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| This photo was taken from the Amazima Ministries web site. |
Since I was little girl, I’ve always felt swayed towards adopting a child someday. True, I always wanted to have babies naturally but more and more I see that God has given me a heart for adoption. It has always warmed my soul to see families adopting children and as someone who believes passionately in choosing life, I see adoption as a beautiful and wonderful thing.
I’ve sat in front of my television watching TLC’s “An Adoption Story” and cried my eyes out as children from Russia, Guatemala, China were adopted into loving families who wanted nothing more than just them.
A friend recently adopted a baby from America, giving him a wonderful family and giving them the child they always wanted. I also watched this video, which really touched me. To think of all the kids out there without homes, without families, without love, is absolutely heartbreaking:
I’ve been thinking a lot about orphans because this past week, I signed a commitment form to go to the Congo with my church over the summer. There we’ll be working with an orphanage, providing medical care, education, building projects, bringing toys and more than anything, love.
From our first meeting, it is evident to me that this is a mission trip like none I’ve been on before. Much of our team is comprised of team members who went last year and are convicted to go back and see the orphans again. We will be reading a book, “Kisses from Katie” about a 22-year-old American girl who has given up her life to live in Uganda and serve as a mother to over a dozen orphaned children.
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| Katie with some of the Ugandan children (not sure if any of these are her adopted daughters) |
Actually, I’m 75% done with the book and am completely blessed, inspired, amazed and in awe of it. At first glance, you see this young girl whose given up her life to move to Africa. But, when you read the book and hear Katie’s voice shine through, you get it. To live your life so in tune with God’s call on your heart, so dedicated to loving people as He loved us, what an incredible experience that must be every single day. Hard, stressful, scary, but incredible. Every page I turn, I’m urged to love people more. (Facebook here, btw.)
Katie started Amazima Ministries to help with funding, education, food, medical care, etc. for the very poor children and orphans of Uganda. You can bet I went straight there to make a donation. I hope that through reading this post, someone else might be inspired to do the same. I’ve added the Amazima badge to the top of my site.
Check out this video of Katie talking about her life in Uganda:
I just know that traveling to the Congo to help these orphans — as we go, armed with medical supplies, toys, educational material and love — that adoption will grow even more important to me. Not that I’m going to adopt one of the children there (though I’ve no doubt I’ll be charmed by them!), but that it will reinforce the desire in me to be a mother to a kid that wouldn’t otherwise have one.
I’m really excited to get started preparing for the trip. I’ve got five book recommendations already and am prepared to learn as much as I can about the Congo before I go. I have a feeling I’m going to become deeply invested in this place. I honestly felt pulled to this trip from the moment the idea of a mission to Congo crossed the lips of my pastor. I am thankful that God has put Africa on my heart. In fact, I feel very lucky. Most people I know don’t really want to hang out in third world countries. Me? I’ve always wanted to go there most of all.
This is a photo of the children taken from last year’s trip. I’m so excited to meet some of these little guys!
