Covid's Shards

 

Its day 179 of Spring Break.  Spring Break has had more curve balls that I think any of us really ever expected.  The seasons have changed nearly three times.  We started in winter and have almost landed in fall.  Pumpkin Spice Lattes are in hands and back packs are loaded with face masks and hand sanitizer.  It took 179 days for Spring Break to finish.  And it did. Finally.  Already. 

For those of us in British Columbia, March 17^th, 2020 brought us to a common ground.  Astronomically, globally, we  found a common ground throughout the same month.  People that never would have thought they had anything in common now did.  Within moments so much changed.  In my home our one room living room/dining room/playroom also became a preschool, high school and elementary classroom.  As parents we either panicked or froze.  Who was going to teach our kids?  How were we going to work?  Were we going to be able to work? How were we going to pay bills? Am I going to get sick?  Are my loved ones going to get sick?  Will we be okay?  Does our home have enough bandwidth? Fridge’s all over were adorned with schedules of home school routines and who was ZOOMing on which device and when.  Meme’s flocked the internet of parents admitting they were wrong about their child’s angelic behaviour and intellect and home delivery from liquor stores skyrocketed.  Now was the time to go out collecting bottles.   

Vocabulary changed.  “Unprecedented”, “social distancing,” and “speaking moistly” became terms that entered our lives and have yet to leave.  Toilet paper, sanitizer, yeast and canned goods became as valuable as gold.  The apocalypse was upon us. There was a glimmer of hope that my blacksmith training may come in handy for weapon forgery… it didn’t… sadly. 

Breadmaking, home reno’s and DIY face masks became quests of what felt like everyone.  When stores sell out of puzzles, quilting fabric and elastic cord, and adults start saying “It’s a Tiktok”, you know that you are now in desperate times.

Since bread is neither Keto or easily gluten free I quickly jumped on the puzzle wagon.  I think I completed 10 in the first two weeks. I also rebuilt some 15 Lego sets... and reorganized every piece into organized colour coded bins. Puzzles quickly became old and unavailable, so I jumped on the next wagon… home reno’s.  From what I can remember… here is my list:

·        Repair and paint holes or dings in walls

·        Paint bedroom wall

·        Paint locker

·        Paint bed frame

·        Refurbish solid oak table (dated 1899) graciously given to my family

·        Decorate small deck

o   Add lighting

o   Add carpet

o   Add plants

o   Add chair and comfy blanket

o   Kill first plant… add another…

·        Create a garden wall on the large deck

·        Build three -3 tier garden boxes. 

·        Plant a full garden

·        Repair gate

·        Repair laundry room light wiring

·        Replace dining room light switch

·        Reno hall closet

·        Reorganize storage room

·        Rip out old back splash in kitchen and replace with a new one

·        Reno and DIY Kitchen cabinets with trim, new hinges and paint (dated 1983… can’t make them any worse)

Can’t help but think I’m missing something…

All of this was great… but how much more could I do?  I needed something else, so I began a search for a new craft hobby.  Something that had supplies still available in the world…  Alas, all the ‘paint by numbers’ were sold out.  Macramé it was!  I started with a small wall hanging and soon moved on to a 4 foot one.  Quickly I moved onto more intricate work and created a “Tree of Life” 8-inch hoop using only 1mm thread.  My favourite by far.  My walls are getting a little too full of macramé now… good thing Spring Break is coming to an end.   All of this 'busy hands' business gave my brain extra time to think and process.  

When I first learned that lock down was happening, I decided that I wanted the time off work to mean something.  I am not sure exactly what I meant by it.   I just know that I didn’t want all the time off to be spent on puzzles, rebuilding Lego sets, reno’s and knotted string art projects.  I started digging into God’s word more and more.  I read several books on seeking God’s direction and on finding strength in the midst of life’s storms.  I think we can all agree this has been a bit of a storm.  My favourite book that I read by far is titled “It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way” by Lysa Terkeurst. Seriously.  It’s good stuff.  Lysa talks about the process of dust making and rebuilding.  I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t what we are going through as a global, national and local community.  Imagine a challenge that has come your way.  Maybe it has come about because of Covid or perhaps it is completely unrelated.  Imagine that challenge as being like a broken bowl.  A few cracks or chips and you can easily glue it back together.  Now imagine that bowl is Correlle.  You know what I mean.  It doesn’t just chip or crack, it explodes into a million tiny shards.  You aren’t putting it back together.  Not on your own, and not even with a professional.  In her book Lysa paints the picture of needing to become like dust, not so that we can be put back together, but so that God can make us into something completely new.  Scary right? But exciting at the same time.    And really, do we really want to be put back together exactly as we were?            

