Drawn From Water

My heart feels heavy today. There is so much need. Most of us try to do our best to make a dent in the need. Whether it is through adoption, contributing financially to causes, serving through our profession, serving in our off-time, living green, and any combination of these and other means to make a difference.

But sometimes I hear of a need and it is so huge, that although the fight to make a difference is amazing, my heart hurts and I wish we could do more.

I came across this group - Drawn From Water with an amazing story. They work in southwest Ethiopia, which is much different than the Ethiopia I am familiar with. There the tribes live by superstitions and children who are believed to hold evil spirits are killed. There is nothing their family can do to save them except go into hiding, but that can only last so long. The elders have power to decide a child's fate.

An Ethiopian man from one of these tribes, his wife, and a group of missionaries decided to step in and helped one little girl's family rescue her from her intended drowning. They have quickly started an orphanage for these children that cannot be part of their tribes.

This is one of those times that intervention is so important. I know that there are so many critics of international adoption out there. Many arguments have some level of merit. I know some people believe that children shouldn't be taken out of their culture. Others believe that westerners shouldn't intervene, and should just let people take care of their own. Many others believe that money should be spent in helping develop projects instead of the legal fees necessary for adoption. And then of course there are the racist and/or anti-immigration people who don't want any more "foreigners" .

(Okay I HAVE to say something about the last group - unless you are 100% Native American - YOU ARE a foreigner, and you have an immigration story in your history. I get so tired of hearing "founding fathers" stories --they were immigrants with very flawed human rights ethics trying to create a better life for their families (at least I hope they had good intentions). - If we met them today we would have been outraged at their views on women, children, slavery, and genocide. They were human and not gods. I care deeply about what/whose history my kids are taught and I will supplement according to my conscience. I miss living in an area rich with Native American culture, and where the effects of genocide are still visible. My kids asked good questions back then, and we had Native kids live with us and around us. We now live in an area that did a tremendous job of wiping it all out. Sorry for the tirade, good thing this is my blog :) I don't feel like going into all the rest of these issues at the moment. My heart is too sad. So I better get back to Drawn From Water. )

In this case it is incredibly ignorant and conceited to believe that westerners could simply go into a tribe and tell them why their practices have to stop. These beliefs have been held for so much longer than our country has even existed. Yet, how does someone stand by and watch a child die? A child with promise and a future ahead of them? How do we reconcile these two pieces? Well, Drawn From Water, has decided to reconcile them. They have started an orphanage to house the children that would have been killed. Now families have another option. They are trying to work within the tribes to change things, but in the meantime, the children have life, and promise, and a future. If that future includes adoption, then families will be needed to provide that future.

So today I am praying for the work of Drawn From Water. And for everyone involved.

I don't know what to do with this, except help spread the word, and pray about what I am to do.

Here you go...

Drawn from Water from Drawn From Water on Vimeo.