A Change of Plans

So the last time I posted, I was going on a Visiting Orphans trip to Uganda and Ethiopia. I'm not anymore. Last fall, I began reading several books and reading a few blogs of women in Africa. God completely broke my heart for the massive number of orphans there. Specifically Uganda. I clearly felt Him calling me to go on a VO trip. Yes, I am a mother of small children and yes, I have many responsibilities here. But I could not forget what I had read about, what I heard about. That would be irresponsible. Faith without works is dead. My children are surrounded by loved ones to care for them. Those children in Uganda have none. I could not get out of mind the notion that my children and I could have easily been born in a land of complete desperation. In a land where I had no means to provide for my family. Those mothers love their children no less than I do mine. My children would be well cared for while I was gone. So I signed up to go. Then my good friend Sumer returned from her VO trip. The very same trip I would be going on this summer. She thought she was going to love Uganda and that it would steal her heart. It didn't. The second part of her trip was in Ethiopia. They visited children living in the dump outside Addis Ababa. A landfill. These orphans scavage through the city's trash for food. The only shelter they have is a concrete pavilion. These children stole her heart. She and her family are moving to Ethiopia this summer to minister to them. She has become a woman on a serious mission for God. Several people from our church are going to help for a week. And now God has called me to go with them. I have to admit, I wasn't very happy at first. Really God, You called me to Uganda. You broke my heart for them. Sumer is doing an awesome thing and I want to support her, but I also want to go to Uganda. I can help her while the VO team is in Ethiopia. Then I remembered, obedience first. Feelings later. I am constantly telling my kids when they complain that they don't FEEL like doing what I asked them, it doesn't matter what you feel. You obey me because I am your mother and that's what God says to do. You'll respect me for it later. So God says "Robyn, go to Ethiopia." So I'm going. I'll post more later on our specific plans, but God is going to do a Great Thing! I explained to Taylor that we were going to help some kids that live in a dump. She commented "Mommy, we have to save them!" Taylor, God is going to save them because with God all things are possible!