My niece Ella steps up!

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. 

Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." 

Psalm 82:3-4 

Tears welled up in my eyes. There she was, sitting on the floor, tiny and frail. Her dress hung off of her malnourished body. Her hair was matted. The video of Lucy festered emotions I had hidden for the past few weeks.

My heart pounded and my lip quivered at the thought of having to speak to the thirteen or so women gathered at my sister's home. These women had taken time out of their lives, away from their own children, to hear the story of the children in Africa. They had filled an entire side of the room with beautiful new toys for kids they had never met, children they may never see in person! "Dear God, give me the strength to share your will!"

As the video played, I snuck a look to the left and my eye caught the eye of my seven year old niece, Ella. She was glued to the video, watching the tiny brown skinned children as they longed to be held, as they hoped for food. 

The tears continued to fall from my eyes. "Why God?" "Why must they suffer and my own niece, my own daughter, my own sons have so much?" "What are you telling me to do God? What do you want me to do?"

Words were difficult to come by Thursday night. I wanted to scream about all of the things my eyes had seen in Africa. Children with out clothes digging through heaps of garbage.The little boy who ran to me, begging for the bottle of water I was holding. Children wandering alone on the street. The little girl with sweat pouring off her face as she tried to carry a bundle of wood on her head up a hill in the sweltering African heat. Olive, who desperately wants to go to college and traveled miles to reach us, just to take a shot at getting the chance for college. I wanted to let them know how desperate the need is. I wanted them to realize that my little Lucy, the little girl who touched our hearts so deeply, might be dead tomorrow if we don't help today! 

And...it is not just Lucy...

Erica, from The Raining Season, writes:

"Osseh and Quami were contacted by city council and were asked to make a visit to Shenge...an area directly affected by a ferry accident that claimed several hundred lives last September. They were told of the devastation the loss has caused a specific village in the Shenge area. Many children were left orphaned...the loss was just staggering. So the guys took off to the village two days ago to assess the situation and see if TRS could do anything to help their children left without family.
 

They returned late last night and contacted us first thing this morning. They were both very shaken by all they had seen. This is strange because they are so used to the poverty of SL...it doesn't phase them as much...But this trip was very different. They described the deplorable living conditions and how malnourished the children were...after hearing their accounts I am now convinced that the statistics ring true...1 in 3 children lose their lives before they are 5 in SL...all due to preventable issues."

Friday morning my seven year old niece went to school with three Raining Season business cards. She shared every one of those cards with someone, asking them to please go on line and sponsor a child! Ella knew what her eyes saw! Kids...dieing...kids...in need...kids who want to be kids. If Ella can see it, and step up, can't you? 

http://savetheorphan.blogspot.com