Imparting His Comfort and Hope...

Hannah's Hope Guatemala and Ethiopia

Waiting Children Dawit, Dagmawit and Robel

Over the past 18 years I have personally walked through orphanage doors all over the world, held countless orphans in my arms, and looked deeply into eyes that plead with me to make them my own. If only I could have...

Instead God asked us to reach out to one child, and then called us to reach out to a world full of orphan children through AGCI. Yet even now so many years later the faces of the fatherless still pass before me. As their pictures come across my desk or appear on my computer screen, my heart feels the same overwhelming emotion I felt when I saw Hannah's face for the first time. My heart still longs for a way to give each and every one of these precious orphans the life we were able to give Hannah... the life they deserve.

For me, and all of us at AGCI, at times the burden seems so heavy and more than one can bear. The lines of waiting children never end. Yet, day after day our staff continues to reach out to rescue the fatherless, one by one, despite our individual moments of anguish over the multitudes of children who so desperately need our love and care. We all continue to press on, reaching out to all who God places before us.

Last night my heart was encouraged as I read the words of King David in Psalm 27, called "A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God." Just reading the word "fearless" stirred up courage in my soul. As my eyes focused on verse 13, God encouraged my heart: "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

With those words of faith, God calls us all to stand in faith for the orphan, and to believe wholeheartedly that He is faithfully working to give all His orphaned children His goodness in their lives.

We are entrusted with a sacred responsibility. Every single needy child, healthy or fragile, God has placed before us - some directly in our care at Hannah's Hope, where we nurture their needs and labor to heal their lives. For others we have a mandate of mercy to find new families, carefully following God's heart to fulfill the plans He has for each orphan life. He expects us to prayerfully pursue the future and hope He has promised and planned for each one.

AGCI's call to help will be fulfilled only if each one who reads these words today will respond to God's personal call in their own lives. The faces of the fatherless that lie silently on this page are children who are waiting... waiting for "the goodness of the Lord" to touch their lives through your life.

Alex

Some just need your continued help to support their care as they receive God's grace and goodness at Hannah's Hope Guatemala.

Alex is one of those children. Although he cannot speak, he seems to understand when someone talks to him. His special mother said in a note, "For me, Alex is a child that has shown me how to value life, not only my life, but also the lives of my children and family. With all the time I have spent with Alex, he has come to mean a lot to me. He is always ready to receive love. I believe the Lord put Alex in Hannah's Hope for a reason. All who meet Alex are blessed. He sees everyone with love and mercy. Thank you for allowing me to care for Alex by sponsoring Hannah's Hope."

Efrain is another special child, but despite his fragile condition he is always happy, smiling and laughing. His special mother writes that "He has shown me that we need to be thankful to God for everything He has given us. Efrain has shown me how to smile in all circumstances."

Miguel, abandoned by his mother on the streets of Guatemala, touches everyone's heart, as does Perla, who can hardly move her head, but still manages to give big smiles to all who talk to her. Even though adoption has still not opened yet in Guatemala, the children continue to come:

Three-year-old Sylvia, who loves to imitate her special mother Miriam.

Jenifer, age 6, who loves to play with Barbies.

Elyel, who has such a sweet spirit, and Amelia, who is so shy and reserved.

Twelve-year-old-Nayeli, our oldest child at Hannah's Hope, who loves to talk with the special mothers, and of course Brayan, age 9, who still waits for his family to take him home.

These are just some of the children God has placed in our care in Guatemala. For now, until new laws are passed, adoption is not in their future, but AGCI's commitment to care for them through the orphan care programs of Hannah's Hope shares with all God's children the goodness and love He asks us to provide in His name.

In Ethiopia, God has entrusted to our care children who are adoptable and who are simply waiting for a family. They need you to search your heart and reach out with love to call them your own.

Hannah

Children like:

Twelve-year-old Hannah, who was left at Hannah's Hope by her aunt. Hannah's mother abandoned her and her father died. Her aunt could no longer take care of her; she had earlier relinquished Hannah's 3-year-old cousin, who was like a little sister to Hannah. This little girl was adopted and now lives in Tennessee. We'd love to find a family for Hannah in Tennessee so Hannah can keep in contact with her cousin. Meanwhile, she waits, desperately longing for a mother and father to call her own.

Three siblings - Dawit, age 9; Robel, age 3; and their sister Dagmawit, age 5. Their father died of tuberculosis, and they were relinquished to Hannah's Hope by their mother because she could no longer provide for them. Living in extreme poverty, when the children first came to us, they were always worried they would not have enough food.

Another brother and sister, 8-year-old Misganaw (his name means "gratitude") and 6-year-old Selam ("peace"). Their mother had died and their father could no longer care for them.

And Dirat, age 8, and Eyob, age 12, whose fathers both died. There was no one else to care for them.

These children pray each night for a family. They long for someone's embrace and a place to call home forever.

Every child is precious to our Father, who knows their needs and embraces their fragile hearts. He wants each of us to see what He sees... a young life whose story has yet to be written. Perhaps God wants to use your family to write on the blank pages of their lives, pages that overflow with God's goodness, chapter after chapter, because God has chosen you as co-authors with Him in the life of a waiting child.

Blessings,
Jan Beazely