This month we are serving at New Faith Children’s Home in the Philippines. It is an orphanage with 24 kids, age 9 months to 13 years. We are also able to do outreach to a prison, team up with the local college ministry and do a number of random labor projects around the site, including building a church and painting a mural in the kids home.
However, our primary ministry is caring for the children, who are so precious and loving (except for the 1 that still screams every time he sees us, but I always love a challenge). Yesterday I spent time with the social worker here, helping her edit her files. All their social histories and adoption forms are in English, not her native language. She really wants the paperwork to reflect well on the children’s home, as it can be audited at any time and could also be read by potential adoptive parents.
As I sat, reading their stories, I thanked God that I can be a part of this, of caring for children otherwise forgotten, abandoned, abused, born to mentally ill or drug abusing mothers, even born to families that just can’t afford another child. We live in a broken world, one where being a parent biologically does not always translate into being a good MOM or DAD. As humans we fail and often the ones to be hurt by our failures are children, unable to defend themselves and reliant on others for their needs. Sometimes the parents that are supposed to protect them can’t or won’t.
I asked God why, as I always do. There are a hundred thousand answers, but really only one. We have turned away from His love. It is not God who is to blame for the problems that infect our world.
So this month I will LOVE, knowing I can never replace a mom, but that I can and will LOVE with all my heart because that is what Jesus would do.
