Testimonials :: Ministries :: Here I Am Orphan Ministries

The summer that I graduated high school I read, “Don’t waste your life” by John Piper. When I read that book God put a fervent desire in my heart to give my life wholly and completely over to God to do with as He would. He stirred a passion in me to do something meaningful something that would impact the kingdom of God for His glory. That same summer God brought a young orphan girl into our life named Mercy. She needed a home and a loving forever family. I knew right away that God wanted me to make a ministry of this precious new sister. And so I spent that year pouring into her the love of God. And then one day my dad walks into the office and tells me about an opportunity he was given to go on a mission trip to Bogota, Colombia with Here I Am Orphan Ministries and I was reminded of what God had stirred in me the summer before. I had no idea what to expect and sometimes wondered what in the world were we getting ourselves into. The first day we visited a boy’s orphanage. It was very awkward and I did not know what to do with myself. And then one sweet shy little boy kept taking my hand every chance he got and started showing me around. He showed me everything but when he took me to one of the rooms where they sleep and showed me his bed and his little backpack that held all the little toys he owned I wanted to cry. That first day he hardly ever left my side soaking in all the love and affection he could. But after that he began to pull away and I realized it was because he knew we were going to leave and wanted to make it as least painful as he could by staying away. It broke my heart. That night I couldn’t stop thinking of all the little things in life I take for granted. Things like a hug or a shelf full of stuffed animals or a pantry full of food or just family. Over the next few days we visited two girls orphanages. I marveled at how selfless and loving these children were and at how even though we had gifts and food and things to give them what they wanted the most was our love. All they wanted was to hold your hand to make you laugh to hug you to see you smile. That baffled me the most. We were there to serve them and give them love and they were so eager to do just that for us. Telling these precious children goodbye on that last day was the hardest thing I have ever done. God stirred a passion in me when I read, “Don’t waste your life” to do something of worth and value for the kingdom of God. And I have to say I am certain I have found that something. And that something is to take God’s love and the gospel to Orphans and God willing bring some home to teach and train in the ways of the Lord.

Rebekah Bullen - Padrino Program Trip To Bogota, Colombia, September, 2009

My life seemed to me to be useless lately. It seemed that all that I had done in my young life thus far had been without success. I had worked in churches and worked with people in ministry all of my life but no matter how I tried or how much I worked, it didn't seem that anything ever changed. I was without God’s love and power in my life, or so I thought. I had prayed every night that God would show Himself to me and show me that He still worked in power in our world. Then my father and sister went to Colombia on a mission trip in June with Here I Am Orphan Ministries. They came back with the joy of the Lord flowing through them and a passion for God and the children in Colombia that was absolutely contagious. I felt like they had found the place where God was working and where He wanted me to work as well. I needed to go to Colombia. I wanted to find God so bad that I could not sleep. Finally my dad and I went to Colombia in September, 2009. I can’t begin to explain how God met me but He did. And I will not be the same again. I will always be thankful that He answered my prayers.