Orphan Relief and Rescue

Gifty's story

Wed, 09 May 2012 06:07:32 -0500

Gifty is a little girl who came to live at one of our core orphanages approximately eight months ago. She had been living in the community with her family but, sadly, none of them were at all concerned about her health, safety or well-being. Each day, Gifty would visit the orphanage in search of food and love. Over time, her visits became more and more frequent until, one day, she simply ended up living at the home. No one from her family fought to get her back. No one from her family seemed to even care.

After going so long without individual care, Gifty has become an extremely affectionate little girl. She constantly greets me with a smile and a hug, and she is always reaching out to hold my hand or ask me to pick her up. Gifty has truly stolen a piece of my heart. I love her toothy smile and the excited look in her eyes when she comes running to me. She is such a precious little girl, and it breaks my heart that she has gone through so much of her young life being cast off and uncared for.

During the last several weeks, I started growing more and more concerned for Gifty. I began to notice that she had come down with a cough that just wouldn't go away. And on top of that, she was losing weight rapidly. She has always been small, but in the last little while, she seems to be getting even tinier. Her ribs are clearly visible, and when I held her, I couldn't help but notice how bony her little body has become.

So on Monday, Gifty took a trip to the doctor so that she could be examined. Unfortunately, the results were not good. She has pneumonia and malaria and, after taking a look at her chest x-ray, the doctors also diagnosed her with tuberculosis. She was put on medical treatment right away, and it is our hope that the medicine will work quickly in her tiny little body.

In the coming weeks, please remember beautiful little Gifty in your prayers. Please pray for strength and total healing, for wisdom and guidance for her doctors, and health and protection for the other children living in that home.

Speak up for the poor and helpless

Tue, 01 May 2012 16:37:01 -0500

There are many times in our blog that we get to come and share the victories with you-- happy, healthy, and growing children; orphanage directors who ‘get it’ and are working hard for the children in their care; a country that is rebuilding after so many years of civil war.

This is not one of those times.

The last few weeks have been brutal for our field team in Liberia. We have found ourselves fighting harder for truth, justice and the protection of children than ever before. We have felt beat down and exhausted through this fight, but at the same time energized by God’s strength to ‘endure the unendurable.’

I sat down to write a blog about a precious boy who is doing so well, thriving after years of struggle. I will tell his story another day, but today is for something different. Today, I feel God leading me to ask for prayer. We need prayer. The field team needs wisdom, guidance and strength as we continue to be a voice with action for orphans who literally no one else is helping. The children need protection, comfort, justice and provision for so much more than just their physical needs. The country of Liberia needs redemption, salvation from corruption and lies that continue to influence it to the very core.

Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Proverbs 31:8-9

Teacher Training Workshop

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:51:54 -0500

Last Wednesday, a group of 30 teachers from five different orphanage schools gathered together for an all-day teacher training workshop. All of the teachers received training in phonics, reading, and mathematics based on the grade level that they teach. Each school also was given a set of textbooks that will help with the new teaching methods.

Orphan Relief and Rescue was blessed to be able to partner with two women working for SIM (Serving In Missions) to facilitate the training and give these teachers creative ways to more effectively educate their students. Thank you to Jenny Elphick and Pat Hill from SIM for their time, dedication, and resources.

At the end of the day, the teachers unanimously declared that they would definitely love more training in the future. In the comments section of the evaluation, one teacher wrote, “I learned a lot from each topic, and I am willing to learn more. Please continue this training.” Another teacher wrote that he is looking forward to using what he learned about phonics in his classroom. One more thanked us for the training and recommended that we continue it in the coming months.Orphan Relief and Rescue believes that these types of workshops are extremely important for the well-being of the children that we work with, for a quality education today ensures success for the future.

George's Story

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:08:02 -0500

About two weeks ago, I received a call from a local hospital asking for help. A boy had been dropped off in the emergency room several weeks before, gravely ill. He ended up having emergency surgery to repair a bowel obstruction. Six weeks had passed and he was improving, but the problem was they had no where to discharge him to. The entire time he had been in the hospital he had no visitors. He had been abandoned.

