EXODUS  3:1-12
MARK  10:46-52

Gordon E. Ellis
November 21, 2004

“YOU   ARE   GOD’S   ANSWER   TO   OUR   URGENT   PRAYERS!”

            Our Scripture Lesson today from Exodus is a TEMPLATE, a MODEL.  It’s the first of MANY stories in the Bible that reveal HOW God deals with God’s people in DISTRESS, and crying OUT for RELIEF.  And our SECOND reading uses exactly the SAME model, only THIS time, Bartimaeus cries out to JESUS.  It’s a 3-PART model.  FIRST, God’s people CRY OUT for God’s HELP.  THEN, God HEARS their cries and has COMPASSION.  And finally, God ACTS on their behalf, MOST often through other people, like Moses.  And friends, this MODEL is played out OVER and over again in the Bible.  It’s ALSO played out, IF we have the eyes of SEE it, IN the events of HISTORY.  Take the PILGRIMS, for example!  They were being persecuted in England, so they CRIED OUT to God.  Suddenly, DOORS began to open, and SOON, they were sailing to a NEW world.  BUT, as they began their new LIFE in this new LAND, life became difficult and painful.  Over HALF of their population DIED in the first year.  DEATH touched literally EVERY home and family.  FOOD became PERILOUSLY short, and they had to RATION it.  BUT, God HEARD their cries.  And with the help of the NATIVES of this land, and good leaders among the Pilgrims, they survived that first year and grew into a THRIVING community.  Yes, THAT’S the model: God’s people cry OUT for help; God HEARS their cries and feels compassion; and God ACTS, because OURS is a LOVING and REDEEMING God, who WORKS in midst of crucifixions everywhere, WEAVING resurrections, WEAVING new life.  And THAT’S why people of faith, like the Pilgrims, are ALWAYS able to give THANKS, EVEN when life is AGONIZING.

            Well TODAY, I’d like to share with you a modern-day experience of this MODEL.  A few weeks ago, I promised to tell you the SECOND gift that Diane and I received on our 31^st Wedding Anniversary, this past August 11^th.  Well, the story actually BEGAN 4 years ago, when my daughter, Lyndsey, spent a summer in Guayaquil, Ecuador, working in an ORPHANAGE called, Fundación Sor Dominga Bocca.  22 girls -- ages 8 through 19 -- NOW live in this orphanage (it was 24 then).  They are girls who have lived on the streets, picking through garbage and sleeping in doorways and parks.  28% have been VICTIMS of sexual ABUSE.  Over HALF have worked as PROSTITUTES in order to SURVIVE on the streets.  MOST of them had NO formal education before coming to the orphanage.  MANY have NO parents, for life expectancy is extremely LOW among the Ecuadorian poor.  Those who DO have parents have been ABANDONED, mostly for lack of MONEY to FEED them. 

Well, when Lyndsey came HOME from Ecuador and told us her STORIES, our hearts were MOVED.  We felt like we KNEW each and every girl, not to mention the wonderful STAFF that cares for them.  Lyndsey told us how, once-a-week, when it’s their TURN among the city’s 20+ orphanages, they get to go to a large GROCERY store and pick through whatever is to be thrown away that day, both perishables, and items past their sell-by dates.  Lyndsey did this OFTEN with the girls and says that it’s GROSS, because it’s mostly GARBAGE, which she would never have considered EATING prior her 4 months at the orphanage.  And for the next WEEK, the girls EAT this food, and use what they CAN of it to make BREAD and cakes, which they then sell around the city to make MONEY for more food and baking supplies.  And that’s ALL the money they have for FOOD each week.

Well, just prior to our trip to Ecuador, Diane and I asked the Board of Directors of Every Dollar Feeds Kids IF they might be interested in having us VISIT the orphanage and TALK to the staff about the feasibility of us feeding the girls, in addition to the 600 children that we ALREADY feed each day in MEXICO.  And the Board said, YES.  SO, just DAYS before we left for Ecuador, Diane sent an e-mail to the orphanage asking that, IF it worked out, could we VISIT?  Unfortunately, no REPLY came before we LEFT for Ecuador.  BUT, THAT’S when the MIRACLES began to happen.

