Kuwasaidia Yatima
(To Care For Orphans)
(To Care For Orphans)
Yokobo (James) 1:27 says...
"Dini iliyo safi na isiyo na hitilafu mbele ya Mungu Baba ni hii: Kuwasaidia yatima na wajane katika shida zao, na kujilinda mwenyewe usichafuliwe na ulimawengu huu."
"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this:
to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."
"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this:
to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."
And that is what I seek to do...
I visited my first orphanage after high school. A dream was planted, and I felt I knew what my Creator designed me to do. My purpose in life is to know & love God. Therefore, my purpose is not bound up in my work or anything I do. Yet, I believe each of us is called to a good work. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." This refers to many good works, but since God has a plan for each of our lives, there are specific "works" that He leads us to do individually as well... there is a way for each of us to contribute to seeing God's kingdom come & His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This work we are called to can often be determined by recognizing the gifts, talents, and desires God has placed within us.
For me, I've been a "mother" from the beginning. It began with 4 younger siblings, and it's grown ever since. My desire has always been to work with children. I'm not sure what it was about the orphans that drew me so much, but I have some ideas. God made me in such a way as to be drawn to individuals; I see the need in each person to be loved & cherished as an individual - everyone needs to know they're special to at least one person! Often this is the role of the parent with a child, but orphans may never have this since the are without parents and are usually being supervised by too few staff. My prayer is that the Lord would use that aspect of who I am to touch orphans' lives no matter how many children I may be tending to.
Thus far, I've been in orphanages in the Bahamas, El Salvador, Haiti, and Tanzania. I've been trying to follow God's leading & the dream He gave me 8 years ago. While I was in Tanzania (fall 2009), the Baptist Convention of Tanzania requested that I return to take the Orphanage Director position at the Knapp Baptist Orphanage Center, and I accepted. I created this website to better inform those I meet about who I am, what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it. You can visit the other pages to find out more about me & the Knapp Baptist Orphanage Center in Tanzania.
I was given wise advice to come up with a mission statement for the time I'll be spending out in Tanzania. The only thing that kept coming to mind was James 1:27. So, what could be a better mission statement than the very words of God? "To visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." This verse expresses specific ways to obey the two commands which Jesus said were greatest: first, to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and secondly, to love our neighbor as ourself. This verse also communicates two of the things that have been most important to me: caring for orphans and the pursuit of holiness. I began to write more extensively what James 1:27 means to me on this page, and then decided against "preaching" on the home page, so you'll have to check out the *first* blog on the Blog Updates page to read more about that. :o)
Thanks for taking the time to visit the site, and I hope you will be encouraged to continue to pursue whatever good work the Lord is calling you to do! "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
For me, I've been a "mother" from the beginning. It began with 4 younger siblings, and it's grown ever since. My desire has always been to work with children. I'm not sure what it was about the orphans that drew me so much, but I have some ideas. God made me in such a way as to be drawn to individuals; I see the need in each person to be loved & cherished as an individual - everyone needs to know they're special to at least one person! Often this is the role of the parent with a child, but orphans may never have this since the are without parents and are usually being supervised by too few staff. My prayer is that the Lord would use that aspect of who I am to touch orphans' lives no matter how many children I may be tending to.
Thus far, I've been in orphanages in the Bahamas, El Salvador, Haiti, and Tanzania. I've been trying to follow God's leading & the dream He gave me 8 years ago. While I was in Tanzania (fall 2009), the Baptist Convention of Tanzania requested that I return to take the Orphanage Director position at the Knapp Baptist Orphanage Center, and I accepted. I created this website to better inform those I meet about who I am, what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it. You can visit the other pages to find out more about me & the Knapp Baptist Orphanage Center in Tanzania.