I think about my own life and how it had become really isolated even before lock down.  We went about our days, put the kids to bed, got cleaning or work done and went to bed myself  only to start the whole cycle again the next day.  Rarely meeting with friends.  Rarely inviting friends into my home.  Rarely doing much but standard routine.  Covid actually expanded my circle.  Previous to lock down I wasn’t able to attend my Life Group as I was having challenges with my youngest being away from me.  When it went online, I gained back my social group.  It hit me one day that ZOOMing our meetings meant that for the first time we were ‘in’ each other’s homes, albeit virtually.  Some drank wine together while others ate snacks and got interrupted by kids who refused to sleep or by kids who needed more screen time approval.  We would roll our eyes as we all understood what the other was going through.  While physically our doors may have been closed, they virtually opened.  It was kind of cool.  I was reminded of the first church and how through living in community many came to believe.  I find myself wondering what will change going forward.  Will we lose the virtual community and go right back to isolating our lives?  Or will we see the value in being with each other and seek opportunities to gather in each other’s homes with no program or schedule needed to ensure it happens?  Will we allow Covid’s routine shattering be the dust making of our regular routines so that something new can be created?  Something more beautiful than we ever imagined?          

Will we take our new hobbies and keep them for ourselves or will we share them with others? 

Will we charge others for services or will we give freely when we can? 

Will we question the reason behind a person’s empty fridge, or will we just go buy them groceries without judgement?

Will we offer to watch a person’s children so they can have a break?  Even if we think that they have it fairly easy?  Even if we think we have enough on our own plate?

Will we help tutor a neighbour’s child or teach a kid how to play piano?  Without charging?  Just because we can?

Will we eat alone every day or will we open our doors, set our table, light a candle and share a meal and conversation with our friends? 

Will we invite our community in?  Or will we shut them out, because who knows what kind of people they are? 

Will we be comfortable allowing friends into our homes? Even if our home is a mess?  

If my vacuum is broken, can I borrow yours?  Can “yours” become “ours”?

Can “my mess” become “our mess”?  Can we start to do this life together? 

Dust.  What will you allow God to shape out of it?

Things are moving!

This week I had my first meeting with an adoption worker.  I've had all the boxes checked off for things like criminal record checks, medicals, references etc...  Now I await my home study to begin.  I am told that it could start in a month or two if everything goes smoothly. 
The "smoothly" part is the challenge... I still have a fairly giant hurdle to overcome in order for our file to be picked up for a home study.  In order for them to start a home study we need to have a room for another child.  We still have just a two bedroom so this is where the challenge lies.  A few months ago we had a chance at getting a larger unit but it fell through.  I believe it fell through for the will of God.  It's a complicated tale, but I'll attempt to explain.
When we first moved into our home we were subsidized.  In order to be subsidized I needed to be within a certain income bracket.  At that point I was because the money I received for the girls was considered foster maintenance and that it was not considered income.  This was great because my rent was much lower than what is common around here even though my actual income was a little higher.  Last year when Jaylene and Julia were officially placed with me the support I received switched to Post Adoption Assistance.  Housing considers PAA to be like spousal support and chose to include it in my income, thus putting me above the low income bracket required for subside.  That month my rent went up nearly $400.  This past January when I was applying for the larger unit that was available I was made aware of something.  My PAA worker insisted that they should not be including my PAA income as income towards rent.  I looked into it further and Housing admitted to their fault and then waived my rent for a few months to make up the difference.  They also lowered it again.  Thank God!  Lowering it was great and in the long run it will pan out rather helpful as when I get a three or four bedroom it will still be much lower thank market prices.  The drawback is that since I only have two kids right now, who are both the same sex and under 13 I only qualify for a two bedroom.  Giving us a 3 bedroom would make us over housed if we do not have three children and they rarely over house people.  So this is the challenge.  I can't get a larger unit until I have Georgia and it is less likely our home study will be done so that I can get Georgia as long as we don't have a room just for her.  It's a bit of a chicken before the egg situation.  Not being subsidized isn't really an option as two thirds of my income isn't counted as income and thus puts below the minimum income for market prices. 
Our worker did tell me that families have gotten rather creative with this and that some parents have set up dining rooms as bedrooms so that they can give the child their own room.  The ministry understands that it is less likely a family will pay for an extra room when they could be on the waiting list for a number of years.  I suggested the idea of Jaylene and Julia's bed being put in my room so that Georgia can have their room.  She seemed to think that this might pass.  We'll see. 
After the complication of all of this and a little disappointment that this could hold our file back I was feeling a little glum today.  Then... of course God reminded me of his promise.  I walked into a store and this gleamed at me... 

