Risk Being Broken

I received an email from one of the children that I first met back in 2007 when we were adopting Bright. There is a group of six boys at Nyame Dua Foster Home that are so precious to my heart. "L" had this to say (in part):

"Mummy Anita, Thank you and we say god blessed you for all that you are doing for us. It takes courage to Love. It takes a brave heart that risks being broken to discover the joy of love. Daddy Paul, has inform us how busy and effort you are making to provide us with food, shelter and education,and that is truth, We cannot wait to say, we wish you all the best in life and above all love."

I think there is something profound in his words. When you reach out to these children--these broken and hurt childre--you risk being broken yourself. Back in 2006 I was taken in by a young man I met at the market in Ghana and wanted so much to help him. I believed in him. In that instance, the help we sent to Ghana for his education was mismanaged and in the end, my heart was broken. No lie--I felt really burned. It hurt! Although that boy has since apologized (and I have forgiven him), that experience changed me. I found it very difficult to trust anybody who asked for help in Ghana. Isn't that like an American? We are so worried about being scammed that we use the fear of scam as an excuse not to help.

I'm not sure when my heart healed from that bad experience. I will always be less trusting and more diligent in making sure any help I send to Ghana is used appropriately. However, these boys--these Nyame Dua boys--they have helped to heal my heart. Over a period of 4 years they have grown spiritually and emotionally. Although I am sad they didn't find adoptive families, my heart soars that Ghana will be able to benefit from these young men entering society!!

Right now these six boys are living in a wooden structure outside of the proper foster home. Calling it a "wooden structure" is really just a nice word for shack. It's the best that could be provided for them. Their home is not the shack though. I don't want to imply that. Their "home" includes a loving foster mom and dad, a church family, an education, and good food to eat. It's just the place where they sleep...that place is being eaten away by termites. When it rains, it rains inside the room. When mosquitoes come, they can fit through the cracks easily. Someday soon that room will be no good to them at all.

Right now Nyame Dua and AAI are raising money to rebuild the room. In the future it will be a proper Boys' Dormatory, with electricity and clean water. It will be safe from the elements outside. The bottom portion will be built of concrete that cannot be eaten by termites. They will even hopefully have a small sitting room outside of the sleeping room. The total cost for this project is around $5000. To date, around $2000 has been given.

I really don't intend for my blog to become a place that is always saying "Please give money for THIS or THAT or THE OTHER THING" but right now this is weighing heavily on my heart. These boys deserve better.

I know it's hard to give up any of your hard-earned money. I know it's especially hard when you don't know the people involved and you may never see with your own eyes how your money was sent. Like "L" said--you have to "risk being broken" sometimes to make a difference in the lives of those that are only known to you through stories and photos.

Please consider helping us gather the $3000 left to fund this project. [That amount doesn't even include furnishings.] You can donate SO EASILY online by going to the AAI WEBSITE. Your donation is tax deductible and not one red cent goes to "administrative costs." Every penny goes right to the cement and wood to build this dorm.

Thanks,

Anita

--
Anita Gillispie
mom to Taevy (9, Cambodia), Samren (8, Vietnam), Bright (4, Ghana) and Kendi (2, Ghana)
http://www.gillispiefam.blogspot.com/