Religion & Politics

For our family, today consisted of both. First thing this morning, we were off to MOPS. The founder of "Brittany's Hope" www.brittanyshope.org was there to speak to the group. She had gone to college at E-town with the woman in charge of MOPS, and they both were social work majors. This woman talked extensively about adoption and poverty and children's need for love. I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. This woman, now in her 50's, had 16 children and counting, of which she only gave birth to three. She told us the story of finding her youngest daughter, who was blind from being premature, laying in a crib with no mattress and put in the back dark corner of an orphanage, left to die with no food and no one changing her diapers. She said, "I heard from the Lord...'Take Emily Home.'" Even though she said she had no desire for a baby, both her and her husband felt the call from God to adopt this little girl that would have otherwise died there. One thing her organization "Brittany's Hope" does is helps young children finds families and gives grant money to help fund the adoption. She talked about different parts of the world, including the US.

Many children from overseas need parents because theirs die from disease, etc. I was amazed at the pictures that she and her children had taken of different areas and the work that they were doing. They were building clean water wells for the villages and facilities for orphans that had bathrooms and were clean and had cribs that didn't injure the babies that were being brought in. They also were building fences because literally right now young children that are walking to be rescued are being eaten by lions and various animals. It broke my heart as I thought of my own two precious children. We are so priveleged! Many of these kids just long for love primarily, safety and a full belly.

I was most impressed that she didn't ask for money or anything from the group. One gal asked how they funded these projects (which she showed some of them to be in the hundreds of thousands just to build new orphanages), and she told us that she and her husband have such a passion for these children and their call from the Lord that they fund most of it themselves. Then she explained that her husband had his own business, and God has blessed them so they are using the money for His glory. She didn't put a plug for his business (I have no idea what they do), and she wasn't asking for funding. But she was planting a seed in all of us moms there, I could tell. My eyes were definitely opened... My devotions were on these verses the other day.

Matthew 25:34-46
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

I really don't have the desire to adopt at this point in my life, nor do I think the timing is right. Yet, she said in one of the countries in Africa alone, 90 children would die of starvation in the time she was talking to our group. And she wasn't talking from some office on a hill...she had been there to see the kids herself and often goes to these third-world countries to help. These are children that need medical care and a place to call home and parents that love them. She said one of the best things we could do is to write letters to the kids because many of them never feel loved... I could go on and on, but I was impressed; and I'll be honest, normally things like that annoy me because it seems like everyone is asking for money, help, etc. these days. (I know, my true colors are showing, aren't they?)

After we left, I brought the boys home and fed them both and changed their diapers. Then, I decided we should go vote before the lines got crazy tonight after Shawn got out of work. It was fairly busy, but no lines this afternoon. Now, both boys are napping, and I'm contemplating taking one myself! Happy voting!