He always keeps his promises.

          

Progress... perhaps

Update
The major hold up in our adopting is that our home is too small.  We have a two bedroom home and need at least a 3 bedroom.  I have searched a bit to find out the possibilities in Vancouver.  Essentially unless I want to move into a cave with no living space, I need to stay in the area I am.  I would like to move into Vancouver because not only do I work there, but the girls go to school there and our church is there.  Currently we are about 20 min. of good traffic from their school.  I have decided to suck this up as otherwise it would mean at least doubling our rent to move closer.  I do love where we live.  I love the green space as our complex is surrounded by woods.  We even have frequent coyotes, bears, cougars and deer.  I also love our complex because it is quiet.  It is nice to step out of the concrete jungle into the peacefulness of our home community.
In a lot of ways I have left our needing a larger home in God's hands.  If he has ordained it for our family to grow, he will provide the home for it to grow in.
After nearly a year on a waiting list in our complex for a bigger home... we may have made some progress.
Here is where I need your help.  I need you to pray.  A unit is coming available in the next couple of months which from my understanding would be perfect for us.  It is a 3 bedroom, newly renovated, it has a carport and a back yard (other 3 bedroom units here don't).  It is also right next to a playground which would be perfect for Georgia to play at.
There are some complications with us getting the unit.  I live in a Housing complex where certain units are designated for subsidies and certain units are designated for market rent.  I currently pay a market price but use to be subsidized. This means that the unit I am in now is considered 'subsidized' even though I am not. It is a super complicated and a long story but in the end I have found out that I should still be considered as subsidized as last year they calculated my income wrong.  This is getting sorted out, but, in the mean time, it needs to be clarified if I qualify for the new unit and what the new unit is designated for. Confusing? Yup.
Please, just pray that this comes through.  I am placing it in God's hands, but I would also like to get this part of the adoption ball rolling.  We can't go much further until we move.

Also, I was made aware this week that we are one simple check mark away from being assigned an adoption worker in our area.  So, that's great.

Thanks
Melodie  

I invite any of you who read this to follow my new adventure.  I invite you in curiosity and in stocking mentality to become our village folk.  Because what I am embarking on now, will take a village.

Yes, that's right...

This past January I felt a strong call from God that I wasn't done with adoption yet, and that He wanted me to do it again.  The Holy Spirit has always had strange ways of speaking to me and even stranger ways of reminding me of his promises.  Often the answer just pops in my head with complete assurance of where it came from, and other times when I need him to be a little more obvious, He is.  I believe that this journey is part of a promise and a calling.

Sometime last spring Julia and Jaylene started a conversation in the car about what name we would give to their new little sister.  For both of them when I adopted them I chose to keep their first names and simply change their middle and last names.  For Julia, her middle name became "Dorothy".  She is named after both of my grandmothers.  For Jaylene, her middle name became "Elsie." Proudly named after my mom, her Grandma.  I couldn't really think of any family names that I really wanted to use, and then the name "Georgia" popped in.  It was obvious.  The country of Georgia holds a huge part of my heart and a huge part of my early faith journey.  I told the girls and without hesitation they shouted "Yes."  For them to both agreeing on something could have been 'sign' enough that it was a Holy ordained name.  I don't know if we will call her "Georgia" or if her middle name will be "Georgia" or if her name already is "Georgia." But for now, this is what we call her.  When we pray for her and plan for her, we call her "Georgia."

With Jaylene and Julia only legally being "placed with me for the purpose of adoption" Dec. 1's 2015, we had to wait till this Dec. 1st to start a second adoption.  The wait has brought some feelings of anxiousness, a desire to know her and to meet her.  I can honestly say that we love Georgia already.  We talk about what she might be doing and we pray that she has a family to spend Christmas with.  When I start to think about a timeline for her arrival these words are on replay, "claim my promises."

