At night, we would drive around the city, looking for people asleep on the streets to give food to. We went to the aids orphanage where kids are slowly dying. I fell in love and felt attached to the orphanage Cipi, where the kids are living every day with no hope. We went to Cisna, where the teenage boys molest other boys and stay in prison cells, living with the weight that they will soon be on the streets. We danced with the special needs adults, that have sores all over their bodies. We took special need children who are trapped in their own bodies to the the beach, but at the end of the day had to return them to their beds, which they never leave. All of these kids have no hope whatsoever to hold on to. Their day to day lives that they live, are a night mare and they have to live that nightmare with no hope. There was one thing that kept coming to my mind as I held these kids, prayed for these kids, fed the homeless and prayed for the homeless..... Time is running out..... For these kids, it’s just a matter of time until they turn 18 and are turned to the streets with nowhere to go. Once they are on the streets, no one has any way of knowing how long they will live. For the homeless, their lives are at risk every second. They live among gang members, drunkards, and people that are on drugs and killing people. Everywhere you turn, time is running out for these people, and unless we share Christ's love with them and give them a hope for their future, no one else ever will. As Christians, it is our responsibility to give these people hope and share Christs amazing love. So I had to ask myself one question.. How am I going to choose to spend my time? In the end, what really matters? Am I, and Christians as a whole, going to choose to spend our time in our comfort zone because we're scared of what's beyond that? Because we have the option, are we going to choose to live our lives comfortably and block out of our minds the fact that people are dying every day and it's our responsibility to share the gospel with them? In the end, bringing glory to God's name, and advancing His kingdom is what’s going to matter. So how can we accomplish that during this short life here on earth? James 1:27- “Religion that God OUR Father ACCEPTS as pure and faultless is this: to LOOK After orphans and widows in their DISTRESS and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”. In the Greek, the word distress means narrowness ( think of a narrow tunnel that they feel like they are trapped inside of and can't see the light on the other side),it also means extreme affliction, necessity or compulsion (outer or inner) brought on by circumstances, pain, discomfort, and sorely troubled. In every one of those orphans eyes, that’s exactly what I saw. We are called to look after them. James 1:27 says that to look after these children is what God accepts as pure and faultless. That is what brings glory to Him. As they screamed and cried as I had to walk out and leave them, it tore my heart. I made a decision right then that I would do whatever it took to get back to them and teach them about Christ. As I walked out of that orphanage, looking at Alexandra, although she didn't understand me, I told her that I would be back as soon as I could. I told them all, and I told God that if I had the option, and if I could, I would give them my life. I want to see them living and walking in the hope of Christ. I feel that it’s my responsibility to share the gospel with them and to give them Christ’s love that will last beyond a lifetime. I'm not sure yet when I'm going back, I'm not sure exactly how He's going to use me over there. But as long as I've made myself available I feel like that's all I can do for right now. Everyday my heart still breaks for them and I find my thoughts wandering to them. But one day, I have hope, I will see them again and hopefully be able to spend longer with them.
Looking back at pictures of their beautiful faces, and thinking back to my thoughts and conversations with them..My thoughts are this.. These beautiful children, they don't deserve this life. Who am I that God chose me to be completely healthy and live so comfortably? Who am I that God chose me to be His child? Looking at their faces, and looking into their eyes, I see a beautiful picture. I see that once, we were all orphaned. Out of God's love, mercy, and compassion as He looked into our eyes, He chose to give us hope. He was willing to do whatever He had to do to give us hope and show us how much He loves us. He has everything in the world at His right hand, He created it for that matter. He has all power, all glory, all riches, all honor. Just like you and I have the choice, He had the choice to live comfortably.....As Jesus' father, He told Jesus to leave His comfort, and His glory, and HUMBLE himself and go live on earth and die an excruciating death. All for the sake of giving us hope and an eternity with God. Jesus obeyed willingly without complaining and without delay. By Jesus obeying His father, He changed my life forever. God also calls us to do the same, and by sending His son He gave us a perfect example of how we are supposed to live our lives… In total abandonment to Him. But the question is.. are we willing? When we see their hopeless lives, are we willing to do whatever it takes to give them hope and give them a chance to spend eternity with God? Time is running out…. Its our decision, what are we going to choose?
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