We found out that, during any USUAL mission trip to Ecuador, it would be nearly IMPOSSIBLE for us to LEAVE our group and visit the orphanage.  But THIS year, miraculously, we were doing a Civil Demonstration, a MARCH for SEWERS, on Wednesday, August 11^th.  We would be downtown anyway, and would have ALL afternoon FREE.  And THIS year, miraculously, COMPUTERS, with internet connections, had been installed at Mi Cometa, the organization that coordinates our work and living arrangements in the barrio of Guasmo.  We could check our HOME e-mail.  And DIANE was COMMITTED to making this visit happen, IF it possibly could.  SO, we checked our e-mail & Tuesday NIGHT, August 10, there was an e-mail from Fundación Sor Dominga Bocca.  And miraculously, it was written in ENGLISH by a student INTERN from Albany.  She gave us the address and phone number and URGED us to visit, but to call FIRST to make sure that SHE would BE there to translate.  Quickly, before Mi Cometa CLOSED for the night, and we would have no PHONE, Diane INTERRUPTED a special event we were attending to BEG for a TRANSLATOR.  She almost DIDN’T.  It’s so easy NOT to interrupt.  It’s much EASIER to just make EXCUSES.  But then, she decided that THAT’S our SIN so OFTEN.  We make EXCUSES.  Anyway, she CALLED and scheduled a visit for 2:00PM the next day.  Miraculously, some of our new friends from Munson, Massachusetts overheard us and wanted to visit WITH us.  And maybe the most MIRACULOUS thing of ALL happened the NEXT day, when 12 of us, plus 2 drivers, squeezed into 2 tiny FIATS, and actually FOUND this place that had a 10-mile long ADDRESS.  We were EARLY to arrive, but the orphanage staff was out front WAITING, and the girls were crowded into the living room.  As we walked in, one of the girls approached Diane, asking: Lyndsey MADRE?  And when Diane said, SI, the girl threw her arms around Diane and hugged her tight.  Then ALL the kids crowded around us, showing us pictures of themselves with Lyndsey.  Two of them were even wearing Lyndsey’s shirts, because Lyndsey had left ALL of her clothes with the girls when she came back to Connecticut 4 years prior.

Well, we couldn’t speak their language, but they took our hands and led us to see their rooms, their bathrooms, their classroom and their kitchen.  They were living 10 to 12 girls per room, on bunk beds.  Everything they OWNED belonged to EVERYONE.  We sat in the classroom where Lyndsey had taught, & stood in the kitchen where Lyndsey had baked bread and cakes with them.  There was a chart on the wall, listing each child’s jobs.  We were VERY impressed.  Our translator still had not arrived, so they brought us to the living room to share with us some of their famous CAKE, and some SODA.  It was a moment of Holy Communion, and I FELT Christ’s PRESENCE.  They THEN brought GIFTS to Diane: an AFGHAN (right there) that they worked hard to MAKE the night before, a picture of themselves (now 4 years later) to give to Lyndsey, and a freshly-cut sunflower.

Well, the translator arrived, so we LEFT the kids and went to the office of Rosa, the Director, a middle-aged, stocky woman with a perpetual and contagious SMILE.  She told us that the orphanage receives NO public funds, but is funded by a group of her high school classmates.  They have beds for 30 girls, but not enough money to CARE for that many.  We asked about FOOD.  She said that IF we want to adequately feed the girls, it will cost $17.50 per month per child, or $210 per year per child.  I asked: Doesn’t your government provide you with ANYTHING? 

She replied: Yes, ONE thing: the city of Guayaquil WILL give us a piece of land on which to build a new orphanage, IF we will take more poor children off the streets.  BUT, we have NO money with which to build a building, so we cannot ACCEPT the land.

I asked another question: IF we decide feed these children, WHAT will you DO with whatever money you SAVE?  I EXPECTED her to say: We will start a BUILDING fund, of course.

But instead she said: Many of our girls are VERY broken, with a MULTITUDE of psychological problems.  SOME cannot LEAVE here, even to go to SCHOOL, because they have so many FEARS.  That’s why we have a classroom here.  Many have been sexually-abused and raped.  And they’ve ALL seen things that they are too YOUNG to have SEEN.  They SO much need counseling, AND more teachers.  It cost about $20 per week to hire a full-time teacher.  We just DON’T have it, so we hire one or two part-time teachers, and have a couple more who VOLUNTEER.  Some girls also need medication.  One girl has epilepsy.  Her medication costs $35 per week.  That’s MORE than a full-time TEACHER.  But she NEEDS it, so we BUY it.  THESE are the things that you will ENABLE us to DO for the girls, IF you choose to PAY for their FOOD.

