Welcome! Let's Change the World!

Hello and welcome to the first ever blog post! This is truly God's work through my humble hands and loud mouth. This world is messed up and I can't sit back and watch children fall through the cracks anymore. Something has to be done and more people need to become aware and get active. Now you might be saying, "But Deann, I can't adopt a child right now." Well hey guess what - neither can I! But that does not give us license to sit back and do nothing! Perhaps I should back up a little bit though. Like 30-some years.

Thirty-plus years ago God saved me from life as an orphan when He placed me into the womb of a woman who could not care for me but who was committed to finding the family who could. Because of her choice and God's providence I was raised in a safe, happy and comfortable home, never doubting that I was loved and cherished, never worrying about my safety, never going to bed cold or hungry. I never forget how blessed I am for that, or how easily my story could have been drastically different.

God has grown in me a heart for children who do not have a safe, loving home, or parents to protect and care for them. Countless children in our country and around the world are living in poverty and danger. Some have parents who are truly trying to provide for them but cannot. Others don't even have someone trying. Many are in very real and imminent danger of getting lured into human trafficking, gangs, or other atrocities that are just too horrible to imagine for long but are also all too real in our world. Thousands of teenagers are turned out into the streets every year because they simply had another birthday and now are too old to be provided for by the state/government anymore. From what I know that usually happens around age 16 or 17. In America these "adults" have hope of getting connected with welfare agencies to help provide shelter, work and food. In other countries they are simply shown the door. 15% of these teens commit suicide in that first year on their own.

Please read about one boy who is staring at this very real possibility as I type by clicking here.

Luckily for Davids a family has stepped forward and the wheels are in motion to get him his forever family, but for a moment let the reality of what his life was like before he got this news. Recovering from the shock of one family changing their minds about him, no longer wanting him, and having no idea what his future would bring. The fear of each day bringing you one day closer to homelessness and being completely powerless to it. Thousands of children are living with that fear right now.

Another catalyst to my stepping into action is the devastation I have been hearing about and reading about in Haiti. Haiti was one of the poorest countries on our globe before the earthquake, but now a year later having only 2% of the ruble cleared away, with millions of people living in tents and surrounded by violence, and 80% of the people living on less that $2 a day this country and it's people are truly in crisis. And all that aide money that was raised? Most of it is still sitting somewhere, unavailable to these people due to corruption and legal red tape.

So sit back and hold on as we delve into the needs of the millions of children around the world and try to live out God's call to each of us to help the poor, the widowed, the orphaned. No matter who you are, where you are, or what situation you are in, there is something you can do to help. Stick around and together we can make a difference.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead