Still looking for a way to give back this year? Consider giving to AIM’s orphan ministry. The following is from Ericka Bennett who visited Swaziland earlier this year and was moved so much that joined staff:
She was a beautiful little girl,
probably not more than two years old. She toddled over to me in tears,
inconsolable. I couldn’t understand why she was crying. Even though I was in Africa, I thought through all the normal American
childcare questions. “Is she hungry?” No, they’d just eaten – and though it was
a less than appetizing meal of maize, her stomach was full. “Wet diaper?” No,
the children here have never seen a diaper- this little girl wasn’t even
wearing pants. Then it hit me… she’s sleepy. I reached for her, and she
instantly fell asleep in my arms.
I held her, watching her as she
slept, wondering when she last had anyone to hold her. I wondered if she had
anyone who told her she was loved. My heart ached as I sat there in the dirt,
not wanting to let go. But it was time to leave…
I had to leave her there, on a mat
in the dirt, alone, without even a blanket. I wondered if there was anyone who
even cared if she was okay. I fought back tears as I walked away…
“…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a
son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no
room for them in the inn.” -Luke 2:7
A lowly birth for the Messiah. His
first “baby bed” was a food trough for animals! I try to imagine that cold
night, and the frustration Mary must have felt. Giving birth to a child in a
stable, and laying him in a manger couldn’t have been what she imagined. I
think of all the nurseries I see in America, pink and blue, beautiful,
warm and safe… and then I imagine Jesus, as a newborn, out in a stable in the
dirt and hay with the animals.
Our Lord deserved so much more!
But then, doesn’t every child?
When I think about the birth of
our Savior, I can’t help but think of the children I met in Africa.
I think of their lowly births – into poverty and disease. I think of them, not
sleeping in a manger, but sleeping in the dirt or on a cold cement floor. I
think of how so many go to bed hungry and sick. I think of those beautiful
little girls and boys who have lost both their parents and are now orphans,
left alone in this world.
Maybe that’s why Jesus cared so
much about “the least of these”- because He’d been there. Maybe that’s why He
commanded us to care for those in hopeless situations, for He is the one who
came to bring hope to a hurting world!
“… your Father in heaven is not willing
that any of these little ones should be lost.” -Matthew 18:14
This Christmas, there are millions of children in need of
hope– children in desperate situations who need to see the love of Christ from
you. Here at AIM, we are working to help
orphans in Kenya, India, Pakistan,
and Cambodia, but our most
desperate needs are in Swaziland,
Africa.
Our dream for Swaziland is to
see The Nsoko Project succeed. Swaziland is
the most AIDS infected country in the world, with over 130,000 orphans. We
recently broke ground in the city of Nsoko
to see an orphan village built. It will be a community full of love, healing,
and hope.
It will provide homes for the orphans, a family environment, and
projects to teach them to build a business and sustain their families, and
we’ve already begun! Our first priority is to get a building and fence built to
provide a safe place for the children. To see this happen, we need $22,000 by January 1st.
Your donation will provide a place
for the children where they are safe from violence and abuse. It will provide
an environment where they can begin to be educated and taught skills such as
gardening, fishing, and how to run a business in the marketplace. These skills
will give them a way to provide food and other basic needs for themselves and
their families.
As we enter a festive time full of family, fun, and food,
let us not forget these little ones. As you light your Christmas tree, pray about
bringing light to the dark places around the world.
This year-end, give the
gift that will outlast you. Give hope to a child in need. Click here to give on-line, or send a check to AIM, 6000 Wellspring Tr., Gainesville, GA 30506
