Blog post by Cathleen B., Team Iraq 2012
Why would someone go on a trip across the world to meet orphans and then leave after two weeks?
Growing up in middle class America, we read Oliver Twist and Tom Sawyer and have a romanticized view of orphans. Both characters display a life of independence and adventure that we crave as children. The books are fun, but they deceive us into thinking that orphan life is the essence of greatness and fun and there are no authority figures to submit to. We don’t imagine life without parents who shelter, love, protect and teach us. Then as we grow up we forget about orphans altogether and focus on the needs of ourselves and others in our immediate approximate.
Only until recently have I come back to thinking about the orphan again; this time, in a more sobering light. As I read about the orphan again, I read about the child who is shunned by society, not exempt from any country in the world, not offered loved and often exposed to crime. I imagine what life would be like to be despised by society just because I was born. These innocent children are often exposed to sex trafficking and even forced labor. Orphans are many times never offered love in their entire lives and as a result end up in prison or have life without hope. So what is 2 weeks going to do in the impact of a child’s life? It is an opportunity to love. In going on this trip, I believe that even if it was for one day, it is priceless and could give the child a chance for the future, hope, and most importantly an opportunity of life of eternity with Christ.
So, why do I want to go on a trip? It may seem like a waste of time for many. I mean… two weeks with orphan kids and then you come home. Isn’t that a waste? Well, the truth is… wouldn’t it be worth it for you if you were the orphan? The answer is unequivocally, yes. If we are to love God and the things He loves, why would we not go and love the orphan. People came to talk and play with you, share Christ, and help you see that not only are you valuable and important, but a child of God with purpose and a future. The most important thing about going for me is because I see how vulnerable these little blessings are. They are surrounded by hurting people who have suffered war, they are limited in their resources of love and opportunities in life. Often children who are in orphanages are exposed to different kinds of trafficking and are taught they are not valuable in life and will not ever be in their society. Not because of anything they have done, but because of who society says they are. James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Cathleen will be serving on the Iraq Journey 117 Team leaving in June 2012. Cathleen resides in Fort Worth, Texas.
Tags: Child Labor, Child Trafficking, Team Iraq 2012
