Time is Ticking Away

(photo from Project 61 blog)

I know that you all do not want to just read about Korah all the time, and I will resume posting about mundane, lame things in my life soon enough, but truly, that place has my heart firmly in its grip right now and this is something I NEED to share about in this post. So many of you have shared with me that it has in fact gripped your heart as well, and in fact there has been a HUGE response for the sponsorship of children--for that I say THANK YOU!!! Thank you for reading, for listening, for imagining, and for RESPONDING. Since I know you all care deeply about this special place, I have something to ask-can you help me find just a few more sponsors? Get this-they are only about 15 children away from filling every possible sponsorship slot they have available! AMAZING!!!! But, the ones left who need sponsors need them the very most. You see, these are older boys mostly, plus 2 girls, who are looking at their last chance. Their last chance-to get out of the trash dump, to get out of the filth, to get out of the ash filled air and the putrid smells-and get an education. Their LAST chance to pursue a future that is radically different than the generations before them. THEIR LAST CHANCE. They are teenagers, not the little cute faces we all want to squeeze and chubby hands we don't mind holding. They are older kids, the forgotten ones that people don't notice, until they get in trouble maybe. They are big boys who work, every day, in the dump, trying to scratch out, literally, survival for themselves and often their family. They are not usually the ones people request when inquiring about sponsoring a child. But...they are boys who have heard about this Jesus guy around the church project. They are boys who are smart and funny and who want to succeed. They are kids who have the capacity to learn and love, and who desperately want to be loved in return. They want to believe the promises of this Jesus guy they hear about, but they have been let down an awful lot by life and people. I think they deserve a chance, don't you? You can read about them more in this post on the Project 61 blog.

If that did not grab your heart and squeeze it enough, here is something that made me sit, silent tears running down my face at dinner tonight just to think about it-this is the Facebook status of Sumer from tonight about the boys: "Took 15 boys who live at the trash dump out to dinner tonight. One was missing, Biru, he only has one pair of pants and shoes and they are covered in mud and trash...so he did not come. He needs a sponsor! :)"

Can you imagine it, being a teenager and not being able to go out when ALL your friends and family are, for a special treat of dinner OUT (yay! no trash to eat tonight!) not because you don't have a fancy enough party dress or the just the right shoes to complete your snazzy outfit, but because you HAVE NO OTHER CLOTHES OR SHOES AND YOU SMELL LIKE GARBAGE. No. This should not be. Can you step up and help? If you have, THANK YOU, a thousand times over. You ARE making a difference-this is changing the next generation of people in Korah. If you know someone who you think might like to be a sponsor, can you be bold and ask them? Can you share with them about these wonderful kids? Can you help give them a CHANCE? Every child, little or big, is beautiful in the eyes of the Lord-we need to let them know they are beautiful in our eyes, as well. If you are interested or know someone who is, please contact Erin, sponsorship coordinator for Project 61, at erin@p61.org We are running out of time to get these boys sponsored before the school year starts-please think about it! :)

James 2:14-17