Children of the Appalachia need our help

My heart is totally breaking this morning as I eat my grits and drink my milk. How did I get so lucky when some are less fortunate than I? I don't understand, so I guess that's the many questions I ask God to help me with on a daily basis. In the past year and a half my faith has grown deeper with my Father. Last April I nearly died because my appendix ruptured and my faith in God was renewed. As I lay in the bed at home healing for nearly 3 months I would talk with him, read his word and thank him for letting me live so I could do what He intended with my life. Since that time I have had this feeling of wanting to minister to people about Gods word and will. Me and Mike's relationship has deepened and we now have our nightly bible study which usually last about 90 minutes. We have redone our budget so that we could donate more money to people in need and totally turned our life and marriage over to God. If you would have said this to me about 10 years ago, I would have been selfish and wanted to do things my way not His. Last fall me and Mike attended a bible study at our dear friends house and they suggested Mike become a pastor. Ever since then Mike makes comments on how he would love to minster to others but doesn't know which path to go on, so we pray that God would lead us in the right direction.
Last night we watched the Diane Sawyer 20/20 special on the Children of the Appalachia, I cried the entire time. The stories of these families broke my heart and made me appreciate what I had. There is really only coal mining,convenient stores and fast food places for these people to work at. So most people resort to drinking, selling prescription drugs, stealing from their own families ultimately resulting in family feuds and fighting. Most kids drop out of high school and dig for coal illegally on the side of the highway to heat their homes with. Most people don't have health insurance and so they suffer. Most kids have poor teeth and their parents have none.
There is government assistance with food stamps and welfare but that's all. There is not one person up there trying to teach these people new trades or the latest technologies. There is a dental bus that comes through and gives free dental work for the kids and there is clinic that you can pay what you want when you are seen there. Most kids are in and out of foster care and have to take care of their parents because they are drinking and doing drugs.
As the show was coming to an end Mike said to me, " why isn't there anyone doing missions or sending money to these people?". That is a good question, the only missions that are going there is http://www.shelterock.org/ and they go everywhere across the country. I'm not saying that that's bad, it's great but I was disturbed at our country as a whole. We are so into going overseas and helping these people and trying to give them schools, teaching them trades, food and shelter, that we have abandoned our own. I think its sad that we don't do more for "our" people. Why can't my church have a mission team go there and minister and teach them how to read since most of them don't know how. I was appalled yesterday when I heard that people were emailing Good Morning America and saying how they hated the poor and the poor didn't need to have children if they couldn't afford them. This hatred has got to stop, we need to help each other. Why do people judge one another, why not help them. I believe that if there were teams up there ministering and teaching these people, that they could get out of poverty.
Me and Mike have decided that we are going to re-do our budget again so that we can sponsor a few people. I believe that God is speaking to us throughout this world, with fires, storms, deaths and this new president. We have got to get more people to become Christians, I believe that the world would become a better place. So if you feel inclined to help these people, please visit http://www.shelterrock.org/ to read more about people in poverty and to maybe sponsor someone.
Until I blog again ~ Gal Molly