About a month before I even knew that Jaylene and Julia were anywhere close to being an option I felt compelled to buy twin Cabbage Patch Kids.  A month later, I was a mom to twins...  Both girls know this story and talk about it when they are playing with their dolls.  They see it as part of God's plan and part of God weaving us into a family.  A couple of months ago at the start of Costco's Christmas season Jaylene and I found ourselves drooling over their Cabbage Patch Kids.  We were picking out the ones we liked the most all the while I was saying, "Its too early.  It's too soon."  Eventually when we picked the one that we liked the most, just before I put it back on the shelf I read it's birth name.  "Georgia."  Nuff said, we have her first gift. I love how God is speaking to Jaylene and Julia through this process.  He is present.  He has a plan.  He's got this.

Since Jaylene and Julia's adoption was finalized this past summer the majority of the paper work is already complete.  I am told by my previous worker that this process could go quite fast.  We are asking for a girl who is between 3 and 6 years old.

How can you pray?
Pray for her.  Wherever she is.  Pray for her as God prepares her for her forever family.
Pray for Jaylene and Julia.  While they are crazy on-board for this it will be a huge adjustment.
Pray for a new home for us.  We currently have a 2 bedroom townhouse.  I'd really like to stay in our complex, so if you can pray that a 3 or 4 bedroom opens up I'd appreciate it.  That or a stand alone house close to the girls school that is in our price range.  That would be a dream.    

Thanks for being our village.
Melodie, Jaylene and Julia

I am not rebellious

I am not rebellious.
Growing up I knew I was the kid of what were seen as rebellious parents. My parents were pastors in The Salvation Army. They were known as being ‘cutting edge’ and that they ministered through corporate rebellion. Yes, they led their congregation in “Love Feasts”. A.K.A. communion. In my earlier years I remember these “Love Feasts” at Easter. In my teen years after moving out to the disloyal West Coast they tiptoed and crossed the line into holding them on occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas and even on New Year’s Eve. There were even times when the fesod of it being a “Love Feast” was done away with and the word that should not be mentioned was uttered. Yes, “communion.” With the West Coast also came water baptism and the defining line of rebellion. 
Wait, what? My parents were rebellious in the christian church because they practiced what Jesus preached? Yes. The Salvation Army although it is spread far and wide, territorially it is small and inbred. One could only conclude that if I had rebellious parents, I must too be rebellious. In so many ways The Salvation Army is about power and control. For these “rebellious” pastors penalty is always looming. Approval for new avenues of ministry and even livelihood is put into question. Sudden and suspicious moves and future appointments are often given as punishment along with a negative reputation. 
For me I never really understood communion or water baptism. Where on the one side it was known as restorative and freeing; it was on the other side something that people who did not obey the rules did. Doing so was punitive. As a result I was not baptized as my non-Salvation Army peers were. Participating in communion when attending various denominations became bitter. What should have been available to me was stripped and tainted. In a sense it was like spiritual starvation. If I asked to be fed I was penalized. So I didn’t ask and thus I starved.
I don’t need to explain the scriptural foundation to practicing these sacraments. We’ve rightfully used them as our fighting words to change policy and practice. And we have lost, more times than I can count. I also don’t need to go into the history of why the Salvation Army does not practice these sacraments because it is simply that, history. While the Soldier’s covenant can be a beautiful thing as it is to lived out as a daily testimony of the a new life found in Christ, it is not to replace what scripture dictates. And although it is important to know that participating in communion and water baptism is not the means of salvation, it is also important to know that to deny the opportunity of holy obedience, and to make it punitive is spiritual abuse. 
Six years ago I was the victim of spiritual and emotional abuse on a rather different scale. I was put through months of interrogation, scolding and my family was threatened over and over again. All this was the consequence to my choosing to follow God’s direction and give two girls a forever home. I did as scripture told me to do and as a result my new family and I were left homeless and jobless without even a car to sleep in. Not only that, but because my exit from ministry with The Salvation Army was so sudden and unexpected by my peers, my ethic was put in question, right across the country.
I cannot tell you have many times I have explained my story of ludicrous acts awarded to me by the leadership of The Salvation Army, to only get a puzzled look with a dropped jaw. Countless people have asked me how much I got in my lawsuit. There was no lawsuit. After all was said and done I felt like although I would win financially and perhaps my cred would be increased, the front line of what I believe to be a valuable ministry would suffer. I had abundant measures to fight back, but no oomph left. The emotional abuse was so intense that my only defense was to shut off all emotion and to simply not go there. I was actually told that my act of choosing to adopt “did not line up with the mission and vision of The Salvation Army.” It wasn’t until recent that I have come to realize that those words couldn’t have been truer. While I fully support the front line mission of bringing hope to those who have lost it, the means behind the vision is riddled with control and threat, which I will have no part of. 
I don’t say all of this to gain favor or sympathy because to be very honest, my family is far better off now than we were then. It took all of that, and these years afterwards to understand the impact of being under such powerful scrutiny. I find myself now in a new church surrounded by a new community of believers who I am sure are full of their own baggage. No denomination is perfection. The loss was so intense that it took me five years to finally leave the abusive relationship. Although the power to control my life was cut off six years ago the emotional trauma was so intense that to leave fully and go into the unknown seemed riskier than staying. If I stayed I knew I could not trust and I knew that I needed to keep my guards up. If I left, who knew what would happen.
So, why say all of this? Denying communion and water baptism are merely two examples of control. And explaining my dismissal from The Salvation Army for adopting is just one example of disregarded inevitable trauma. Every pastor (possibly even every member) of The Salvation Army can name times when their obedience to God the Father has been punished or threatened. 
I say all of this to encourage you to stand up and to know that your obedience to our Saviour is not rebellion against the body of believers, but that it is beautiful and that it will be rewarded with a crown. 
I have not yet been baptized. But, I do know that when I am it will not be noted as a rebellious act but that it will be seen as an act of obedience towards the Great “I am.”

