Wednesday, November 24, 2010

A Thanksgiving Plea

Today I made two apple pies using this recipe. (I'll let you know how they turn out.)

The Dashingly Handsome Sidekick and his father also had a productive day. They cut three holes in our basement ceiling.

The cold water in our kitchen stopped working, and since it was below zero degrees Fahrenheit this morning, there was only one explanation: a frozen pipe. Late this afternoon the emergency ceiling-excavation began.

I'm thankful because they located the pipe before it burst. We now have cold water again. (Never thought I'd be thankful for *cold* water. In China we always seemed to be running out of *hot* water.)

I'm thankful that it was my father-in-law's day off so he could help the Dashingly Handsome Sidekick search for the problematic pipe.

I'm thankful for apple pies cooling on my stove top.

I'm thankful for snow tires. The DHS went out and bought some today so that I don't have to remain a recluse for the entire winter.

I'm thankful for my family, for my sweet children, the DHS, my amazing in-laws and my incredible (but too-far-away) family in Hong Kong (and here in the US). I'm thankful for friends, both in-person friends and on-line friends, kindred-spirit friends, fellow-mom friends, writing friends, old friends, new friends....

But tonight my heart is heavy. I have so much to be thankful for, but there are so many people in the world who are suffering. This evening I read a blog post by my good friend-who-lives-in-China, Kimberly, about  two babies at the Tianjin Orphanage. Since I read her post and looked at the pictures she took, I can't think of anything else. It's hard to focus on apple pie when there are kids in the world who are suffering like this.

She gave me permission to post this picture. (I know it's hard to take and I'm sorry in advance if I depress you and you didn't want to be depressed on Thanksgiving.) The child on the right is over a year old based on the number of teeth he has.

These children are from the same orphanage where my daughter Olivia spent the first six weeks of her life (my dear young friend Esther, who often comments on this blog, and her brother Joseph also started life at this orphanage). *heavy sigh*

So, what can we do?

Well, while I was in China, I volunteered for an organization called ICCO. (That's how I was able to bring Olivia home when she was so little.) It's a wonderful organization that works directly with this particular orphanage. They coordinate and pay for surgeries and medical care for the children, among many other things. You can donate money through their website to pay for medical help for the little people pictured above. (I believe you can earmark a donation directly for them.)

During this season when we all have so much to be thankful for, I don't want to be guilty of forgetting those in need.

Sorry for the downer post. But I know you all are big-hearted and you won't blame me for it.



"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" - Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

8 comments:

  1. Amy, thank you for sharing a picture that speaks mountains. You have a personal connection to this place because of Olivia ... and that too, makes a difference.

    God bless you abundantly this Thanksgiving. And give you hot and cold water.

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  2. Wow--thank you for posting about this. It's not depressing at all--I'm glad you did.

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  3. Amy, thanks for posting...I, too, never saw anything quite like that there...it broke my heart.

    Blessings, Friend!

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  4. :) Wow. It's hard to believe I started there! Thanks- beautiful post.

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  5. That just breaks by heart. I wish the world were different. Thanks for caring enough to try to make it a better place. I try, too, but it seems so impossible. Do you know the starfish story?

    A man is walking down the beach after a storm, and there are starfish all over the beach that have been washed up. He throws starfish after starfish back into the water. Another beachcomber sees him and asks him why he's doing something so foolish- he'll never be able to save them all. His efforts are so tiny they don't even matter.

    His reply- It matters to that one. And he tosses another starfish back in.

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  6. Oh, man. Way to make me cry. :o) But I'm glad you did. Thanks for making me aware of this orphanage. There is so much to do and so many ways to help. I can't seem to have enough lives in me to do all that I want to do.

    Truly, we as Americans are blessed people and can help when we hear of situations like these.

    (And we must be on the same wave link because I just posted something like this on my blog! :o))

    *hugs*

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  7. That is a heart-wrenching photograph. Yes, it's a downer, but most of us have it so good and we need these reminders that others are suffering - thanks for giving us that reminder.

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  8. Thanks for sharing that Amy, you are very genereous. I'm thankful that a wonderful, young and energetic couple helped out a beautiful baby girl who was living in the Tianjin orphanage. This inspired another young and energetic couple to help out another beautiful baby girl...and she became my daughter!

    Happy Thanksgiving.

    Jen

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