Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Speak up...

...for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.  Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.  Prov. 31:8-9

I cannot help but be a voice for the voiceless.  So, I am going to use this blog as not only a way to journal our journey that God is taking us on with the adoption, but also to use it as a platform for sharing with you the struggles of those who have no voice.  In so doing, I hope that you may find it in your heart to make a life change and do something about what you read.

A few months ago, as I was reading other adoptive moms' blogs, I kept coming across a blog button for this ministry called Drawn from Water.  I finally got up the courage to look at the website.  What I found was astounding.  This ministry rescues babies who are literally being thrown into the river because their tribe in Ethiopia deems them "mingi".  Mingi means cursed or dirty/unclean.  If a child has mingi, then the child must be drowned in the river.  Sometimes the babies are starved to death.  Drawn from Water rescues them and brings them into their orphanage and cares for the babies with love.  Here is a link to the video that tells the story about how Drawn from Water began. It began with Bale is the title of this video; you can just click on the title at the beginning of this sentence and it will take you to the video. 

There are three reasons Drawn From Water lists on their website as the reason for "mingi".  If a baby's top teeth come in before their bottom teeth, she is thrown into the river to drown.  If a baby is born to parents who are not married, he is considered mingi and is thrown into the river to drown.  If a baby is born to married parents who did not have the proper ceremony to show their intent to conceive, she is considered mingi and is thrown into the river to drown.  Sometimes, the baby is left in the bush to starve to death.  Either way, this is a terrible tragedy.

There is hope because Drawn from Water is reaching the peoples in these tribes with truth and teaching them that all babies are a blessing and not a curse. Drawn from Water runs childrens' homes and care very well for the children.  But, they need support to continue this life-saving ministry.  You can go to their website by clicking this link here to sponsor a child.  It is only $25 per month to help sponsor a child.  Each child needs 10 sponsors to cover the cost of care. 

I encourage you to go to their website here and read more about this amazing ministry and the story behind it.

James 1:27 says this: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this, to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to not be polluted by the world.

And Proverbs 24:12 says:"Once our eyes are opened, we cannot pretend we do not know what to do.  God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."