About three years ago, I went to a small orphanage in Morocco, “Village of Hope.” While there, I tried to help out this poor yet happy community however I could. Much of the time I spent doing arts and crafts with the local kids and harvesting and drying beans from the garden for the winter. When I first arrived, (only being there 4-5 days) I was told of some AMAZING and glorious things that were happening at this orphanage! Truly, MANY things were nothing short of miracles. Not only were the children at the orphanage being transformed, but those who visited were too! Nomads from the surrounding lands had been finding their way to the workers (on their own!)… specifically to ask questions about visions and dreams they had been having of ‘a man who has come to save them from their sins!’ Obviously, God was at work on a level deeper than the orphanage workers could imagine… or predict. I even remember writing in my travel journal about the harmonious vibe I felt there as: “the closest I’ve felt to being in heaven.” I remember the children singing songs in Arabic while the spring breeze carried it through the gardens. It was alive on SO many levels.
Now, Just TODAY (March 8th 2010), I just got word from several of my friends in Morocco that the Christians who run and have made the Village of Hope their lives are being exported. They have less than 3 days to leave the country. All of the children they have been caring for are being taken away from their only known families. Children that were otherwise unwanted, uncared for, or saved from death! AND after many decades of being open (since 1957) the Christians are being kicked out of this area. Shortly after I was there, one family was accused of ‘sharing their faith’ and was given 24 hours to get to the coast of Spain… NOW, all of the believers in this small region are being forced to leave.
I don’t understand why this is happening in such a peaceful community… but there HAS to be plans behind it. PLEASE feel free to look at the link at the bottom (which is a short and rushed letter from the orphanages manager) and spread it to anyone who might have a heart to pray for the situation. Sometimes it is hard to comprehend that we are truly in the middle of something greater than ourselves…. and that ‘Leaning not on our own understanding’ is sometimes all we can do. Even though I feel so far away from this situation, and that this may seem like a ‘small’ event in the tragedies that face the world. It still concerns me to think that after YEARS of Christians being in this area, doing their work … they now they are being rapidly exported.
Thank you for listening,
Marissa Lopez
As of today, we have new updates on the children, as well as progress on our efforts to get this story to the media, and most importantly, to government officials who can take action. Tina Broadbent, Chris’ wife, spoke to us, letting us know the children are being kept by some of their Moroccan teachers, which is good news as it means they are with people who care for them. This, however, will only last for ten days, after which they will likely be put back into orphanages. Tina is concerned the Moroccan government will break up family groups (groups of orphans who are siblings under the same family) when they are put into orphanages. Pray that this does not happen.
Our team is working to reach our contacts at the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the State Department, The Vice Consulary General of Morocco in NY, the UN, the Moroccan embassy in D.C., members of Capitol Hill, the Department of Justice in DC (specifically OPDAT), as well as our local representatives. A member of our team is in India for a year with International Justice Mission (IJM), and is working hard to gain press coverage on that side of the globe. We are literally working around the clock and around the world to gain as much coverage and attention to this terrible injustice as we can.
Things to pray for:
• The children, who are undoubtedly terrified and scared. That they would not feel a sense of abandonment. That they would know their parents love them so much and would never, ever leave them by their own will. That they would be able to remain together in family units if placed back in orphanages. That those with disabilities or medical conditions would get the proper care (care that often their parents only knew how to give them), and that their health and safety would not be neglected.
• The parents, who are gut-wrenchingly torn away from their children indefinitely. Many of their children have been with them since birth (children who are now 10), and their hearts are broken. Pray for their guidance as they figure out what to do next and how to deal with the Moroccan government moving forward. Pray they get to see their children again.
• The Moroccan Government, including the King and Minister of Justice Naciri, that God would move in their hearts and change them. That they would see what they have done and repent, and bring these parents back home to their children. These people need grace just like us, please pray for them.
• Our government, that they would take the necessary steps in doing their part to correct this wrongdoing. That our president and leaders would have guidance and discernment led by God to move forward as appropriate.
• The people of Morocco as a whole. We just got news this might be happening to other children’s homes there as well as Christians in general there. Please pray for an immediate change in the heart of Narcisi.
• For our team, who is working tirelessly for these children. We will not give up. We will not.
What you can do:
SPREAD THE WORD. You have my full permission to forward this email to anyone and everyone you know, as well as give them my contact information below. I am willing to talk to press, officials, anyone, anytime day or night, to bring awareness to this issue. I am attaching the press release as well, which can also be forwarded to media outlets, congressmen, whomever.
Frequently Asked Questions (answers from Chris Broadbent):
What do they think will happen to the kids, and how did they leave them? In someone’s care or alone at the facility? We asked this time and again, and were simply told that the ‘state’ would take care of them. When the parents left the site under guard at 10.30pm, there was, to my knowledge, no one with the children apart from a group of about 20 male police (gendarmerie royale) who were just standing around outside or going through files in the admin office. We have heard nothing since. All of the employees have been told by the police that they are sacked. **We now have more info, as stated above.
What is the nature of their expulsion? Permanent or “pending charges.” No ‘charges’ as such, they simply read out a formal declaration to us saying that we had been proselytising, and therefore were breaking the law, so our residency was revoked on the spot meaning we were now illegally in the country, and would be deported.
Will charges be filed? Not that I’m aware of, and all foreigners are now out of the country.
Will funds/facility be seized? Yes. At our reckoning there was about 260,000dh in the accounts, and about 30,000dh in the cash box on site. This is all money donated to VoH by overseas donors for use to operate the organisation or fund specific projects.”
We are asking that you share this with your friends. Post about it on Facebook. Tweet about it with the hashtag #Morocco Orphans. Email your friends. Post to your own blogs.
I am also trying to get an email campaign going. I have compiled a list of major press contacts as well as email addresses of some major Christian blogs and websites, and drafted an email that includes the press release and more information, urging these media outlets to publicize the information. Please contact me if you would like a copy of this email and the list of contacts!
Please read the press release below:
****PRESS RELEASE****
(Release drafted by Allen Wolf March 8, 2010)
MOROCCAN AUTHORITIES INVADE CHILDREN’S ORPHANAGE – EXPEL PARENTS FROM COUNTRY
On Monday, March 8th, Moroccan authorities raided Village of Hope (VOH), a children’s home in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco, originally founded by two Americans in 1957 as a home for orphaned children. The authorities arrived during the school day, entered the classrooms and told the adopted children their parents are being told to leave the country and will be leaving the children behind.
In the ensuing chaos, officials told the parents at VOH that they are being expelled from the country because they have been talking to their children about Christianity.
In 2002, the Village of Hope registered with the Moroccan government as an official Christian organization and received permission to talk about Christianity to the children in their care. Under the Moroccan government, it is illegal for anyone to talk about their Christian faith without first being asked. In the case of these parents, they had gotten permission to do so from the government.
As the secret police raided VOH, children cried out hysterically for their parents who were being forced to board a bus to the airport 30 minutes after receiving this news. The authorities are not allowing the parents to take any of the children with them which leaves behind 33 children who were in their care.
The staff at Village of Hope had moved there to dedicate their lives to adopting unwanted and orphaned children. In Morocco, it is only legal for Muslims to adopt children so the parents were acting as “foster parents” but in actuality the children considered them to be their parents.
The staff were told this directive came from the new Minister of Justice for Morocco, Mohammed Naciri.
Tags: Marissa Lopez
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“”"”we had been proselytising, and therefore were breaking the law,”"”"
I have traveled in Islamic countries for over 20 years.
ALL Christian AID organizations do proselytize and it is against the law.
You may do good work but it is not your place to convert the locals.