Going Upstream

God is so faithful, so good. It blows my mind. I am having a hard time even putting thoughts together and typing. I believe that God has revealed where we are supposed to go and it is just like God to tie everything together.

If you take a look back at our first post you will remember that God called us to "go upstream". I remember Chad coming downstairs and saying, "We have to go upstream and find out who's throwing people in the water." He was sooo right. All along Mattie and I have felt called to go specifically to Ethiopia, but we didn't really know why or with who or how.........but God knows.

Tracy, a friend of ours posted this video on her page and told us to watch it. I was overwhelmed with the sense that God was saying "This is it". Please check out this video and the web site (specifically the page that tells "the story".) These children are called "mingi" or cursed and they are being saved from being drowned in the water by their tribe---www.drawnfromwater.org . I emailed the contact immediately (tonight). They are a family with 5 kids and they are moving to Ethiopia in 5 weeks to help run the orphanage for these precious children. I can't wait to see what God has planned. Please pray for us. Please pray for these precious children. And Praise God for His perfect plan!

Drawn from Water from Drawn From Water on Vimeo.

Thank you God for Tracy and her family. Thank you Tracy for listening to God and heeding His callings on your life. Thank you Elle for being so passionate for God and His children.

Alone

I hate feeling alone.  I'm not talking about being alone.  I actually enjoy that.  Quiet time is nice.  I'm talking about that feeling of aloneness.  That feeling like no one understands, no one cares, no one is there for you.  My kids hate it too.  Tonight as I was getting Tucker ready to go to bed he had a bit of a melt down.  Unfortunately, I became impatient and frustrated with him.  I needed a minute to calm down.  I told him he needed to talk to God for a while, and I left him.....alone.  Looking back, I really did leave him alone, not just by himself.  My attitude and behavior spoke to him, "I don't understand, I am not here for you, and I really don't care (or atleast I'm not acting like it)."  Of course the minute I left him he was in tears.  My heart breaks thinking back on it.  I remember that feeling.  I remember having that feeling at times as a child.  I remember having that feeling as recently as a few days ago.  I hated it then and I hate it now.  It has to be one of the worst feelings in the world.  It is enough to crush your spirit.

  "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"  Jesus knew the feeling.  Though I truly believe that God suffered right there with him every step of the way, He was still human, he still Felt alone.  None of us are ever truly left all alone.  God is always with us.  He has promised to never leave us, never forsake us (Duet. 31:6,8; Heb. 13:5).  But the enemy is powerful, and his lies are often convincing.

As I laid with Tucker and comforted him, apologized and talked with him, I couldn't help but think about the millions of orphans who feel ALONE every night....  "NO one is here, NO one understands, NO one cares.... It breaks my heart.  It literally makes me feel sick, those memories of the same feelings welling up inside me.  Like I said before, that feeling is enough to crush your spirit.  That's probably part of the reason why I have such a heart for the 180 million orphans in the world.  I cannot stand to think of how Alone they must feel.....continually.  I want them to know and feel that they are loved, by God and by me.  I want to show them that they are Not Alone.  Just like I want, hope, and pray to somehow show my own kids.  God wants all His children to know.....You Are NOT ALONE!

Only God can defeat the enemy, but He has armed us with weapons of love to fight against him.  He has given us the opportunity to bind up the broken hearted.  Will we?

Praise be to God that we are NOT ALONE! 

Isaiah 61:1-3

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."

Our Amazing Journey

Our family has been totally grabbed by God. We have been praying every day for over a year for the millions of orphans in Africa.   After watching a video of some of the orphaned children in Uganda, God convicted us that it is now time for us to take action.

We believe that He is calling our family to not only raise awareness in America, but also to serve in Africa, to be His loving arms to the fatherless, to bring His hope to the helpless.  We are stepping out in faith trusting that God will shed light on each “next step” we need to take as He leads us to His children…….Our children.  Yes, they are our children, just as much as the four biological children with which God has blessed us.  God has opened our eyes to an unimaginable reality...13 million orphans in Africa alone..., and we are now responsible to respond.  We cannot, we will not sit by any longer and allow these children to die without hope, without knowing the love of Christ and feeling Him holding on to them.

We have been placed in our exact situation with so many blessings so that we can bless others.  We were made for His glory, not for our comfort.  We solicit your prayers and support as we begin an amazing journey straight to the heart of God.  We do not know exactly where this journey will take us, but we trust that God is hemming us in behind and before.

"The difference between compassion and justice is this:  compassion pulls the drowning out of the river, justice goes up stream and finds out who is throwing people in the river."  David Crowder

We are headed upstream.

Chad and Angela