Orphan Trains...

My daughter, L, came home from school yesterday with a book from her school library. It was part of the Orphan Train Children series. I had never heard of it, but I read it (the historical part) and it was VERY fascinating. I wish this was as easy as it is now. Kind of like the movie, "Annie". Just go to an orphanage and pick out a child for your family. It's hard to believe it was that easy just a few short years ago. Here is an excerpt from the book, "Lucy's Wish": From the journal of Frances Mary Kelly, July 1866 Our orphan train is on its way to Missouri. I hope with all my heart that the children in my care will be placed with loving foster parents. The children try to be brave. But I can see the fear in their eyes: Will I be chosen? Will anyone want me? Some of the children want only to be comforted, but others ask for promises they must know I can't make. Today ten-year-old Lucy Grigg's tugged at my skirt. Her shy smile and pleading gaze touched my heart. "Will you help me find a family?" she asked. "Of course," I told her. I want a special family," Lucy said. "I want a mother and a father and a little sister to love. I've always wanted to have a little sister." My heart ached for Lucy. When she was six, soon after coming to the United States from England, her father was killed in an accident. When her mother died a few weeks ago, Lucy was evicted from the one-room apartment she shared with her mother. Lucy had no one to care for her until she was rescued by the Children's Aid Society. I tried to help her face the truth. "Lucy , dear," I said, "if people already have one child, they may not have enough money to take care of another child." But Lucy's eyes shone. "Oh, yes, they will! You see their little girl will want a big sister. She'll be looking for me." She held out a doll she calls "Baby" and said, "I'm going to share Baby with my little sister." I hugged Lucy, unable to answer. Please let it be so were the only words that came to my mind, for I have no idea what will happen to Lucy. Amazing, huh? Lucy didn't even remember the last time she had had a bath. She had no money to buy food. She was hungry. She had nowhere to live until she went into the Children's Aid Society office. Can you imagine that nowadays? I remember recently at an adoption support group meeting, a lady telling about how her foster son had been tortured with food. Whenever he was bad his BMom with held food from him. While she was telling us the story, I began to cry. And here it is, years before in the USA, when children were starving too. Can you imagine, what it really would feel like to be that hungry? Over in third world countries people know exactly how that feels. Today, I am feeling compassion as I eat my lunch. I wish I could save them all. But I made the decision to go to Solid Rock Missions and sponser a child. My mom has done it and she recieves letters and coloring pages from her little girl in the dominican republic. With only $30 per month we can send a child to school, feed her family, buy 10 acres of land and 700 plants to put on that acreage so the whole family has an opportunity of life. So I'm going to go to there website and pick out a boy since we are trying to adopt a girl. I'm sure just as in adoption, boys are always last picked. I challenge any of you reading this blog who has an additional $30 per month to sponser a child. (To ease your mind: Our church works hand-in-hand with Solid Rock Missions so I know for a fact that the children get 90% of that money. We as a church body always have church members in the dominican republic working always throughout the year down there.) I challenge you to make a difference.