No Ordinary Love

Ordinary: of no special quality or interest; commonplace; unexceptional; 

somewhat inferior; below average. 

Extraordinary: beyond what is usual; regular; exceptional in character; noteworthy; remarkable.

I'm afraid I've fallen far behind where I'd hope to be with these posts. VBS all but wiped me out this past week. But it's funny how perfectly our VBS theme this year fits with the mission of No Ordinary Love. God taking our ordinary selves and calling and equipping us with His Extraordinary love. No Ordinary Love or NOLM was founded by Jimmy and Rachel Gross in March of 2011 and in April 2012 they opened Emmanuel House.  Emmanuel House serves as a refuge for women, children and families at risk. In addition to children that are brought to the home for short and long term care they are also serving the surrounding community. For more details on how they are caring for their neighbor you can read here. 

I am so grateful for our time at Emmanuel House. We met children that are overcoming some horrific circumstances while they are being cared for and loved on at Emmanuel House. It only takes me a moment to think of my children in their place and I feel sick to my stomach. These are children. They deserve so much more. Often these kids find themselves in the city not because of neglect by their parents but just the opposite. Their parents are hopeful of a better future for them and so unknowingly release their children into the wrong hands. 

The results of that are devastating. Children end up being trafficked into slavery and/or the sex trade industry. They are abused or left homeless. All the while their families have no idea the nightmare these children are living. No Ordinary Love then works to reunite these families. They offer counseling and therapy and work to bring healing to the child and family.

 Sadly, it is not always strangers or "bad guys" that are the perpetrators. Children are often abused by men living in their homes and even their own fathers. In that case NOLM will seek justice and find the best long term solution for the child but in the meantime they have a home and loving arms at the Emmanuel House. 

My mama heart just can't grasp this. I struggle to send my kiddo off to camp. Just a few miles down the road. With a whole bunch of wonderful, Jesus loving coaches. So to try and understand what a parent goes through when they make this kind of decision is so much more than I can comprehend. We just can't. We can't know what kind of desperate a parent has reached. We can't possibly know the years of poverty and vulnerability these families have endured. So how could we ever manage to understand such a choice. 

But in so many ways these families are just like mine. Like yours. These kids play and sing and laugh just like ours. One of the most precious sights was seeing our girls connect so quickly with other kids. I had no doubts they would readily love on little ones but I didn't anticipate how easily they would love their peers. And how their peers would love them back. There was no inhibition or apprehension. They just loved each other and they loved well. We have so much to learn from our kids. 

These kids and their families deserve the opportunity of reunification if that's the best possible solution. We must believe that parents, that mothers just like us, make thousands of decisions each day with the best interest of their children in mind. But the hard decisions they make in a developing country look so much different and complicated than our own. 

So what do we do? How do we possibly make a difference? 

First of all, pray. Pray for No Ordinary Love and ministries like NOLM that are on the ground working to restore the broken. Pray for wisdom and endurance for the individuals running these ministries. Pray for the children. Pray for the families. 

 
 Second, support them financially. Sponsor a child that is living at Emmanuel House. You can give monthly for their ongoing care. There are many children at Emmanuel House in desperate need of a one time gift of $500 to be reunited with their families.  Join forces with your small group or ask your book club to partner together to help one child home. 

Maybe it's giving up the morning latte or a dinner out. But when I think of these sweet ones being any one of my five kiddos I know there is nothing I wouldn't sacrifice to have them home.

No Ordinary Love is anything but ordinary. God is working in extraordinary ways in the lives of the children and families that are connected to NOLM. We are all invited to be a part of this work. We don't have to have exceptional talents or amazing skills. We just need to be willing. 

"I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, 

but now I think you simply need to say yes." -Bob Goff 

For more about No Ordinary Love Ministries visit their website

and find them on

Facebook

Storytelling

One week ago we were making the long journey (as in 31 hours long) home from Ethiopia.  Somehow it feels much longer. Ethiopia seems like a lifetime ago already and I'm grieving that. I don't want to forget any of it. I want to hold tight to the smells, the sounds, the people and most importantly their stories.

Over the course of our week we heard incredible stories of individuals living out God's plan for their lives. They are walking in obedience to His call and we were inspired and encouraged by their faith and their courage to live out their lives so sacrificially. We also heard story after story that broke us. And just when we thought our hearts could break no more we would hear of another struggle, another mother hurting, kids living on the streets, another child longing for the love and comfort of a family.

There is still so much processing going on in my head and my heart. I've tried to reconcile our abundance and their need but the fact is there's just no way to make peace with the disparity. For whatever reason God chose for me to be born in this country of plenty.  And you can't tell me that we aren't rich. We are wealthy by most of the world's standards. In our backyard sits the most beautiful chicken coop my dad is in the midst of building for us. While I am so grateful for my dad giving of his time and using his talents to build this home for our chickens, that coop has caused me heaps of guilt this week. That chicken coop is more than many people have for homes. It makes me sick.

This was our guard at the guest house. I don't know all of his story.  I know that he serves with his whole heart. His smile was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen and he was continuously eager to help us. I know that he sleeps in a small metal enclosure with an even smaller opening that he climbs into each night. I also know that every morning he begins the day in his Bible. His joy comes from the Lord and he has something that no earthly possession could ever satisfy. These are the stories of the people I will forever cherish.

I am tired. I'm still getting over jet-lag. I have what I like to call "Africa tummy." I'm feeling the pressure of VBS next week. My kiddos need my attention after being gone and now being pulled by ministry duties.  I am still trying to make sense of it all. But the intent of our time in Ethiopia was to share their stories. We had the honor and the privilege to see the brokenness and share in the joy. We listened with tear filled eyes to the battles being fought and rejoiced with our brothers and sisters over the triumphs. God is doing a great work in Ethiopia. He is using some ordinary people just like you and me to write extraordinary stories. I hope that I can do them justice.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

*Please stay tuned for an upcoming series on the ministries we 
visited and how you can be a part of their stories.