Lucky Enough to Get Messed Up....

Beautiful Brihaney.

Meet Brihaney.  Brihaney is 14 years old, and he lives by a landfill in the village of Korah, in Ethiopia. His father died, and his mother has leprosy.  It is most likely that he has spent most of the first 14 years of his life looking for food and other items in the landfill in order to survive.

This year, that is about to change.  A couple of weeks ago, Wes and I were praying, and asking God to show us some ways we can serve Him by serving the poor and those who have real need.  We wanted to go beyond what was financially comfortable in our lives.  We wanted to be stretched.  We want to do more for the Kingdom, simply because we love Jesus so much.  One day Wes came home from work, and out of the blue he said, "I want to sponsor another child."  On that very same day, I had been reading about the children of Korah, and my heart was being stirred up for them.  And it just so happened, an organization called Project 61, was looking for people to sponsor children from the village of Korah.  I knew this was more than just happenstance, though.  This was the Holy Spirit's clear leading.  He was giving an answer to our prayers.  He was providing a way for us to love and serve and be changed.

I immediately wrote Project 61 and asked how we might go about sponsoring a child.  They responded that very same day, told us the costs, and after thinking about it for about 20 seconds more, Wes and I both agreed there was no need to pray any further about this.  This was obviously God, and we didn't want to hesitate any more.

Six days later, we got this one simple picture of Brihaney along with a few details about him and his family.  And now we get to send him a few gifts that will be delivered directly to him.  SO excited!

Okay, so maybe we are trying to gain a UK fan.  Who can blame us?

And here are a few of the dorky pictures of ourselves, that we are sending Brihaney.

Oh yeah.  We are definitely too cool for school.

                            This is me with our beloved Blue.        And this is Wes with Sati. Himalaya was a little too shy.

Again, we are a little Kentucky Basketball crazy, but that's just part of the quirkiness that is us.

This is what Project 61's website shares about what a sponsorship can do to change a child's life.

"Currently, $700 per year removes a child from a city landfill and places them into a private boarding school. But, the altered living conditions are only the beginning. The relationship your family develops with your sponsored child is vital. Project 61 begins with altering their physical conditions but understands that emotional connections are the key to a healthy child."

Even more incredible is the fact that we will soon be able to meet Brihaney when we go to meet our son or daughter for the first time.  We are hoping that will be some time in November of this year.  I can't wait!

I can't tell you how moved I am by the work that Project 61 and others are doing in Korah.  I haven't even been there, and yet my heart is moved to action.  My heart is being flooded by compassion and love-overflowing.  And once again, I have to say how thankful I am that I am lucky enough to get messed up in such a good way.  Some of you may may prefer to use the word blessed.  I don't really care how you say it.  I just know that God has been so good to me.  I feel like I have won some kind of prize, or that I must be His favorite, because what other explanation is there for why He has allowed me to experience such a special part of His heart?  It is so utterly awesome.

So, if you want to see just a little piece of what is going on in Korah, and the lives that are about to be changed, please please please watch this video.  It is so beautiful.  

Ordinary Hero~ A day in the trash dump in Ethiopia from Kelly Putty on Vimeo.

*P.S.  And if anyone was wondering, we don't feel this is the end of how God wants to use us to serve the orphan, widow, poor, and needy.  We can't wait to see what else we are lucky enough to be a part of.