Wow!  I was impressed.  I explained the PROCESS that we would have to go through back HOME before making a commitment to FEED the children.  We talked about how we could use a SAVINGS account in the U.S. and an ATM card in Ecuador to TRANSFER the money each month.  Diane asked her HOW we would KNOW that the money is being used ONLY for FOOD.  Rosa’s FIRST response was: Come and watch us!  You’re always welcome!  Stay as LONG as you wish!  We MIGHT even put you to work!  But THEN, she said: I will KEEP and send whatever RECORDS you wish.  We keep VERY good records on the PROGRESS of EACH girl: her height and weight, her physical evaluations and psychological progress.  WE don’t have YOUR kind of PRIVACY laws here.  WE can provide you with WHATEVER information you wish, WHENEVER you wish it.

AS we were leaving, and AFTER we had hugged both children and staff, Rosa said to us, with TEARS in her eyes: My friends, I cannot EXPRESS to you how GRATEFUL we are that YOU would even CONSIDER doing this for US.  And before you leave, I HAVE to tell you that YOU are God’s ANSWER to our URGENT prayers.  God BLESS you!  You know: I hadn’t THOUGHT of it that way before, but Rosa’s RIGHT.  Diane and I have NO DOUBT but what God GUIDED us, and even LED us, through each and every phase of making this CONNECTION with her orphanage.  There were just too MANY coincidences, too MANY open doors and too MANY miracles for it NOT to have been the hand of GOD.  We ARE God’s ANSWER to their URGENT prayers, and does IT ever feel GOOD!

You know, as we LEFT the orphanage that day and piled into 2 more FIATS, Diane and our Ecuadorian MOTHER, Marta, IN whose home we lived while in Ecuador, LOOKED at each other, and they BOTH began to SOB.  They couldn’t TALK because of the language barrier, so they just HELD each other and cried.  And Marta just kept saying: Ninas, ninas, which means little girls, little girls.  Later, Marta read EVERY line of the literature we were given about the girls and the orphanage to her husband, Tomas, who cannot read.  THEN, back at the barrio, Marta told ALL her friends about the NINAS, and OUR hope to FEED them.  And it MOVED me that, as POOR as Marta IS, when she can’t even send one of her OWN children to school because of the COST, here she is so WORRIED about these ORPHANS, and so EXCITED, HAPPY and GRATEFUL about OUR hope to FEED them.

And NOW, I SEE how Lyndsey could WRITE that POEM that she wrote when she RETURNED from her time in Ecuador.  She wrote about these very girls: Did You Meet Jesus?  Yes… in their affectionate faces, in the arduousness of their labor, in their unending support of each other, in the nightmares that once plagued their rest, in their cravings for affection, in their patient love, in those who love and trust enough to give…  Because of them, I met the Risen Christ in the resurrected lives of 24 little girls.

Well friends, I’m HAPPY to report that our Board of Directors for Every Dollar Feeds Kids HAS decided to FLY on FAITH and take a RISK.  We HAVE committed ourselves to feeding the girls at Fundación Sor Dominga Bocca.  And if YOU would like to be PART of our ministry there, part of God’s ANSWER to their urgent prayers, we INVITE you to help.  There’s an INSERT and an envelope in your bulletin telling you HOW.  Take it HOME; think about it; pray about it; and give as MUCH or as LITTLE as you wish -- or can.  And KNOW that, for the GIRLS, it’s not about the MONEY.  They don’t even understand money.  It’s about LOVE!  And for US, it’s ALSO about love, because I can think of NO better way to love GOD, and to give thanks to God for ALL the blessings in my OWN life, than by SHARING those blessings with people who SO desperately NEED them, ESPECIALLY children.  And when I DO share my blessings, I know that I’m ALLOWING God use ME as God’s ANSWER to THEIR urgent prayers.  SO, help if you can and wish to….  Now, IF we happen receive MORE money than we NEED to feed the 22 girls, we will send enough to feed 30.  And IF we happen to get more than we need to feed 30, we’ll feed even MORE children in MEXICO, where they’re JUST as desperate.  You know, the BIBLE tells us that a THANKFUL heart is a GENEROUS heart.  May OURS be THANKFUL hearts!  Amen.