Wednesday, March 23, 2011

An Outhouse


Perhaps it seems unusual to have a post about an outhouse. But there is a lot to this outhouse.

To the right is a photo of the house that the trip team painted. It is Mehiret, Lidia and Bedilu's house. You'll find more photos of this family soon, but I found a lot of significance in the outhouse that is the small mud structure recently attached to this home.

This outhouse represents dignity that the children were able to gain back through the help of Food for the Hungry. It is not uncommon for there to be a community bathroom for several houses together. Because of the HIV status of these children, their neighbors would not allow them to use the neighborhood bathroom. They were shooed away and forced to go the bathroom outside causing unhealthy sanitary conditions. With this outhouse, they were allowed to find their dignity.

This reminds me once again of the importance of one particular aspect of this partnership, and that is the ultimate goal of adoption of these children by Zeway believers. When these children have a forever family they will have advocates and a mom and dad caring for them 24 hours a day. A forever family will help these children regain their "status" and avoid situations such as begging for the neighborhood bathroom.

Please be in prayer that Zeway believers will be moved for the children beyond a weekly visit and check-ins. Pray that they will be moved to make the orphans beloved sons and daughters.

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