Pursuit Of The Dream
Henery David Thuoreau once stated, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” That's exactly what I am doing. I'm pursuing in confidence the Lord's will for my life. I am praying fervently and striving to do my best with great determination in all I do. I want to serve with all I am as an effective and successful International Child Advocate Lawyer. My biggest passion is to be an advocate who can be a voice to the voiceless, standing courageously and boldly in fighting for Justice. I will fight for the child to have a better future, and have the child be able to embrace a family, family that will love them unconditionally, fervently caring for them, tenderly nurturing the child's needs, and accepting them for who they are.
There's an enormous amount of orphans (foster kids) out there that are crying out for a family and just wanting somebody to tell them that they are special to God and they are abundantly loved! As Mother Theresa said, “We have not come into the world to be numbered; we have been created for a purpose; for great things: to love and be loved.” I thank God for giving me this strong, burning, and exciting passion that just bursts out of me. I pray for God's will for my journey ahead of me.
The journey begins now. The pursuit of being an International Child Advocate Lawyer, is very exciting. I know I'm going to face many challenging giants and obstacles in my journey, but I know God will help me through! So, along with that strong passion, ministry is huge in my life as well. Being adopted into an missionary family and being known as an MK (missionary kid); I have always been majorly impacted by ministry. Yes, I am also praying that God will have me become an International Child Advocate Lawyer to serve in missions like IJM (International Justice Mission) or Compassion International. Ministry will always be part of me.
With all that being said, I will now elaborate more on what sparked the passions of becoming an International Child Advocate Lawyer and having a Ministry. I will explain how these two strong passions will be a major component in my future.
“In every decision we make and in every policy we develop, we are committed to protecting those who cannot protect themselves... the very young and the very old,” a statement by Mike Rounds. He was an American politician and served as the 31st Governor of South Dakota. This is exactly what I would be doing as an International Child Advocate Lawyer; protecting the innocent. I can strongly relate to many of these innocent lives that are being crippled and torn apart minute by minute, by abuse, neglect, and abandonment. As Mother Theresa stated in one of her famous quotes, “I have come to realize more and more that the greatest disease and the greatest suffering is to be unwanted, unloved, uncared for, to be shunned by everybody, to be just nobody (to no one).”
I lived in an orphanage when I was 3months old to 4 years old. I know too well what it feels like to be unwanted, unloved, uncared for, to be shunned by everyone, and to feel like a nobody. The orphanage I was in was supposed to be a Christian orphanage, but God knows that it wasn't. I remember one night at my last orphanage, I sat at the corner of my bed looking out of my window, staring at the beautiful night stars. I had prayed exactly this, “Jesus, is there anyone that loves me? I want a family. Amen” In the meantime, with me not knowing, God was already preparing me a family. I know the cry of an orphan and the yearning to be loved by somebody. I went through a very crazy and very emotional adoption. Sadly, I was not able to comprehend the American language; which meant I had no idea what my new, American family was communicating to me. I have had held guilt over the years , because I was unable to express the unmentionable traumas that were wrongfully done. No one told my American Family what really happened at the orphanage until last year. Anyways, what happened at the orphanage had really affected my life in a post-traumatic way.
Because of my past, I had mixed emotions, and I had a lot of baggage that weighed heavily upon me. Kids who go through post-traumatic circumstance don’t choose the baggage that heavily weighs on them. I came across this inspiring quote, about having baggage in your life, that really touched me. An unknown author of the book , I’ve Learned, stated, “I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.” This statement is a statement that I believe for my life and for myself. More importantly, this is exactly what I want orphans (foster kids) to know of themselves.
I know that pursuing this dream of becoming an International Child Advocate Lawyer will take great amounts of effort, knowledge, studying, writing, and wisdom. I will put my best into everything that I face in my journey of law and child services. I know it will take great amounts of motivation, determination, perseverance, strength, and definitely God's help in succeeding in my schooling; especially if it’s going to take me about 7-8 years of more schooling. I am excited, though, to know that my journey with God may hold this incredible opportunity on being an International Child Advocate Lawyer with International Justice Mission or Compassion International.
International Justice Mission is just one of the ministries that I have considered serving with and partnering up with. International Justice Mission gives wide varieties of opportunities for an International Child Advocate Lawyer to serve, such as, rescuing prostitutes, street children, the abused, the neglected, and abandon children and teens.
Since my parents are Midwest Regional Administrators for Africa Inland Mission, I was privileged to go to North Africa with all the Regional Administrators of Africa Inland Mission. While I was in North Africa, my heart broke as we visited the Casablanca market. I was in shock and my heart ached to see how many orphans, younger than me, were begging for food. Many of these orphans were abandoned by their parents. Since I was able to really connect towhat these orphans were feeling, I could pinpoint right away the needs that these orphans desperately had.
