Friday, June 8, 2012

Black Gold, Gators, and Orphans


I don’t know if I mentioned this earlier on, but I’m working on an oil field in the bayou of Louisiana this summer. I’m currently sitting on the field for the second week helping to pump a barge full of a few thousand barrels of oil amounting to many thousands of dollars. I’ll also be doing this again tomorrow and multiple more times this summer, which means I’ll be involved in the transfer of millions of dollars worth of oil. Don’t be jealous though, I won’t be seeing any of those millions myself.  Now I really do understand why it’s called Black or Liquid Gold.

So far since I’ve been out here, I’ve seen 3 alligators (and expect to see many more), many cool birds, snakes, crawfish, plenty of fish, and even some of the cast of Swamp People. Unlike most of my friends, I drive a boat to my job and all day during my job and go 7 days at a time without seeing cars or the majority of civilization. We receive a pretty comfy allowance for food for the week (I work 7 days on, and 7 days off) so the eating is always delicious or at least better than college cafeteria food.  I spend most of my days riding around on the boat, checking for any leaks, reading the days numbers, and taking care of any problems that might arise. Example of a problem might be switching a compressor back on, after it went off for unknown reasons, which normally wouldn’t be too bad except for the fact that it was pouring rain outside and I was definitely drenched by the end of it.

Now I’ve explained Black Gold and Gators but what could Orphans possibly have to do with my summer?? Well, I’m also attempting to go on a 10-day mission trip to Romania in August with the Livada Orphan Care organization. One of the nannies that I mentioned in my first blog post told me about the organization because she happens to be interning for them this summer in Romania. The LOC helps to care for and minister to orphans and at-risk children in Romania, in order to bring them to better lives and to God. They also teach these children and gypsy children how to read, write, and speak both Romanian and English, while also teaching them normal life skills as well as letting them know how much God loves them.

Right now I’m spending all of my free time trying to raise both prayer and financial support to go on this mission trip. If I’m able to raise this support, than I will be aiding the interns in running the summer camps that the LOC puts on for these children and helping to teach these children about God’s Word and His Love. I know that the old me wouldn’t of considering spending a dime to do something seemingly crazy like this, but now that I feel God’s hand in my life, I also feel like He’s drawing me out to do this. God told us to make disciples of all nations, to go out and spread His Word, and He told us of the importance of the children. These children need to feel loved and that’s what I want to bring to them.

Now, I know what should normally come next in something like this. I ask you for money and try to make you feel bad if you don’t give. Let’s not do it that way. If you’d like to give me financial support for this opportunity than I’ll certainly graciously accept it but if not, then that’s fine too, but I would ask that you send out a prayer for me and more importantly for these children. Pray that they feel loved by both man and God, pray that they be cared for, and pray that their care givers have all the strength of heart, body, and soul that they need to teach and love these children.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:19

“But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:14

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