LOVE OF A FAMILY

About this sermon

At just 35 years of age, Pascasie Mukampenda lost her husband and two children during the genocide. Broken and overcome with hopelessness, Pascasie was left a widow with just one child. “After the genocide, it became emotionally difficult to go on with life,” recalls the single mother. “I was not even able to support my daughter.” In the midst of tragedy, her neighbor became pregnant and tried to abort the child. But due to the failed abortion, the child was born with special needs. Unable to cope, the neighbor abandoned her child on Pascasie’s doorstep. Despite having no outside support, Pascasie took in the little girl as her own. Eventually Pascasie turned to the local church, knowing she could not carry her family without help. Members gave the young mother food, clothing, and even skills training on how to support her family. Pascasie was humbled by their open-heartedness, generosity, and willingness to accept her and her children. Without the church, Pascasie says she would never be where she is today. Now, her adopted daughter is eight-years-old and has made tremendous progress in life. While she still struggles in school, she is improving daily and recently had her best year yet. “I thank God for my daughter because when I adopted her, I had no hope for the future and no help from anyone,” says Pascasie. “Now, my family and I are cared for by the church. I’m so grateful for the significant difference in my life today.” http://saddleback.com/sponsorship — Choosing to raise an orphan is a huge step of faith, and even more so for a single parent. Pascasie is a widow who brought an abandoned infant into her home. Watch the story of how her local church helped support the entire family, enabling Pascasie to provide what God intends for all children: a family of their own. Learn more about the Orphan Care Initiative at http://orphancareinitiative.com To learn more about helping families like Pascasie’s and provide a way for orphans to be reunited with their families or to find a new family, visit http://saddleback.com/sponsorship (Adoption Story) (Single Parent) (Rwanda) (Everyone deserves a family) (Every child deserves a family) (Adoption family) (Orphan Care) (Stories of adoption) (Hope for the orphan) (Family first) (PEACE plan) (Sponsor a child) (Saddleback Church) (Abandoned children)

Topics

• Love & Compassion
• Children & Family