Their’s was a need for unconditional love, fervent care, and somebody to just hug them and tell them that they are special to God! Because of those precious orphan kids and teens that I witnessed in the market, I came to a realization. The passion I had buried away over the years, due to thoughts of “I am not good enough to live my dream,” had kept deepening more and more each year. I remember a desire bursting forth in my heart at the time, when I was at Casablanca market, wanting to do anything to get these kids and teens off the streets. I can still remember that day, when all the Regional Administrators and I were heading to our tour bus that we rode in to visit the different towns and markets of North Africa. My dad was walking next to me, so that he could protect me from the harassment from street people who would come up and beg for money or food. I had clung on to my dad's arm as we walked through the part where there were many kids abandon as orphans. With much dismay, heartache, and shock I carefully observed all these kids andteens roaming around the streets.
All I heard (figuratively) was a desperate cry for help, for somebody to love them rightly, to care about them, to notice them, to have them matter in someone's life, to be happy, and the list could go on . Again my heart was starting to break for such a cry of the orphans and of the poor. I knew that if I asked, “God show me what breaks Your heart so that my heart may break for it as well,” He would show me this. I knew what I witnessed broke God's heart.
This little boy came up to one of the Regional Administrators and was begging not for money but for food. Yes, he was begging for food! Of course our team wasn't allowed to give out any money or such things, because it would draw too much attention. It could possibly cause a problem and that's not what we wanted. This little orphan boy caught my attention, as he kept begging for food; I kept seeing and hearing one of the Regional Administrators saying, “I'm sorry, I can't help you.” The little orphan boy was starving he wasn't going to stop asking anyone until he received something. He went to Regional Administrator after another, and out all of them he was given nothing, until he came to me. He came up to me begging, and my dad, as the protector over me, tried to get rid of him for me, but when I locked eyes with this little orphan boy, who lives alone on the streets of Casablanca. I could figuratively see his heart shattered, dreams he wished would come true, somebody to love and care for him, someone to tell him he mattered to God. I could see that all his life he had always been rejected.
I stopped walking for a brief moment with the rest of the group of Regional Administrators and my dad. My heart had shattered to hear this little boy plead with such distress over some food to eat. I remembered being so frustrated in this time of urgency, searching for something to give this little boy, but it looked like all I had was lip gloss (of course), a camera, some money, and two packs of unwrapped gum that my mom had bought me before I left for North Africa.
I pulled out one of the unwrapped packages of gum and quickly gave it to the little boy before anyone could stop me from giving it to him. I had told him, “I'm sorry but all I have is gum.” I remember it clearly, once he had that package of gum, the brightest smile appeared on his face, his eyes sparkled with joy, out of nowhere it just exhilarated forth, and I could tell he was contented with the gum I gave him. He thanked me profusely, as if I made his world brighter just over some gum. As he was walking away, I said, “Jesus loves you and your special.” There wasn't enough time to let tears fall, because my dad, and some other Regional Administrators, wanted me to keep on walking in the group so I wouldn't get lost.
The Regional Administrators were like family to me on that trip, always having my back and me having theirs. Anyways, I told my dad and the Regional Administrators that I had shared one of my packages of gum with the boy. They were really happy to hear that he was able to receive something, even if it was just a small package of gum. I will never forget that memory. because that little orphan boy impacted my life forever that day. The bright smile on his face and the exhilarating joy he had in his heart will never leave my mind.
Sadly, though he's just one out 147 million orphans that are out there in the world who are suffering. It is beyond my capacity to comprehend why such an enormous number of orphans are still increasing to this day. So, with the sparks of both of my strong passions, desires, and dreams, I pray that God would use me mightily and effectively to make a difference in the lives of those who have no voice by advocating, supporting, and helping them in every way I can. Every time I embrace an orphan throughout my life, I can look into their eyes and see their heart of afflictions, dreams they wish would come true, wanting to be loved unconditionally, and their cry for help for someone to come along their path to love them, to care for them, and to feel wanted and matter by someone! I am grateful for the journey God has me on, and I am excited to see what he'll do through me in this journey of becoming an International Child Advocate Lawyer.
Now that I have shared with you my strong passions and my dreams for my future, I hope you will follow your heart so that your strong passion will become a reality! You will face many challenges and people that will keep you from pursuing your deepest dreams, because they may not have faith in your success. I usually say this to myself, “Alright God, let’s tackle these giant fears and challenges I’m having, for I know you'll get me through!” Don't ever underestimate the potential or abilities that you have! Be what you've always dreamed of doing, for God will direct you in your journey!
Are you ready for the most incredible journey on pursuing your dreams? If so get ready for the ride of your life! God has great plans for you!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
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