Beautiful

Beauty.

I heard a couple of radio talk show hosts talk the other day about how we shouldn't tell our little girls that they are beautiful.  The premise was that by doing so you would place emphasis on how they looked and thus begin the torment many (if not most) women feel to look perfect in every way.  I get it that we do often place too much emphasis on how we look.  From a young age little girls focus on looking beautiful.  They begin with play make-up; sometimes as early as three years old.  Disney princesses are painted on nearly piece of fabric, every coat, toy, hair brush and bike.  The burden to be ‘special’ is like being in a pressure cooker.  It’s set high and the pressure is building.  While I agree that too much pressure or emphasis is placed on beauty at a young age, I would hesitate to not tell my children that they are ‘beautiful.’  They are beautiful, and it is rather terrifying to think of just how vulnerable their beauty could make them.  Both fixate on how their clothing looks, how their hair is done, and both plead with me regularly to be allowed to wear make-up.  They just turned ten.  

I won’t stop telling them that they are beautiful because they need to know that they are.  I can’t imagine the pain that they would feel in later years if they realized that other parents told their kids that they were beautiful, but that theirs didn’t.  Instead of defining ‘beauty’ as the way a person looks, I would much rather define it as who a person is.  Created in the image of God, beauty is most definitely not skin deep. 

My children are beautiful.  They have survived infant and toddler years that would make any adult give up on life, completely.  They have fight.  My children are beautiful.  Their compassion towards anyone who is being hurt, neglected, or sick is unwavering.  Their willingness to love, despite my shortcomings is generous.  My children are beautiful.  Their freedom in worship is inspiring to the freest of spirits. My children are beautiful.  Their bodacious presence at the face of challenge is freeing.  My children are beautiful.  Their willingness to publically share about what God has done for them, despite what others may think, is courageous.  My children are beautiful, inside and out.     

My children are beautiful.  And I will tell them.  

