An Abandoned Child…and Coffee
I was at the Passion Conference in Atlanta, GA when I had a conversation that would change my life forever.
There was an organization called Gobena Coffee there selling coffee. I had really begun to appreciate coffee at that time, so I approached the booth to see what they were about. Why were they here? I was interested, so I asked.
The man working the booth told me a story about a couple from Ethiopia. They were on a walk near their house when they heard an unexpected sound. When they finally tracked down where the noise was coming from, they realized what it was.
It was a little baby girl’s cry. She had been abandoned in a yard at one of the nearby houses.
Filled with compassion, they cared for the child like she was their own daughter before eventually placing her in an orphanage. That girl would eventually be adopted by two loving parents, and her life changed forever.
I was blown away by the story! So much, in fact, that I became inspired to help orphans myself. With there being so many in the world I wanted to do whatever I could.
Soon after I was told about a local organization that took bi-annual mission trips to Southeast Asia specifically for the purpose of helping orphans.
That was all I needed to hear.
In 2015, I was able to take my first ever mission trip in which we served orphans and orphanage leaders in Southeast Asia.
We organized VBS events.
We taught the Bible.
We played sports.
We prayed and worshipped together.
It was such an amazing experience, and by the end of the trip I truly felt that God had used me and my small influence to make a difference.
The work is not over though. It is estimated that there are still 140 million orphans in the world today. I may not be able to solve the problem on my own, but I know I can help. When we combine our small efforts together, it can make a truly large impact.
