A Heart for Orphans (Please Help!)

Meet my friend Meagan.

Meagan and I have been friends since I was born…literally.

 

 

We lived just across the street from each other when I was very young and have grown up going to the same church.

 

Here we are on a youth group lake trip in high school!

 

Meagan is 2 years older than I am and I have always looked up to her. Growing up, I was so thankful to have a role model like Meagan, especially while I was in high school! Now that we are both adults, I still look up to her spiritually…she is the epitome of a servant for Christ!

Meagan is one of the sweetest, most compassionate, tender-hearted people I know. While in college studying to be a teacher, she spent a summer doing mission work in Africa. It was during this time that God placed a yearning in Meagan’s heart to care for the orphans.

After college, Meagan taught middle school Language Arts for a few years (and made a profound difference in the lives of her students), but always felt called to return to Africa.

Six years ago, Meagan committed to spending 2 years at Namwianga Mission in Zambia which then turned into 4 years. Here she became a mother to countless orphans, many with HIV/AIDS.

 

 

Meagan returned to the States 2 years ago, but never felt at peace with the idea of staying stateside. If you have read the book Kisses from Katie, Meagan has shared that she felt very similar feelings as those Katie shared when she returned “home” after her stay in Africa.

 

My dad and brother (above) had the opportunity to visit Meagan in Zambia while they were on an annual trip to Nhowe Mission in Zimbabwe (a hospital and school my family supports as well). My sister also got to spend a few weeks with her back in 2009.

 

After much prayer and discussion with her family, Meagan feels that God is calling her back to Africa. In August, Meagan will be headed back to Zambia to fulfill a 5-year commitment to serving the babies and children at Namwianga Mission!

 

 

I’m going to share with you an excerpt of a letter we recently received from Meagan because it is so eloquently worded and embodies her mission so perfectly:

 

“David Platt wrote, “Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes.” I can honestly say that if you’d asked me years ago how I would picture my life turning out, moving back to Zambia to work with orphans would not have been in the plans. I planned on graduating from college, getting married, teaching, and raising my children right here close to my family and friends. But then orphans came into my life. And knowing their names, seeing their faces, and holding them has changed everything for me.

A wise man and former missionary once said you shouldn’t go into ministry unless you can’t NOT go into it. That’s where I find myself now. I can’t NOT go back to Namwianga and be a mother to the motherless. It has become a part of who I am and I feel strongly that God has created me and prepared me for this work.

I have worn many different hats in my years at the orphanage, as I’m sure I will again. I started as a playmate and auntie to kids who had never really known how to play, and moved all the way to being a houseparent for our Hospice house the last year of my stay. One of my greatest joys is aiding in the development of the babies, which involves assessing them on a developmental scale, and deciding which factors need to be worked on with each child. This also includes language classes, one-on-one time, and educating aunties in these roles as well. Perhaps the biggest of my roles is as a medical advocate for our children. This entails being the one to keep up with who is sick, who is on what medicines, who has appointments, etc. Often times this means being the one to stay with the child in the hospital or take the child home with me until they are well again or until I hand them over to Jesus…”

 

 

Here’s the deal:  We’re going to raise $2,000 to help Meagan care for the orphans of Zambia. You, me, and whoever else wants to join us. But there’s a catch…no person can give more than $10. That means I need 200 of YOU to give $10 to this amazing woman and her incredible, God-breathed ministry.

In addition, I will donating ALL of my earnings for the month of June:  including Google Adsense, Amazon, and private advertisements. Meagan must raise $30,000 to cover all of her expenses. I know this won’t fully meet her needs, but at least it will put a dent in what seems like a monumental amount of money!

 

 

I know that $10 is more of a sacrifice to some than to others, but I ask that you prayerfully consider giving. Although we might not be able to physically take care of orphans at the season in our lives, we can enable others to be the hands and feet of Christ through our small sacrifice!

The donations will be funneled through my I Can Teach My Child, LLC PayPal business account, which is completely secure. I will write a check with all of the contributions to Meagan’s fund since she doesn’t currently have a way to donate online.

 

 

 

And if you have 10 minutes, watch this video. You will be blessed!!!

20 Comments

  1. I am running out the door so I didn’t have time to read the whole post but what I skimmed swelled my heart. I am honored to help this amazing woman! I will be sharing this post!

    Angel

  2. Hi! I have read your blog for awhile now, as I am a homeschooling mom and love to scour blogs for ideas.

    The crazy thing is that I am a missionary with Overland Missions in Livingstone, Zambia! We adopted my eldest daughter from an orphanage that I helped run, and we have lived here for 6 years, worked in conjunction with Namwianga in the past, and your friend’s face looks so familiar to me! We all shop at the same store, so we’ve surely seen each other before.

    The next time I see her at Shoprite, I’ll be sure to give a shout-out!

    Blessings!
    Jessi

  3. what about a giveforward.com acct there are several similar websites but its nice to see the goal and how much has been reached. Sometimes you can link with a nonprofit for tax purposes. Wish we could give but with saving for our adoption and my husbands primary job loss we can’t give right now.

  4. Love Maegan and her heart! Have read the book “Kisses For Katie”. Could not put it down! Bless you and thank you for sharing. I will share this post :)

  5. Can’t wait to share this with my family so we can work in sacrificially giving through chores and not spending on toys. I have shared this on pinterest and FB, but I would like to know if there is blog to keep up with her and the children so we can pray specifically for them? Or could we be put on an email list? Thank you for putting together such a captivating post with pictures and video. I feel like I already know Megan and want to give her hugs! Hugs to you too. Glory be to God.

  6. I didn’t even blink before hitting the “donate now” button. I joyfully and tearfully donated. Thank you for helping Megan out as she helps these angels out.

  7. What a beautiful woman! Itotally understand the quote by David Platt. I have donated and will add Meagan to my prayer list.

  8. Oh, thank you for sharing this amazing opportunity with us. My girls never play “house’ without lining up all the dolls and making sure each one gets “adopted..” We have a huge heart for orphans and would LOVE to partner with your precious friend. After all, we’ve been adopted by God! Such undeserved grace :)

  9. The link to donate isn’t working in the email so I came to your site to donate. What a worthy cause and thanks for sharting!

  10. Thank you for sharing. I also appreciate that you are limiting the donation amount to $10. That way there isn’t a pressure to do more. On the other hand, how can I donate directly to Meagan if I want to? The video was very moving. Hearing her story reminds me of how blessed I am to be a Mom and love my kids. It makes me want to do more for other children. Thank you Meagan for being faithful to the calling.

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