Abandoned, Abused, Homeless Children- A Word and a Prayer:

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 Discarded and abused—but not forgotten

 

Psalm 27:10

“Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.”

2 Timothy 4: 16 – 17 “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. ”

 

 

Countless children across the world have been abandoned because their parents have died, couldn’t afford to feed them, or simply did not want them anymore. These children often experience unimaginable suffering while living on their own. On our recent mission to Ethiopia and Kenya we met missionaries and local volunteers of children’s homes spending their lives to give rescued children an opportunity to know and love Jesus. Serving in an orphanage we saw first-hand babies and young children embraced by loving Christian caretakers. And yet, for many we still evidenced the lingering effects of malnutrition and abuse that had previously ravaged their innocent lives. Wrinkled skin and blackened marks were noticeable on many of their hands and feet. A few had larger heads disproportionate to their small bodies as their malnourished bodies drained nutrients from the hands and feet. The body naturally preserves the head as the last place affected, thus the enlarged heads. We also were able to pray and love on a set of 2-year-old twins who lived in a totally darkened place for 9 months. With no light at all, the mother hid them and rarely fed them. By God’s grace a neighbor lady rescued the twins and they were placed in the orphanage. They still have eye problems and difficulty focusing in light. The twins arrived 3 months prior to our arrival. Inseparable, we quickly noticed them following each other everywhere around the orphanage. One of them would cry while  continuously squinting her eyes as if in pain. After we prayed and laid hands on her, the crying ceased for the rest of the day… Praise the Lord.

children orphanage 1-4

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Children orphanage 3-4

Hungry and vulnerable, many orphaned and abandoned children have no choice but to beg in busy streets or may eventually become trapped in a life of prostitution. Children left to survive alone on the streets face sickness, sexual and emotional abuse, and severe malnutrition. Across the world about 2 million children are exploited every year in the global commercial sex trade. For the millions of children still on the streets, the dangers of human trafficking, bonded labor, extreme weather and various diseases are all threats they must face daily. For those children who have found safety and placement in children’s homes, there is still a long road of recovery they must travel because of the pain and abuse they have endured.

Children orphanage 4-4

Childrens orphanage 5 Children orphanage 4

Please join me in prayer …

Heavenly Father, please protect the children living on the streets from the harm that could easily befall them. May you miraculously save the many boys and girls trapped in lives of bonded labor, sexual abuse and homelessness. Please bring wholeness and healing to each of these boys and girls whose bodies and hearts have suffered immensely. May they become physically and spiritually strong by Your grace.

 Almighty Father, We lift up the children of this world, the ones who live comfortably and the ones who have no roof above their heads. We lift up the children who have never heard of You. And today as we pray, we remember and lift up in Your tender loving hands, the abused and abandoned, living without love, without hope, and without the basic needs of life.

 Lord Jesus, we call upon Your blessed name and pray for the children who are abused and suffering from wounds inflicted deep within them, and those led into sin at a young age, not knowing what they are doing. In Your blessed power, release them from these captives and may their hearts be reconciled in Your perfect love and healing.

Lord Jesus, we ask You to open their eyes and hearts to Your love. May they come to know You deeply, and experience Your love wholeheartedly,

 We pray in the blessed name of Jesus, Amen!

Children orphanage 2

 

 

A Wind in the House of Islam: How God is drawing Muslims around the world to faith in Jesus Christ

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Dr. David Garrison’s long-awaited global survey of Muslim movements to Christ reveals that we are in the midst of the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history. Garrison’s core question: “What did God use to bring you to faith in Jesus Christ? Tell me your story.” The result is the most extensive survey of Muslim movements to Christ ever achieved. This is a fabulous book, extremely insightful. I strongly recommend it!

Ethiopian Beef Tibs

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Ethiopian Beef Tibs

My favorite meal in Ethiopia was these fabulous and yummy beef tibs! The sauce in this wonderful dish gets its kick from berbere, an Ethiopian chili powder fragrant with cardamom, fenugreek, and clove. Use it once and you’ll quickly see why much of Ethiopian cuisine is built upon it.

Cook: 45 minutes

Yield: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

1-   

Melt niter kibbeh(see recipe below) in a heavy saucepan on medium heat, then add onions, ginger, garlic, and berbere. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are dark, ruddy, and golden, about 30 minutes. Onions should be at a low sizzle during cooking process. Adjust heat accordingly. Transfer to food processor and blend until not quite a purée. Return to saucepan, season to taste with salt, and keep warm.

2-   Season beef on all sides generously with kosher salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat high until lightly smoking. Add beef in a single layer, leaving plenty of open space in the pan (brown in batches if you don’t have a large enough skillet). Cook without moving until well-seared on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip meat cubes with tongs and cook on second side until well seared. Continue to cook meat, stirring and flipping occasionally until desired level of doneness is reached. For rare meat, transfer to saucepan immediately. For medium, cook an additional one to two minutes before transferring to saucepan. For well done, cook up to five more minutes before transferring to saucepan.

3-   

Toss beef with warm sauce, stir in lemon juice, and serve.

Niter kibbeh is a spice blend always at the peak of freshness since you lock the flavors into clarified butter. There are as many recipes for niter kibbeh as there are Ethiopian cooks; this ingredient list is just what I’ve found most satisfying and well-balanced. The coriander and bay leaves aren’t strictly traditional, but they help unite this diverse array of spices into a satisfying whole.

Recipe for Niter Kibbeh:

 Ingredients:

1 pound of unsalted butter

1 small onion, minced

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

2 inches of ginger, peeled and sliced thin

2 3-inch sticks of cinnamon, or 1 teaspoon ground

8 crushed cardamom pods, or 1/2 teaspoon ground

1 teaspoon of fenugreek, whole or ground

1 teaspoon of coriander, whole or ground

2 cloves, or 1/8 teaspoon ground

2 bay leaves

Procedures:

1-   

In a saucepan, slowly melt the butter on low heat. Meanwhile, toast the spices. If grinding, toast beforehand.

2-   Add all the spices to the butter, and reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Keep an eye on the pot every few minutes to make sure it’s not boiling as the water evaporates. The milk solids will rise to the surface of the pot as the water cooks out.

3-   

Let the butter simmer, with just a few bubbles popping through, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Like a good stock, longer cooking is better, but it needs to be gentle so the milk solids don’t burn. If they do, the niter kibbeh will be irreparably bitter.

4-   When the solids have turned a pleasant brown and plenty of time has past, line a mesh strainer with a cheesecloth or paper towel and place it over a small storage container. Strain the butter well, making sure there are no milk solids or spices in the final product. Your niter kibbeh will last for months in the refrigerator. The larger a batch you make, the less butter you’ll lose to straining.