We are surrounded by numbers. Some of those numbers are seen and some are unseen. From our Personal Identification Number for our ATM card to the countless "0" and "1" of the computer programming language that make this blog possible. Think of how many numbers infuse our daily life. Here's a short list of just a few:
Social Security number
Driver's License number
Phone number
Checking Account number
PIN number
Interest Rates
Prices of goods and services
Money
Channels on your TV
Sizes of clothes
Temperature
Clocks
Speed Limits
Credit Card numbers
Calendars ...
The list goes on and on.
Here's another number for you: 143,000,000. That's the estimate number of orphans in the world. I would guess that most people don't even know about that number. Perhaps they would think that such a number was an exaggeration. Up until three years ago I was ignorant of that number. Not a clue!
But my introduction to those kiddos came through one young woman - Nelya. She opened my eyes and my heart to the world of the 143,000,000. Through her I was introduced to a hosting organization called New Horizons for Children. Every winter and every summer a team of people from New Horizons travels to Eastern Europe and the Far East to visit with some of the 143,000,000. Then that team posts pictures of some of those kiddos with a very brief description of their observations. But there are no names under those photos - only numbers (that is required by rule). Anyone who has hosted an orphan has spent hours looking at those photos and wondering what those kiddos are thinking, what they dream of, what are their hopes and aspirations.
Last week, Eileen and I had the privilege of spending a week at a Christian camp in Ergli, Latvia. It was probably the best part of our time in Latvia. We were blessed to spend four glorious days with about 56 of those 143,000,000 and approximately 15 fantastic camp leaders and helpers. We recognized so many of the faces we had seen from the hosting pictures and some we had never before seen.
They have names.
They are courageous.
They are beautiful.
They sing.
They dance.
They are smart.
They are tenacious.
They laugh.
They smile.
They have voices.
They have dreams.
They are not numbers.
They are our children and our brothers and sisters - every last one of them.
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