A God Connection

In the aftermath of great loss, people want to find a tangible way to help and support those who have been affected by a tragedy.  We were no exception to this! We were blessed with so many cards, letters, emails, and flowers on a daily basis in the weeks following Aliyah's birthdate. 

As people continued to love and reach out to us, we heard the same question: "What can we do to help?" We SO appreciated the hearts of those asking us this question; they truly wanted to help, but I often thought to myself,"How am I to respond to a question like this?" All of my answers seemed so shallow and pointless. What we wanted most was for our daughter to be alive and well with us on this earth. But that was not an option. Nothing would replace our Aliyah Joy. 

But yet the question continued to come before us even though we did not have a good answer for it. How COULD others help? 

And then an idea was stirred within us....... What if the individuals who wanted to help could sow into a Kingdom-minded cause that would stand for LIFE in our Aliyah's honor?  It would not bring Aliyah back to us in this life, but it would give her a legacy here on this earth that she never had the chance or privilege of leaving behind. Her small life could still have SIGNIFICANT IMPACT on the lives of others for the Kingdom. THIS was how others could help us! They could HELP to be apart of God's redeeming plan for Aliyah's life!

Rod and I began looking for a ministry to support in Aliyah's honor. There were so many amazing options out there.  Which one would God lead us to? Should we dig a well to provide a poor village with water? Should we give monthly support to children in poverty so that they had the privilege of attending school and receiving basic medical care? Should we support other families in our area who also received a terminal diagnosis for their baby? None of these options seemed quite right.

I still remember where I was standing when Rod and I first talked about the option. It felt PERFECT; a completely DIVINE connection. We knew we could not have come up with something like this on our own! It had to be God connection! Only He could orchestrate a plan of REDEMPTION like this! As we took time to pray about it, we felt a peace and confirmation in our hearts that this was part of the plan that He had for us! 

My uncle and aunt, Steve and Darla Kruse, were supporting a Christian pregnancy center in Kampala, Uganda through their ministry in Ohio, KAMInternational. We loved the heart of this pregnancy center that they were supporting which is named "The Comforter's Center." 

The Comforter's Center, which was started by a woman who survived her own mother's attempt to abort her, upholds the sanctity of human life in the Kampala community by supporting women, men, and their families who are facing an unplanned pregnancy. The center offers spiritual, physical and emotional support through education, biblical counseling, pregnancy kits, baby supplies, and the sharing of the gospel. We were so excited to help The Comforter's Center stand for the LIFE of the unborn in Aliyah's honor. What an awesome tribute to our daughter!

We began spreading the word and collected a little over $1,000.00 in Aliyah's honor from family and friends. We gave the money to Steve and Darla who were planning to visit The Comforter's Center in January of 2011 during a missions trip. And then God entered into the situation once again showing His faithfulness in a very beautiful and surprising way!