Orphan Care Part 3

Part 3

There are implications in the way we choose to aid in the orphan epidemic.  And unfortunately in some ways through our good intentions what we have done is create more orphans.  Steve Roa explains in an article which focuses on “community based orphan care” that in an effort to provide safe homes with unending resources for children, what happens as a result is some parents giving up their children so that they can have a better chance at life.  Roa goes on in his article to explain that “The problem with the institutional approach is that it gradually begins to isolate young people from their communities, creating a sub-culture with an inevitable identity crisis.”[i]

Ironically, Americans have done away with orphanages in their own country because of the many problems they create. Yet we unquestioningly continue to use this problematic model around the world!”[ii]  Roa explains that the AIDS epidemic has increased rising the numbers of orphans to a point where Westerners cannot keep up with building enough institutions for them. They have been forced to return to the community and ask what they could or should do differently.  Traditionally, orphans have been cared for by their extended family.  So, why not empower the communities and the extended family to care for them? This type of “community-based care” keeps with cultural values and traditions and it is healthier down the road for the child. They remain in their community, and stay close to their families.  Roa goes on to explain that there are many more options to be engaged in orphan care ministry than simply housing children.  One model that he highlights is taking place in Africa known as the “child head of household.”  Typically in this model an older sibling (such as a teenager) is given responsibility for their younger siblings.  The teenager is empowered and mentored.  In the North American foster care system we hear all the time about the importance of keeping siblings together.  It is no different for those in impoverished countries.  Perhaps a “child head of household” isn’t ideal, but the results can be far better than institutionalizing children and isolating them from their families and communities.  In his research Roas has found that “keeping siblings together dramatically reduces emotional distress, as opposed to dividing up the children among relatives or institutionalizing them. Such a model can also serve to carry on the family name, as well as maintain family rights and land inheritance.”[iii]

In an article by Jo Daugherty Bailey it is explained that “The circumstances of orphanhood vary by country and region of the world. War, famine, disease, and economic circumstances are the leading primary causes of orphanhood.”[iv]  Therefore, our response cannot be of a cookie-cutter nature.  Bailey highlights that four main areas of need for each child weigh differently.  The four main areas are in education, meeting basic needs psycho-social needs and protection.  Where, for example, education is provided for orphan children in North America, it isn’t a given in other places.  It isn’t a priority for orphan care ministry in North America, where it is crucial in places like Africa.  Bailey points out that “Children without parental care are likely to experience threats to food, housing, and health care.  These basic needs are critical for survival and therefore represent a special vulnerability for orphans.”[v] Children who have been separated from their parents and often families experience great devastation which can present in profound grief and distress, which may not even show itself fully until years later.  Children who grow up with such tragedies in their lives are in need of protection.  They are vulnerable for physical, emotional, sexually, and emotionally abuse. The risk of being exploited is extremely high.  Bailey highlights that “researchers have found that approximately 1/3 of prostitutes in Zambia are orphans (UNICEF 2005) and in several African countries, orphans are more vulnerable to homelessness and exploitive labor practices (UNAIDS/UNICEF/USAID 2004).”[vi]

Back2back Ministries has taken much of this same approach and used it as the foundation for their ministry with orphans.  They have a 5 point Back2back Child Development Plan that was created as a means of holistically meeting the needs of orphans in the community without simply focusing on the immediate external needs.  Their 5 point plan includes Education, Emotional, Spiritual, Physical and Social development.[vii]  When we look at simply satisfying the basic needs of shelter, food and clothing but negate those elements which will have long lasting effects, we do a dishonor to the child and set them up for failure.  When we take a holistic approach and meet not only the physical needs of the child but also focus on their emotional and social development, provide solid, practical education and demonstrate the foundations of a relationship with Christ, we set the child up for success, as much as we can.

Here and now change needs to be made.  According to UNICEF, there are at least 100 million children world-wide that are believed to live at least part time on the streets.[viii]  And according to the New York Times, the U.S. government believes that its country contributes about half a million under-age runaways and “throwaways” to this total.[ix]  These are people for whom Jesus died.  These millions of children do not need to remain invisible people.  They are God’s children, and we are required to provide for them, in every way possible.  Clearly, the members of the Body of Christ have a responsibility to answer to the outcry of the children, and clearly the church in the Western world needs to answer it.

Of course it isn’t all cut and dry.  No one method remedies the epidemic.  What works one place may not work in another.  And what is the answer of hope to one person, may not be for the next.  Through prayer and petition; through research and wisdom from those who have gone before us; and from open ears to the voice of God, healing can be found and hope can be restored.

Orphans stop being orphans when they start becoming sons and daughters.  Family is what is required to remedy the plague that is orphanhood.  If the church does for orphans what God did for us by adopting us, regardless of circumstance, means or difficulty, countless lives will be saved and generations of abandonment and poverty can be avoided.