I was finishing the last of my training this week in Atlanta and my team (Agape Ethne) was informed that we would be working with an orphanage called Sarah’s Covenant House in India. The staff decided to explain some percentages to us and teach us how to minister to these beautiful children.
What I did not expect the main speaker to talk about was orphans outside of India. While informing us about my teams next ministry, he was telling us how the children we are working with are kids with disabilities, both physical and mental. Such an amazing opportunity to witness to the orphan and the widow. While telling us about this, he switched to talking about another ministry in Russia where orphans are taken care of.
This immediately caught my attention because of the fact that my brother Steven was an orphan in Russia before he was adopted and brought to Show Me Christian Youth Home. The speaker began telling us some stats on Russian children, from the chance of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to the probability of a teenager becoming a criminal. The one stat that rose my emotional level was the stat of the amount of Russian orphans who commit suicide by the age of 13.
The speaker told us that 33% of children who are not adopted in Russia by someone by age 13 commit suicide. Hearing a stat like that hit so hard on me. I love my brother and I am thankful for him. We have a wonderful relationship and he loves like crazy. He’s just an amazing man of God and a future leader.
Steven is also nothing short of a miracle. The fact that he was brought home and taken care of means that God had a big plan for him, but he could just as easily ended up another number in that stat. That made me cry through all of this. How amazing is God in the way that He creates miracles and makes them happen.
Steven is alive for a reason and I don’t know what that reason is yet, but I know that he was pulled from a scary situation to lead something beautiful!
Orphan care is important in the world. Steven has given me a bigger reason to love the orphans I’ll be ministering with this month. I don’t want the children I will be working with to become just another number in a negative stat. I want them to feel what love feels like and know there is a loving Father ready to take them in His arms. I’m so excited to see God move this month. I don’t know what to expect or even what my job will be, but I do know that I will love those kids like crazy because of an amazing God and because of a loving brother like Steven.
God has called me and blessed me with an opportunity to minister to orphans. I feel like He is calling you as well. He is calling you to pray over this ministry every day for bodies to be healed and lives to be changed. Use your calling and take charge. You can also help by when mentioning me using the hashtag #aarontakingastand.
I am at $11,000 for the race and I only need $5,000 more to pay for the race. God is good in the way that he has provided. Thank you all for your prayers.
