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Dear ,
It's hard to imagine life with no support system. No parents or grandparents, aunts or uncles; no church family to care and guide. It's hard to imagine that kind of aloneness. Where does one turn for advice? Where does one go for love and reassurance? These are the issues faced by many thousands of orphans around the world every day. Regardless of age, alone is alone!
This month, we want to introduce you to a very precious young lady named Dana. She was abandoned by her parents as a baby and has never experienced the security that so many of us take
 | | Dana learning to make a cake |
for granted. At the age of 30, she has no home, no job, and no idea how this can ever change. Dana has a decreased intellectual capacity, but tries very hard to please when given a task. Her demeanor is sweet, and in her world, this is very dangerous. Her kindness is often taken advantage of by those around her.
Over the last year, as we have worked with adult orphans, most of our experiences have not been hopeful. Many of the young women who have come for mentoring have been very disrespectful, hateful, often mocking, and have left us exhausted and wondering if we are just wasting our time and resources. We know that just doing something nice for these young women will not bring lasting change in their lives. But then there are girls like Dana. Girls that want to learn. Girls that listen intently and struggle to understand, even though their mental capacity makes it so hard for them. These are the girls that give us hope. These are also the girls that are targeted by ruthless people for selfish gain. These are the girls we want to help. Below is a link to a CNN report this week that exemplifies this problem.
Romanian sex trafficking crime family jailed in UK
There are no easy answers for these young women. They are slow, fearful, vulnerable, uneducated. Years of abuse and neglect in overcrowded orphanages has led to overwhelming issues on every side. But God is able! We are seeking to work with these precious ones in a manner that will not foster the unhealthy dependence which has developed after a lifetime of being in governmental institutions. Our natural wisdom is so lacking! "But God..." is a phrase that rings in our ears. Is He not able?
"To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One. Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away. O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on
the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:25-31 NLT
We covet your prayers! We know that God is able to work miracles in the lives of these young women. We need a great deal of wisdom to work effectively with them. God has a plan!
Going for Him,
Stephanie and Leslie
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