christine

Aren't the images of the Philippines just heart-wrenching?

It's crushing.

I find myself staring at the TV or videos on-line feeling such helplessness.

I just cannot imagine.

As I climb into my cozy bed every night, I think about the people who live in those parts of the world.  It's not that we're completely immune here -- look at New Orleans or the many towns just ravaged each year in this country by tornadoes alone.  But to live in such extreme poverty anyway and then have something like a typhoon come in and practically wipe you off the map is so, so sad.

'Why them and not us?' is what I often ask myself.

A hard thing for us at this moment is that just a couple of weeks ago, we committed to bring a 14-year-old orphan from the Philippines into our home for four or five weeks over Christmas.  It's called hosting.  Think: bring the mission to you.  The hope is that these kids will learn about Christ while being hosted, experience the love of a family and maybe, just maybe, meet the family who is meant to be theirs for forever.

Her name's Christine and we haven't heard how she is yet.  Or how the rest of the children in her orphanage are.  We're waiting for news.  Ick.  I don't do well with waiting.  Not one bit.

Not to mention that for the past seven years, we've sponsored a sweeeet girl named Lyka.  She too is Filippino.  She's not an orphan though.  Her parents are married, her father's a fisherman and she has three siblings.  The thought of anything having happened to her or her family creates the biggest lump in my throat.  Again, waiting for news.  Ugh.

Would you pray for Christine and Lyka?

Pray they're alive.  

I just can't imagine receiving any other news.