I received word today from ACFI staff in the US that their children's homes in Liberia (Daniel Hoover Children's Village at Dixville and The Deaf Home) have run out of food again. It is a disheartening situation to face on such a consistent basis. It has been a tough year for the ministry and for the children.
Over the past year, I have heard conflicting reactions to the need ACFI is facing. From the families who have traveled to pick up their children, the overwhelming response has been positive. After meeting the workers at the children's homes and spending time with some of the staff of ACFI, all of the adoptive families that I know have been blown away by the devotion to the children and the faith of our Liberian brothers and sisters. On the otherhand, I have also heard from some folks (mainly people who haven't traveled to Liberia or who don't understand Liberian culture) that are outraged when they discover that the children have to go without food and basic necessities at times. It is hard to comprehend how resources could not be gathered if the leaders of such a large ministry really wanted to gather them.
And yet, I know the Kofi family and some of the board of directors for ACFI in the US, and I can say that no one cares more for the children or would sacrifice more for them than these folks.
Having tried to raise funds for the ministry over the past six months, I can say, it's impossible without God. There is not governmental agency who will sweep in to rescue the children when times are especially hard. There are no wealthy Liberians to approach for assistance. There are no grants to apply for in Liberia. The ministry depends almost entirely on Christians in America who are moved to join with them to care for the children.
I have been especially concerned for all of the children living in orphanages in Liberia since the Ministry of Health put a hold on new adoptions. During the time that adoptions are on hold, all of the orphanges that also do adoptions are going to be under tremendous financial pressure. Not only will they miss out on the parts of the adoption fees that go towards caring for the kids at the orphanages, but there will also be a loss of support from adoptive families who would be tied to Liberia and therefore raising additional support from their home countries to support the ministries.
Please join with me in prayer. God has been impressing upon me recently that this is His issue to solve, not mine or anyone else's.
If you or anyone you know feels called to support the ministry financially, donations can be sent to ACFI's US office:
ACFI
P.O. Box 1238
303 North Main Street
Lancaster, SC 29721
Monday, March 31, 2008
Pray for ACFI's Children's Homes
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Dear sister I understand your heart towards these precious Liberian children. We feel much the same. However, I confess that I fall to the other side of the fence in regards to my feelings toward ACFI. I also know Kofi and a board member and we are having a nightmare of a time. My husband traveled there last summer and saw/heard unimaginable things in a Christian organization. We do pray for them... for repentance and change. God had mercy on me (still does, praise His name!) because I am chief among sinners, so I don't mean to cast stones. I just wanted you to understand that truth about this organization falls on both sides of that proverbial fence.
Blessings to you,
Sonya
Sonya,
I don't think anyone would disagree with you that there are some terrible things that happen in Liberia (even in a Christian ministry). If you interact with any ministry in Liberia for any length of time, you will find that it is very difficult to find trustworthy workers. I believe this is due to the way the years of civil war bread in people a survival attitude and a learned helplessness that is extremely difficult to undue.
There are folks who have worked for ACFI (and some who still do, I'm sure) who should not. It's a large ministry with almost 300 churches in 6 countries, and they have cared for up to 1600 children at a time. At this time, they care for almost 500 children and have nearly 100 workers responsible for this care. Do I believe that a few of these 100 should not be working with children, definitely. Do I believe that I should wash my hands of the work that ACFI is doing because of a few people? No, I don't.
I can assure you that the Kofi family and the board of ACFI do deal with problems at the orphanages when they are brought to their attention. I know of workers who have been fired. I also have been to Liberia and to the office in America, and I can assure you that no one suffers more for the children of Liberia than ACFI's leadership.
As I have watched a lot of fall out with a lot of organizations in Liberia over the past two years, I have come to a couple of conclusions. 1. The spiritual warfare is intense. I have seen Christians turn on each other time and time again as they've worked in Liberia in several ministries. 2. In America, we have the luxury of demanding a lot of ministries that is not possible to demand in third world countries. 3. A lot of what bothers us as Americans boils down to cultural misunderstandings. 4. It is easier to point fingers and wash our hands of responsibility than to push up our sleeves and work hard to be part of the solution. 5. The problems that occur in ACFI's orphanage are the same problems that orphanages all over Liberia, all over Africa, and all over orphanages in every country deal with. It is a terrible thing for children not to have a mother and father who can protect them on a daily basis. Children in institutional settings are vulnerable to all kinds of harm. Which is why I will continue to work with ACFI and other ministries who care for children who will never have parents.
Is ACFI perfect? No. If you have been involved in a ministry that has worked in Liberia for more than a few years and has not had any accusations brought against it, I would love to hear about it. It's a messy country in need of a Savior.
I appreciate your heart, and I hope you are continuing to find ways to help the people of Liberia.
Angel ACFI was the only one willing to be honest with us about our adoption and try to help with the issues another organization caused. Ed Kofi himself has tried to help us more than once! Our children have shared many times how they loved when he visited because he did not allow the bad things to happen. Just sharing our experience.
God Bless
Melissa
Post a Comment