Sorry it has been so long since I wrote. A lot has happened.
Firstly, I would like to say that it is 106 days until I go to Russia. I have been sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor for the last few months, preparing myself for when I go camping and things are a little rougher than I am used to. I don't want to have to take lots of bedding over, neither do I want to be grumpy and sore from having slept on a rough surface while camping. When I tell people that I am sleeping on a mattress, most are a bit surprised. The funniest must be Dad, who doesn't really like the thought of me sleeping on it instead of in a bed, and the thought of me decreasing my current mattress for an even thinner one annoys him I think.
Lately I have been quite discouraged. I can get discouraged easily, but as I look over the facts about Russian orphans, or realize how many people are indifferent to the plight of the orphan over the world... it just makes it even easier for me to get discouraged. Here are some examples of things that discourage me:
- at the age of 16-17, orphans in Russia "graduate" (they are practically kicked out of the orphanages and told to figure out their lives on their own) from the orphanage. Out of 15,000 orphans who graduate each year, 30% will be unemployed, 35% homeless, 20% will have criminal records, and 10% will commit suicide. Half of the girls will be forced into prostitution. This leaves only 5% of the 15,000 orphans yearly that graduate who will succeed in life.
- a survey was done in downtown Moscow. 1000 people were interviewed and asked about what they thought about the problems of the Russian orphans. 999 out of those thousand people said that the orphans problems had "nothing to do with them."
And I cry for a long time. Once I have cried about these injustices in the world... I finally bring them before God. And then He comforts me. He lets me know that He loves these children, His children, much more than I ever could. He reminds me that He is rising up other individuals like myself who will fight for the orphan and abandoned child. He tells me that I am not alone.
He gives me the strength I need to make a stand against this injustice and to call others to do the same. He gives me the love I need to keep on going even when I would seem to be easier to just leave the matter alone. And He helps me to overcome each one of the new daunting facts that I find out about these precious, hurting children.
He is with me. And I know that with His help, I can get through each day. I can overcome each discouragement.
I watched this video yesterday. It changed me. Watch it please.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWHJ6-YhSYQ&list=PLdrvoeLzQ9XqgCFeoyn5aVWHnl5lnzCuM&index=1
Firstly, I would like to say that it is 106 days until I go to Russia. I have been sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor for the last few months, preparing myself for when I go camping and things are a little rougher than I am used to. I don't want to have to take lots of bedding over, neither do I want to be grumpy and sore from having slept on a rough surface while camping. When I tell people that I am sleeping on a mattress, most are a bit surprised. The funniest must be Dad, who doesn't really like the thought of me sleeping on it instead of in a bed, and the thought of me decreasing my current mattress for an even thinner one annoys him I think.
Lately I have been quite discouraged. I can get discouraged easily, but as I look over the facts about Russian orphans, or realize how many people are indifferent to the plight of the orphan over the world... it just makes it even easier for me to get discouraged. Here are some examples of things that discourage me:
- at the age of 16-17, orphans in Russia "graduate" (they are practically kicked out of the orphanages and told to figure out their lives on their own) from the orphanage. Out of 15,000 orphans who graduate each year, 30% will be unemployed, 35% homeless, 20% will have criminal records, and 10% will commit suicide. Half of the girls will be forced into prostitution. This leaves only 5% of the 15,000 orphans yearly that graduate who will succeed in life.
- a survey was done in downtown Moscow. 1000 people were interviewed and asked about what they thought about the problems of the Russian orphans. 999 out of those thousand people said that the orphans problems had "nothing to do with them."
And I cry for a long time. Once I have cried about these injustices in the world... I finally bring them before God. And then He comforts me. He lets me know that He loves these children, His children, much more than I ever could. He reminds me that He is rising up other individuals like myself who will fight for the orphan and abandoned child. He tells me that I am not alone.
He gives me the strength I need to make a stand against this injustice and to call others to do the same. He gives me the love I need to keep on going even when I would seem to be easier to just leave the matter alone. And He helps me to overcome each one of the new daunting facts that I find out about these precious, hurting children.
He is with me. And I know that with His help, I can get through each day. I can overcome each discouragement.
I watched this video yesterday. It changed me. Watch it please.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWHJ6-YhSYQ&list=PLdrvoeLzQ9XqgCFeoyn5aVWHnl5lnzCuM&index=1
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