Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor
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Cross Catholic Outreach
- February 11, 2011
Everyday Hero in the Field
At Cross International Catholic Outreach, we’re always inspired by the amazing work our ministry partners are doing in Christ’s name. They’re literally changing lives in developing countries!
All this great work is done by ordinary individuals whom God has
challenged to do great things. And with his help, they’re empowered: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
One such “everyday hero” in the field is Doroteia Balane, a founding member of one of Cross Catholic’s ministry partners working with AIDS orphans in Africa. Her strength and heart for the innocent orphans left behind by AIDS is truly inspiring!
“I am so happy because I am doing the job that I like: looking for people that are suffering and helping the orphans who need us,” she said. “Always I am asking my God to give me more life in order to use my life for helping other people that are in need.”
Doroteia Balane shares the word of God with a girl whose father abandoned her—and her mother is dying. Doroteia believes in the power of God’s word. “Even if you can’t read, you can ask a neighbor to bring a Bible and open the page, any page, and read what is there, what is God’s word for you,” she said.
Orphans in Africa are traditionally taken in by family, friends, or neighbors. But many orphans live alone because the people who normally would take them in have died of AIDS. Orphaned children have no way to pay for food, school, shelter, clothing, or medical care other than working in the streets—and that only earns them about a dollar a day.
With help from Cross Catholic’s generous benefactors, our ministry partners in Africa are working hard to support orphaned children by providing food, shelter, education, health care, counseling, and spiritual guidance. People like Doroteia are leading the way.
“We are counseling children to go to the church,” she said. “We advise them to try to pray to God, to go to church, and to hear what the fathers are telling them and use the information that can save their lives.”
The biggest reward for Doroteia? Seeing children’s lives improve thanks to the work God has called her to do.
“When I am helping a child with something, I feel peaceful, I feel happy,” she said. “When I see my child living well without problems, I know God is there.”