I was given wise advice to come up with a mission statement for the time I'll be spending out in Tanzania. The only thing that kept coming to mind was James 1:27. So, what could be a better mission statement than the very words of God? "To visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." This verse expresses specific ways to obey the two commands which Jesus said were greatest: first, to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and secondly, to love our neighbor as ourself. This verse also communicates two of the things that have been most important to me: caring for orphans and the pursuit of holiness. I began to write more extensively what James 1:27 means to me on this page, and then decided against "preaching" on the home page, so you'll have to check out the *first* blog on the Blog Updates page to read more about that. :o)
Thanks for taking the time to visit the site, and I hope you will be encouraged to continue to pursue whatever good work the Lord is calling you to do! "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
Thinking the job through...
I don't often write poems, but when I was thinking about what my mission should be in caring for orphans and in what ways I would go about doing that, some of these lines just started to come to me & happened to rhyme, so I developed it into a poem. It's very simple, but it expresses some of my heart about what I hope to do. I'm sure after I've actually done it for a more extended period of time, I'll end up adding to all this, but for now, this is what's on my heart....
What The Orphan Needs
I once had a dream and desire to care for the orphaned child;
And when I realized it was the Lord's call, my heart inside smiled.
You see, God sends His people ‘round the world to do many things,
To reach and serve the world He loves - what glory to Him it brings!
And there are certain people in His word He calls our attention to:
The poor, the stranger, the widow, the orphan - just to name a few.
I went and saw for myself about the orphan need,
If you also want to know, then continue on and read:
First, they need someone to come and offer them a home,
A place where they are going to be safe, loved, and known.
They need someone to feed them when they’re getting hungry,
To make sure that they’re clothed & always have clean laundry.
To be there when they’re ailed with some horrible kind of sickness,
And help them to be strong whenever they’re at their weakest.
They need someone to calm them when they’re feeling mad,
To hold them and console them when their heart is sad.
They need someone to probe & find out why they’re hurting;
And (since our trials are a lesson) ask them what they’re learning.
Someone to gather them all up to sing, dance, run, and play;
And demonstrate that there‘s joy to find in each and every day!
To teach them all the words God has so lovingly given to us,
And explain their sins can be forgiven if in Jesus they will trust.
To train them how to discern what is right from what is wrong,
And show them when they do mess up that God’s love is still strong.
They need someone to express to them that they really care,
And communicate that each child is special - a treasure that is rare.
To let them know (& remind them often) that they’re not forgot,
Because there is a Father in heaven who loves them a whole lot!
Typically, to do these things is a parent’s joy,
But since the orphan has no parent, there is left a void.
Of course the orphan still needs these things, so if there is no other,
I’ll gladly go & answer the call to be the orphan’s… “mother.”
What The Orphan Needs
I once had a dream and desire to care for the orphaned child;
And when I realized it was the Lord's call, my heart inside smiled.
You see, God sends His people ‘round the world to do many things,
To reach and serve the world He loves - what glory to Him it brings!
And there are certain people in His word He calls our attention to:
The poor, the stranger, the widow, the orphan - just to name a few.
I went and saw for myself about the orphan need,
If you also want to know, then continue on and read:
First, they need someone to come and offer them a home,
A place where they are going to be safe, loved, and known.
They need someone to feed them when they’re getting hungry,
To make sure that they’re clothed & always have clean laundry.
To be there when they’re ailed with some horrible kind of sickness,
And help them to be strong whenever they’re at their weakest.
They need someone to calm them when they’re feeling mad,
To hold them and console them when their heart is sad.
They need someone to probe & find out why they’re hurting;
And (since our trials are a lesson) ask them what they’re learning.
Someone to gather them all up to sing, dance, run, and play;
And demonstrate that there‘s joy to find in each and every day!
To teach them all the words God has so lovingly given to us,
And explain their sins can be forgiven if in Jesus they will trust.
To train them how to discern what is right from what is wrong,
And show them when they do mess up that God’s love is still strong.
They need someone to express to them that they really care,
And communicate that each child is special - a treasure that is rare.
To let them know (& remind them often) that they’re not forgot,
Because there is a Father in heaven who loves them a whole lot!
Typically, to do these things is a parent’s joy,
But since the orphan has no parent, there is left a void.
Of course the orphan still needs these things, so if there is no other,
I’ll gladly go & answer the call to be the orphan’s… “mother.”