As I walked onto the ward to meet him for the first time I found a shy, very thin teenage boy. He looked up at me with a sweet smile and told me his name was George. As George continued to talk to me, telling me his story, my heart dropped. His father had died years before, his mother last July. For the last several months he had been forced to scavenge for work and food in the bush. He and a handful of other boys his age had banded together to try and survive. It was these friends who somehow were able to get him all the way to town, to the hospital just in time when he fell sick.

I immediately called a friend at the Ministry of Social Welfare and notified her of the boy’s situation. Within a few hours, a social worker was at the hospital interviewing him and had already arranged for him to be placed (hopefully temporarily) in an orphanage. I was thankful it was an orphanage that we know well, with a director who has experience taking care of kids with special medical needs.

A few days later, as I drove up to the orphanage to check on George, he met me at the car with that same, sweet smile. He was moving slowly, but had improved slightly from when I had seen him in the hospital. We talked for awhile and agreed that I’d come back to see him the next week.

The night before I was scheduled to go back and visit George, I received a frantic phone call from the orphanage director. George was very sick again. His stomach was swelling, and he couldn’t eat. I told the director to get George back to the emergency room as soon as possible. They took him to the hospital, but George’s incision had already re-opened. George has been readmitted to the hospital and is currently awaiting another surgery to fix the open wound.

This boy has already been through so much trauma, and my heart breaks for him. He’s completely and utterly alone, and his health is a grave concern. Please join us in praying for him today.

Thank you KGNW listeners!

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:33:53 -0500

In December 2011, the listeners of KGNW radio in Seattle banded together to donate over $7000 towards a flushing latrine system for an orphanage in Liberia, as well as two months of operating expenses for an orphanage in Benin. The latrine project at the Rock of Divine orphanage has been completed, and on behalf of everyone living in that home, we would like to thank you for your generosity!

Fatu Latrine from Orphan Relief and Rescue on Vimeo.

Day 46

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 08:07:15 -0500

Today is the last day of Lent. Thank you for joining us for 46 Days of Prayer! Your prayers for the children that we work with on a daily basis are so appreciated! We spent this last week talking about Christ's death and resurrection, and ended the time with celebration! Orphans in the third-world country celebrating Christ's resurrection--it doesn't get much better than that! There was clapping, singing, dancing, drum playing, waving papers and hands, laughter, beating on tables with lollipops...it was quite the celebration! He is alive!

For our last day of prayer, would you join us in praying for our three core orphanage homes, along with the orphanage directors? Pray for guidance, provision, wisdom, blessing, endurance, patience, joy, hope, safety--there is so much to pray for! Please join us today in praying for: Danny Feeney Memorial Orphanage Home (Salome), Frances Gaskin Rescue Home (Emmanuel and Evelyn), and Rock of Divine Healing (Fatu and Mr. Smith).

Happy Easter! He is Risen!

Maglee, Mercy and Kebbeh doing their Easter craft.

Day 45

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 06:45:20 -0500

As part of the 46 days of prayer leading up to Easter, we are asking you to join us in praying for the children that we work with on a daily basis. Today's children are:

Jonathan

Musa

Penneh

James

Day 44

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:31:46 -0500

As part of the 46 days of prayer leading up to Easter, we are asking you to join us in praying for the children that we work with on a daily basis. Today's children are:

Jonathan

Paul

Shadrich

Day 43

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:17:46 -0500

As part of the 46 days of prayer leading up to Easter, we are asking you to join us in praying for the children that we work with on a daily basis. Today's children are:

Boye

Fatu

Zoe

Day 42

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:36:18 -0500

As part of the 46 days of prayer leading up to Easter, we are asking you to join us in praying for the children that we work with on a daily basis. Today's children are:

Morris

Gift

Dillon