Statistics show that there are over 153
million orphans in the world. To put that in perspective, the population of
Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia combined make up ONLY about 21 million people.
But the reality is, majority of Americans,
the most resourced people in the world, are either unaware or unequipped to
act.
In honor of #OrphanSunday and #OrphanAwarenessMonth, we want to tell
you a story that hopefully inspires you to change the world for one. Stories
must be told in order to turn statistics into people. Below is the story of a
19-year-old girl from one of our partner ministries in Ethiopia. This ministry rescues street children and orphans, shares the
love of Jesus with them, and houses them amongst three Centers. Lemlem, a
friend of many, gives us a rare perspective into what it’s like to spend your
life growing up in an orphanage. Lemlem told us that we could share her story
with anyone, so that people may be inspired. So… Be inspired.
“My name is
Lemlem. I am 19 years old. I am from Ethiopia, which is in Africa. My mom
passed away when I was 4 years old. This was a hard time for me even though I
was a kid, because there was no one who could take care of me at that time. I
didn’t have any relatives. Just me, 4 years old, by myself. I still don’t know
who my father is, but I heard that when my mom was pregnant with me he left
her. He was a car driver and passed away in a car accident. That is all I know
about my father.
But after my
parents passed, there was a woman that told my mom’s neighbor about an
orphanage that has kids who lost their parents. After that they put me in the
orphanage, and I began a new life.
I was a happy
girl. I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior and started a relationship with
Jesus. I began a new life with others orphans. Everybody had his or her own
story to tell. We loved each other and we were like brothers and sisters. It
felt like home. But still, it was a hard life without parents. I was very
jealous when I saw children with their parents. I asked God so many times why
he took my family away from me.
I felt more pain
about losing my parents once I grew up and understood things better. The
different things people would say about orphans made me really mad and I became
ashamed of being an orphan. Since most orphans in Ethiopia had bad behavior,
people thought that if you were an orphan you were bad. They gave you less
expectation. I was just getting tired of being an orphan. I started complaining
about my life and arguing with God every day. Sometimes I would get depressed.
Sitting on my bed and seeing my mom’s picture, I would cry.
Then I started
to hear about adoption and stuff like that a lot around me and some kids from
my orphanage started getting taken to the USA. My mind started thinking about
that every single day. One day before I went to bed I asked God one thing, just
one thing, to give me a family. To give me another family who can take care of
me, love and care about me, and tell me what is good or bad. That was it. I was
crying when I asked him that question. I was very hopeless. After that day I
just kept asking God to give me a family day after day.
But God didn’t
answer my question for one whole year.
After I finished
sophomore year, during the summer I heard that I had a family who wanted to
bring me to the US. That was the best day of my life!! I went to my room and
prayed to God for forgiveness for going away from him, for complaining about my
life, and I thanked Him for giving me a family. I saw my life change in about 1
year or less. I started my process and got my passport in one month. It was
like a dream come true for me. God is good all the time. He wipes away every
tear. My favorite verse is John 14:18, “I will not leave you as orphans, I will
come to you.” He did not leave me as an orphan, He came to me and changed my
future.
I learned
through all of this that God has His own perfect timing and His timing is
better than mine. I also learned to not only thank him when things are good,
but also when things go wrong. Thank Him through everything. When we do that,
blessing comes to our life and we make God happy.
I am very
thankful to God for not letting me down! I now have my family, friends, and
people around me who love and care about me. Now I am attending school in
America and it is such a blessing for me. I am in 12th grade and I
am going to graduate this year from High School.
I have many
plans for the future. I want to be a photojournalist and a missionary, and the
reason why is because I want to help orphans, street children, and teenagers.
My heart hurts when I see those kids. I want to see a smile on their face and
tell them the gospel. I believe that God put a passion in everyone’s heart and
I believe mine is to help others. I have had a passion to do that from a very
young age… Open an orphanage and give hope to the hopeless… a smile to a sad
face. My dream is to help these kids by gaining photography skills, taking
pictures of them, telling their stories through magazines, and creating
fundraising opportunities. I believe that I can do it with God’s help.”
Lemlem’s story
is not unlike many others. She is one of many who have found hope and a purpose
through the love of a family. This is the very reason we exist!
If you have
adopted or are in the process of adopting, today we honor you and believe the
step of faith you have taken truly has ‘changed the world for one’… or two. Or
ten!
If your heart is
beating to do more, below are some ways you can get involved. There is a next
step for everyone to take.
How to Get Involved:
Sponsorship: We believe sponsoring a family
living in extreme poverty is the first step in reducing the number of orphans. Many times
children living in orphanages actually do have relatives or a parent still alive, but they
are too poor to take care of their child. Sponsorship for $50.00/month provides basic necessities for families
trying their best to survive, and ultimately keeps families together. To sponsor a child, email kblevins@ordinaryhero.org.
Become a Change Partner: Partner with us and our mission. Our
heartbeat is to see children thrive whether that be through adoption or in
their own community. We would love for you to partner with us financially as an
honorary Change Partner, and you will receive a monthly update from the field
on the change your monthly donation is making possible, one life at a time. To become a Change Partner, follow the link: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E247624&id=12
Take a Trip: “Orphans are easier to ignore before
you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces, it’s
easier to pretend they are not real before you hold them in your arms. But once
you do, everything changes” – David Platt
If you truly
have a heart to make a difference in the life of a child in need, come and see
the need for yourself. It will change your life! We take teams to Ethiopia all
throughout the year, and we would love for you to join us. Follow the link
below for trip dates. http://www.ordinaryhero.org/action/ethiopia.php
Pray about Adopting: Do you feel like God is calling you
to adopt? There are many agencies that make international adoption possible for the country of your choice, and we recommend researching those options. For domestic adoptions, consider looking for more information at
Advocate: Maybe you’re in college with no money
in your pocket, but a heart full of dreams to help those in need. Become an advocate.
Share this post and future posts. There is power in awareness, and who knows,
your share could inspire another to adopt or sponsor, resulting in changed
lives.
We are honored to play our part in orphan awareness. Thank you for standing with us! #ChangetheWorldForOne
