|
Chris Watkins
Perspective of Gorney 2005
In Laurence Sterne’s book “A Sentimental
Journey” Sterne writes “There are all kinds of
travelers—inquisitive travelers, idle travelers, vain
travelers—but the true value of travel is not in strenuous
sight-seeing. It is in opening one’s heart to feeling.”
I would be hard pressed to add to the
intent of Sterne’s quote about adventurous travels. I find his
words to ring true to my soul. Living in the 21st
Century I have the resources that would allow me to travel the
far reaches of the world, but to go to a place called Camp
Gorney and open my heart to orphaned children has been the
greatest reward. This summer a group of seven Americans joined
forces with a Ukrainian team to minister in love and service to
orphan children in Crimea, Ukraine. We planned to minister
through skits, songs, and crafts to children aged from ten to
seventeen. We brought lamp work beads for jewelry making and
seed beads for decorating picture frames. We spent four days
tie-dying camp shirts for fun. Through all the gifts and
projects we provided and completed, osmosis began to take place
between the two cultures. The Americans were no longer the
American team that couldn’t speak Russian, but we extended our
arms with love for the children. We learned to impart the
impacting message of God’s love to the residents of the camp.
We felt God’s miraculous interceding on our behalf to pour out
His love through our lives to each child.
Let me share the life of one girl from the
camp. She is sixteen years old and has a bubbly personality.
Three years ago the authorities discovered that she was living
in an apartment by herself. Her mother had been sent to prison
and she had been living alone for about one year. She has a
dream of designing clothes and loves to sew. I think if her
circumstances were different she probably could see her dreams
come true. She has real talent. One morning I noticed that she
was looking forlorn and I went to her to find out what was
bothering her. As I sat down by her the tears began to flow
from her brown eyes. Instinctively I put my arm around her as
she buried her head on my chest. She had a good cry and without
any words I was able to understand that this was the broken
heart of “first love.”
My heart breaks for all the tender moments
that the children of Camp Gorney miss because there is not a mom
or dad to put their arm around them and tell them that it will
be all right. Psalms 68:5 states that He is a “father to the
fatherless…” My Bible notes, “the protection and care that one
receives in a family is so essential to human life that God says
He will personally intervene on behalf of orphans who lose the
normal protection of a father.”
I am eternally grateful to God that He has
given me the opportunity to go beyond my comfort zone and be
placed in another culture, other children’s lives; for His
purpose and glory.
|
