Day 2

          I did it! When the alarm went off at 3 a.m. went off, I thought it must be a joke; I knew I had fallen asleep less than an hour ago! But the dread of missing my 6 a.m. flight rolled me out of bed, and thankfully everything else went without a glitch. The shuttle was on time, check in went smoothly, the flight took off on time, and I even caught a nap before landing in Chicago at 7 a.m.

I have a seven hour layover here, so I sat down and listened to an amazing Timothy Keller sermon on, believe it or not, missions. It was a great way to spend some time on a Sunday.

In a few hours I will meet with one of my other team mates for this trip, and this afternoon, we depart for Frankfurt to meet up with the others. To wrap up, I will post a short video put together by the mission group I am traveling with. Please remember that while this information gives you a sense of the desperation and need, these kids are not just statistics. They are real people like the ones that live in your town and your neighborhood and your home. They have a birthday, a favorite color, pet peeves, and emotions not unlike your own. And like you, they hope for the approval and love of the people around them.

So what can you do about the statistics that represent real people and real needs? Later I'll follow up with 10 practical suggestions from the Christian Alliance for Orphans. Take a deep breath and relax, I'm not necessarily asking you to adopt half a dozen teenagers from Zimbabwe. But please consider: why wouldn't you do something to help the neediest, the ones closest to God's heart, the vulnerable? Why not? 

Russia from Orphan Outreach on Vimeo.