Redeemed

I would like for all of you to read this article written by Mary, called Ransomed .  It is a story about her adopted son Micah from Ukraine.  I remember reading about Micahs life shortly after they adopted him in 2009 and the story that they told about the conditions in the mental institution that he was transferred to straight from the baby orphanage.  This story cut a hole in my heart, seriously.  I have been following Reeces' Rainbow family blogs and had never been so slapped in the face with the reality of how these children were suffering.  I had read many family stories of things that their children had experienced, but this one hit home!!  When you read the story they talk about the trauma that little Micah went through while in the mental institution.  I sat crying, sobbing and determined to some how help these children because at that point I saw my daughter Ashlyn sitting in the floor where Micah was.  I saw her afraid and terrorized and it really, really did something to me that day.  My Ashlyn is easily frightened and can sometimes get scared at the slightest change in her environment...the older she gets, the worse it seems to get.  When I read that story I saw her afraid and crying and pushing the other children away.  Why isn't someone helping her?  Why isn't someone getting the other children that are terrorizing her out of her way?  She is afraid and crying and screaming and no one is coming to her rescue!  Where is everyone?  Where is her mama and where is her daddy and why did they leave her like this?  And then I remember, oh that's not Ashlyn sitting there in the floor, no she is safe right here next to me watching cartoons in her warm and toasty pajamas as happy and content as she can be.  She's here.  She's safe.  No one is terrorizing her.  She isn't cold or hungry.  She isn't crying and afraid.  She isn't begging strangers for food.  But guess what?  There are other little Ashlyn's out there who aren't as fortunate as our little Ashlyn  They don't have a mom or dad to tuck them in at night or to make sure their belly is full.  They don't have someone to rub their back or rock them to sleep or comfort them when they or sick and crying.  What can I do to help them?  I am just *one*.  The orphan crisis in this world is too big for just one to make a difference.  Or is it?  We've heard before, you can't save the world Traci.  No but we can save her world.  Anna's world.  Anna's life.  We can be her mommy and daddy and brothers and sister.  We can comfort her when she is sick or afraid.  And you can make a difference too.  Maybe you aren't in a place to adopt a child right now.  Maybe you don't have any extra money to donate to help the many families at Reece's Rainbow right now.  But I know you know how to pray.  I know you know how to spread the word about our many families, through email, snail mail, Facebook, etc.  You can make a difference for the orphans of the world by advocating for them.  Maybe you could send $5 this month or maybe you could send $100 this month.  Any money that is donated goes towards changing the life for one of the 147 million orphans in the world.  You can be a life saver today!  Pray.  Donate.  Spread the Word.

OH and go and read Micah's story

God is in the redemption business!!!

From this:

to this:

Yay God!!!!!!!