Streams of Mercy!

So yesterday before church, I was in the shower thinking to myself that I was a little bit disappointed that I have allowed this busy summer slow down the process of our adoption. I was praying to God, and I confessed to Him," Lord...I'm sorry I have been slow in acting on this plan you have for our life. I need you to light a fire in me and Aaron again and send encouragement." That was it, just that simple prayer in the shower. When we got to church, my friend Patti was there and had been in early service and told us that we were going to love the message, and that I should get some tissue...I wish I had listened and took me some tissue, because she was right! When I heard the guest speaker was going to be Wick Nease, I knew God was already planning to bring us that encouragement we needed before He put it on my heart to pray about :)
Wick and Jan Nease started an organization called "Streams of Mercy" and they support 17 orphanages around the world! They are full time missionaries dedicated to the cause of the orphan and widow, and travel 2 weeks out of the month! They had just returned from Ethiopia and Uganda in May, and had some pictures and video footage from their trip. Wick told a story of a baby he met....He said that the baby girl's mother must have been pregnant out of wedlock because her baby was left abandoned in the wilderness. He said that in Ethiopia if you have a child out of wedlock that it is very shameful, that the consequences they face are so great that they take desperate measures, so it was very common for women to venture out into the wilderness, have their child alone, and walk away from the baby to leave them for wild animals to eat...particularly hiennas. He told us that there is a saying in Ethiopia that when the hiennas howel a baby is has been killed. This to me is so unimaginable and completely heartbreaking, but this is exactly what this depereate mother had done to this perfect baby she had. By God's grace this baby was heard crying and found and brought to the YWAM orphanage and is now adoptable!
Listening to his message was the fire we needed to keep moving forward. Wick and Jan prayed for us after the service and encouraged us more. They reminded us that adoption is a spiritual battle and that adversities and distractions are going to come our way! We just have to stay prayed up and focused on God's plan for our life!
I want to encourage my readers to check out Streams of Mercy's ministry www.streamsofmercy.org.....It only takes $750.00 a month to support an entire orphanage! If you are financially able, consider this organizaiton who have dedicated their life's work for the cause of the orphan and widow! Just imagine the lives that could be changed with your help :) If you can't afford to support an entire orphanage, think about what you can do, and do it! Take that leap of faith and be the change for 1 child!