Planting the seeds...

Last weekend, I met two of my friends from college (Jessie and Kelly) for lunch. I hadn't seen one of them in almost a year! We chatted and ate tasty food, catching up on the ins and outs of being... well... us. After we finished our lunch and were slurping away at what was left of our drinks, Jessie dropped a bomb on us- how would we feel about starting an orphanage? For this to really hit home, you have to know that: (a) I have always wanted to work at an orphange; (b) Kelly was discerning a religious vocation and recently found out that her number 1 choice is not an option; and (c) as a project in college, Jessie put together marketing material for a fake orphanage.

And thus our brains started working... and we were bouncing ideas off of each other... discussing whether this would even be practicle. Enter the experience Kelly and I have of working at non-profits. Enter friends we have who are still working at non-profits. Could we really do this?

We spent about two hours sitting at the restaurant table, slurping, and talking about the possibilities that could come out of this. A Catholic home for children- Divine Mercy Children's Home- for girls ages infant-14. Girls in foster homes, who have been bounced around from placement to placement, who need a secure place to live- secure attachments- and love. Babies who have been born addicted to drugs, who have mild developmental difficulties- who need to feel wanted.

"We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty." - Blessed Mother Teresa

We parted ways with the intent of praying on our own and beginning to do a bit of research. I found out what it takes to start a non-profit (lots of paperwork and about $1000 of filing fees), and I found out that land in West Virginia is cheaper than land in Ohio. We discovered that it would probably take a few years to really start, but if we go one step at a time, we may really be able to do this.

The Lord has planted the seeds in our hearts. Now it is our job to make sure His flower blooms. I pray this day that my will becomes His will. That we are following His plan and His path as we delve into this journey.

In Christ through Mary,
Michelle