Welcome back to a series featuring former street children in Uganda who are in need of sponsorship. A few weeks ago, I introduced you to Future Hope Ministries, a local ministry near my home, founded by our pediatrician, Dr. Laura White, and her family. Yesterday I shared about a sweet little girl — Praise — in need of a sponsor.
I’m going to share about another child available for sponsorship today — Gift — but first, I want to talk a bit about orphan care.
Let’s begin by discussing the meaning of the word, “orphan.” Many consider that orphans are merely children whose parents are dead and are likely available for adoption. But I maintain that an orphan is any child whose parents are not in their life. This could be through death, but it could also be through divorce, illness, or abandonment.
Even thefreedictionary.com defines an orphan as “a child who has been deprived of parental care and has not been adopted.”
Realizing this fuller definition will help you understand that orphan care does not always equate to adoption. Quite simply, there are many children who are not available for adoption, and yet they are orphans in the true sense of the word.
I am an adoptive mom. Adoption is important to me, and it is a vital part of orphan care. I have many friends who have traveled the world to bring orphaned children into their families. I have supported them with my time, prayers, and resources. I love their kids like my own. But God does not call all of us to adopt. Nor do I believe that He calls all orphans to be adopted.
However, God clearly has a heart for orphans, and He asks us to care for them.
In fact, He commands that we do so. {tweet that!}
Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. (Psalm 82:3 ESV)
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27 ESV)
In countries such as Uganda, where an entire generation has been decimated by war and HIV, and nearly 3 million children are orphans (10% of the population!), nurturing and protecting these children — helping them to grow up healthy and with the education and skills to become the leaders of their country — is also of vital importance. The survival of the country of Uganda may depend upon it.
When considering our own call to help orphans, perhaps we need to remember that we were all spiritual orphans once, adopted into the family of God through Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-7). Just as God cared for our eternal needs as orphans, it is imperative that we partner with him in loving, serving, and protecting the orphans of this world.
Please prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do for the orphaned and vulnerable children of Uganda. {tweet that!}
Now, let me introduce you to another precious child in need of sponsorship — sweet Gift. What he gift he is!
Asiimwe Gift is 11 years old and in Primary 4 (the equivalent of grade 4 in the U.S.). His favorite subject at school is social studies. He says he likes social studies because it helps him know his environment better. He wants to be an engineer when he grows up. For fun, he loves playing soccer and he loves that his “uncles” at SASCU get to play soccer with him and the other children.
Gift is a highly active yet very polite boy. He is a single orphan. His mother got pregnant while still in school which caused her to drop out of school. Later on the man responsible for her pregnancy died. She has a chronic disease that cannot allow her to do much work and this has made her vulnerable also.
You can sponsor Gift with monthly gift of $50, made through Paypal — easy peasy.
Won’t you consider sponsoring this precious child or one of the others in need today?
I’m joining with more than 60 other bloggers this week also sharing a chosen topic for 5 days. Realizing that’s a lot of bloggers, I’ll give you a great place to begin with these 8 friends. Take some time stop by and say hi. They have much to share with you for your family, home, and homeschool!
Ellen @ Grace Tells Another Story ~ Making Homeschooling Fun!
Wendy @ Simplicity Breeds Happiness — International Meals
Melanie @ FinchNWren ~ Finchnwren’s Fabulous Family Movies
Sarah @ Delivering Grace ~ learning about England
Victoria @ Homemaking with Heart ~ Connecting with the Creator through Nature Study
Joanie @ Simple Living Mama ~ 5 Days of Charlotte Mason Preschool
Gwen @ Tolivers to Texas ~ A Happy, Peaceful Home
Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses ~ Homeschooling 4 FREE resources
For even more great topics, click on the banner below to find all of our blog hop buddies!
