As you read this paragraph, three
children become orphans worldwide. An
orphan is a child whose parents have died or have been abandoned by their
family, because they cannot provide for them. These children are left on their
own to survive.
Every day about
5,760 children become orphans, adding to the 153 million orphans worldwide. These
substantial numbers (reported by the non-profit organization Sweet Sleep) are
made even more tragic by knowing that most of these orphans do not have anyone
to rely on and have no hope. Precious children have to hide in secret because
of a stigma against orphans who are abused and HIV positive. Sweet Sleep, on a
recent trip to Uganda to provide beds for orphans, drew 2,000 of these children
out of hiding.
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| Image by Sweet Sleep Sweet Sleep's logo and motto. |
“A Bed for Every
Head” is the motto of Sweet Sleep. They are reaching out to the orphans who sleep
in filthy conditions or who have no place to sleep at all. The beds that are
provided by Sweet Sleep are catalysts to impact and change the orphans’ lives
and get them back into good families, said Jen Gash, president and founder of
Sweet Sleep.
The children who
live in orphanages are not all orphans. According to Sweet Sleep, 80 to 90
percent of children living in orphanages actually have parents. These children
are called social orphans. The orphanages that they live in are not necessarily
better, because of poor conditions and no one to genuinely love and care for
them. Abandoned children desire to have a safe place to sleep.
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| Photo provided by Sweet Sleep The beds before and after Sweet Sleep provided new beds and mosquito nets to these three girls in Uganda. |
Not
only does Sweet Sleep provide beds, they also provide mosquito nets, teach
malaria prevention and how to care for the sick, and most importantly they
provide Bibles and the love of Christ. Gash said that God gave the idea for
this ministry to her ten years ago on the way home from a mission trip in
Moldova, when He burdened her heart for the 153 million orphans who needed a
place to sleep.
“During
our team meeting, someone prayed for the kids to have sweet sleep,” said Gash.
“On the plane ride home, I knew that God brought me here for more than just a
trip. I opened my Bible and it fell open to Proverbs 3:24, ‘When you lie down,
you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.’”
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| Photo provided by Sweet Sleep Children have to sleep on filthy beds like this in orphanages in Moldova. |
This
short mission trip to Moldova started a domino effect of trips around the world
to provide love and care to orphans. For ten years, Sweet Sleep has provided over
20,000 beds for children in the United States and eight other countries in Europe,
Central East Africa, and the Caribbean.
Biblically, it’s
the churches responsibility to take care of the widows and orphans. Churches
have more resources than any other non-profit organization to do this. The
church needs to step up and obey God’s command to care for the little children
and bring them up in the way of the Lord.
The church can
be more intentional to support orphans by working with partners such as Sweet
Sleep and social services. According to Gash, churches in Eastern Europe have
been obedient in answering God’s call to give kids’ homes and families.
“In January
2013, Sweet Sleep launched a new ministry initiative called Heart for One,”
said Gash. “This initiative embraces indigenous programs which provide
integrated social services toward children and families so that the family is
strengthened and empowered in a way they can provide loving and sustainable
homes for the children they have and the children that they will foster or
adopt.”
The orphan
crisis is changing society. Millions of children with great potential never
reach their potential, because no one is giving them the chance. Sweet Sleep
can make a difference in these children’s lives with your help.
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| Photo provided by Sweet Sleep Madelene Metcalf and Jen Gash are the founders of Sweet Sleep. |
Children who have a safe place to sleep at night and perhaps even a family through the new beginnings of Heart for One have a better chance of succeeding in this harsh world. By helping Sweet Sleep combat the night time horrors and giving orphaned children the hope of Christ, you are helping a small child not only in this short world, but also in eternity.
“Jesus called
the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not
hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,’” Luke 18:16.
