Gloriously Ruined

As many of you know, I have gone to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic two times in 2010. This orphanage is named "Kettys House." I have sat down to share my thoughts so many times but I never know where to start and then the distractions of the world and my household take over. But this past weekend my pastor said something during his sermon that hit me at the core... He said "Once you know the truth, you have a responsibility to do something about it."
That is so VERY true yet we have a way of talking ourselves out of fulfilling that responsibility or we allow ourselves to get distracted by the daily grind of the tasks that lay right in front of us. I too find myself caught up with my life and trying to talk myself out of a greater calling. But you see, I believe God has revealed the core of his heart to me... the poor, the abused, the lonely..... the orphan. His word says "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for the orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you" James 1:27
I have seen first hand the devestation of neglect, abandonment, and abuses that are hard to even fathom on young girls the ages of my daughters. Most of the kids at Kettys House are children of prostitutes, have been sold into the child sex trade, or were severely abused and neglected. On my last trip there was a new girl in the orphanage that had just arrived a week before we arrived. A medical team had checked her out the day that we arrived and found her to have 2 STD's..... she was 10 years old! I look at my daughters and can't begin to wrap my head around the horrors that the girls at the orphanage have endured. And not only have they endured the worst of what our minds can imagine... but they don't have a mom or dad to hug them, protect them, and tell them everything is going to be okay. Instead they live a small 4 bedroom house with no plumbing, little electricity, and 30 other children with the same history.... yet this is the safest and most loved they have ever felt. I can't imagine any of my children spending 24 hours at Kettys house.... however... to these kids it is a home, a "family" and a sense of safety they have never felt.
The children at the orphanage range from 2 years old - 16 years old. Kettys house gets absolutely NO goverment aid or outside funding. The children are feed, clothed, and sheltered strickly by small donations from a local Dominican church and now by our church at Uniontown Bible. Since our first trip we have gotten all of the children sponsored monthly and some double sponsored. This has provided some regular monthly income for Kettys house to provide the basic needs of the children. But the need is so overwhelming great that at times I feel we are only making a small dent. However, I am encouraged that the "small dent" has given them HOPE and PEACE.
There is GREAT GREAT need out in the world. There are needs in our own backyards! But watch out because once TRUTH is revealed to you... there is no going back... there is no pretending that you didn't see it.... I am now responsible to do something about it! Stay tuned... I hope to keep sharing as I walk down this unknown path of being GLORIOUSLY RUINED!
In Him,
Kari