Dreams come true…sometimes quicker than we may think!
We
have wanted to have a Forever Home for some time now but didn’t seem to
quite get the connection until one Sunday in October 2005 when we
where out to lunch with some friends.
We
started talking about Acres of Love and what an amazing job our good
friends Ryan and Gerda Audagnotti have been doing there over the last
ten years. As we talked I started to tell a story about a young boy
from one of the homes who had prayed for a Forever Mommy and Daddy for
Christmas. He wanted to be in a home for Christmas…
As
I said those words over and over tears welled in my eyes and my throat
got choked. I said to my husband Rob who was sitting opposite me…”we
must do the home for Christmas …how many people want to be home for
Christmas…there are even songs written about it…how many children
praying right now that they will be out of their terrible situations by
Christmas….let’s try and see if we can do it….”
We
immediately called the USA and spoke to Ryan…it was 10 pm. He answered
and I asked if it would be possible to have this hope bought and
children's lives saved by Christmas…he said “It’s possible…not
necessarily easy…but possible”
That
is all I needed to hear. I told the rest of the table “yes he says it
can be done” (I didn’t mention the potential difficulties!!!) I asked
Rob if we could go to our church family that evening and ask them to
“downsize” their commercial Christmas and “upsize” their FOREVER side
of Christmas.
Within days
I had emails offering support. Within days I became bolder and bolder
asking people exactly what they could do! We have a lawyer in one of
our congregations and he is helping with some of the necessary legal
preparations so we can run an office of Acres of Love here in
Australia. We had a printer who has printed some Christmas cards for
those who want to tell others they have given a gift to these children
on their behalf for Christmas…and so it goes on…I will not turn down
any offer of help…it could fit in somewhere sometime!
So here we start on the beginning of a great journey…that will last Forever and count for ETERNITY!
Our
love is great for these children and our respect for those who help
them unequalled. What a great life …that we can help these little ones.
Christie Buckingham
Senior Pastor
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