages don't have much choice. There are only so many staff and oh, so many children!!!

The question that some make is "Why does God allow this??"


These are my thoughts on this:

This sadness at these conditions is what took our thoughts from being about adopting two little girls to doing all that we can for Africa. There are so many ways we can help the children that are there right now, without even taking one of the children out of the country:

Christmas boxes - Operation Christmas Child - each of our children buys one for another child. It probably costs us $10 per box to put together a wonderful box filled with pencils, pads of paper, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, balls, cards, Matchbox cars, craft supplies, hair brush, markers, colouring books, stickers, hard candy, and gum etc. Do you know how much joy your child will have as *they* help pack these boxes full of love? Then our children write a little note to be inserted. We know that often the children will not be able to read the note, but I am certain whoever is giving the boxes, does speak English and there is someone to translate. They also include a photo of our family. These boxes give such hope of the love that someone across the world feels for them. On top of this - the best thing of all is that the know of God's love for them!! They are given a tiny Bible of their own and shown that God loves them through the love of others.

Small farm animals through World Vision - Buying chickens and roosters - one set $55 and it sets up a family! For Christmas this year each of our children is going to buy chickens or a piglet or a rabbit and set up a family. There is a program through World Vision and my dad is going to get a pig for Christmas, and will he be surprised!! LOL!! His name will be sent as a donor and he will receive a card telling him that he gave. That will be a present from us to him, via another person. Seriously, for about $40 we can buy a piglet and do you know how far that goes??

One little boy, who is a 9 year old orphan and living with his uncle received a piglet, from World Vision. It was bred and he sold 5 of the piglets to support his family and his schooling; two he gave back to World Vision to help another child. The sow is still living and producing for him. That $40 gift has changed the life of this child and his uncle. He has a future now. $40!

Through World Vision when we sent $400, it multiplied into $2000 by corporate Canadian sponsors and fed many, many children for a month! They often have these deals where whatever you send will be multiplied by 4, 5 or even 10 times!!! How easy is that!!!

Sponsoring a child through World Vision - actually helps the whole family, plus more goes to the community. That is only $33 a month! Plus your children have the privilege of writing and getting to know a child in another country. The child will write back as frequently as you write to them.

When I was 19 years old and living in Banff I saw an ad on TV advertising World Vision and fostering a child. Seeing as I always wanted children I immediatley signed up. I received the picture of the sweetest little 2 year old Thai boy, Wasupon. I sponsored Wasupon until he was 18 years old!!! At that time his community had become self-sufficient and no longer needed sponsors for the children in that area. It was the coolest thing to see him grow up. By then I was married and our family moved onto another little boy - God even sends male foster children!! LOL! And he has been with us now for 9 years.

Then when we get to Ethiopia we intend to pour some concrete floors in some huts and maybe build some beds, or even put up some tin houses.

There is so much we can do.

The most important thing to remember is that God gave man *free will* and man is ultimately the reason for these people's suffering!! Corrupt governments and poor choices.

Ethiopia for instance: a lot of their drought problems comes from noone stopping the clear cutting that was going on and they lost all the trees etc that was holding the soil in the ground. This in turn stopped anything from growing. Drought followed. It is hard to explain. Read "There is No Me Without You" - an amazing book about one woman's odyssey to save Africa's children - it will open your eyes to man's choices and how these people suffer because of it!

For instance - did you know the Insulin patent was sold for $1 - ONE DOLLAR - so that poor people could be helped and afford care?! The Aids - antiviral medication has been patented also, but by rich greedy people and the cost is EXHORBITANT!! and because of it millions continue to die - and there are MILLIONS of orphans!

God WEEPS as He sees His children die from hunger and disease!! He gives US the *choice* to help where we can. And if each of us helps a little bit, the hunger and pain will be eleveated!

Due to corrupt governments and man's free choice, there will always be pain and suffering in the world - we do what we can, and pray for God to move others to do the same. Bono and ONE is helping in extraordinary ways - wonderful. But GOD gave EACH OF US the chance to help! What are YOU going to do today to help?!