Awake Chapter Five “I Knew You Would Come”
As I finished writing this chapter in Awake, I was getting ready to leave on a very special trip to Guatemala. It was the first visit where I would see the Baby Rescue Program in its entirety – from start to finish. I knew we were helping save babies and young children, but I had no idea the lengths our partners were going to make that happen.
All I could do was speculate on what I would see and experience. I could only imagine the long roads I would travel, the hills I would hike, the intense heat I would feel, and the beautiful face of the desperately hurting child I would find just waiting for our arrival. In my heart, I imagined they would say “I knew you would come.”
This week I am leaving again for Guatemala, and I am thinking a lot about the word “rescue.” I believe that somewhere deep inside, we all want to be rescued from something . . . financial troubles, bad relationships, a dead-end job, addictions, etc. And as people of faith, we know what it truly means to be rescued. But what if we believed that we were rescued in order to rescue?
It is true that so many children around the world are waiting. “They are waiting to be rescued from hunger, disease, sickness, abuse, and slavery. They long to say ‘I knew you would come’” (Awake). And their stories inspire me to keep going . . .
Our goal this year is to rescue 1,000 babies. We have already reached more than 10 percent of our goal – and I admit, we have a long way to go. But I am committed to telling the stories of these children. I am committed to being their voice. That is all I can do. And that is exactly what I am going to do this week.
I am launching a new blog and I encourage you to follow my daily video posts of this incredible trip. Let me introduce you to the children of Guatemala. They will steal your heart and inspire you to action. I can tell their stories, but I need you to spread the word. Use your voice, share their inspiring stories with your network of family and friends, and together let’s save some lives.
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You can order a signed copy of Noel’s new book Awake: Doing a World of Good One Person at a Time today for $10 with free shipping.Visit awakebook.org to learn more.