Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Did you know that hundreds of orphaned bear cubs are shot
every year, just to keep them from starving to death? Ever since the white man
has encroached on bear territory, orphaned cubs have become a huge problem.
Many mother bears are either hit by cars or shot by hunters each year, and
because bear cubs are totally dependent upon their mothers, orphaned babies are
left to the mercy of the wild. Most will either starve or fall victim to
predators, and even to other bears.
Veterinarian Ken Macquisten had a burden on his heart for
these cubs. He theorized that if orphaned bear cubs could be given a safe
wilderness home to grow up in, with little or no human contact, they could be
released back into the wild. He suggested that a three-strand electric fence
could be stretched around approximately two acres of wilderness land rich in
the food elements necessary for the survival of bears. Inside the fence, the
bear cubs would be protected from predators while they learned to forage for
food. He decided to test his idea with two orphans, Coola and Grinder.
Coola was found wandering aimlessly in Bella Coola,
British Columbia after his mother was hit by a car. It isn't known what
happened to Grinder's mother, but he was discovered alone and near the point of
starvation near the Alberta-British Columbia border. Ken took these two orphans
under his care until he had built their wilderness habitat in the Grouse
Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife near Vancouver, British Columbia, and
then he released them into this area.
Unfortunately, by the time the experimental area was
ready, Coola and Grinder had been with humans too long to ever be released into
the wild; however, the experiment was a total success in every other way. When
the cubs first arrived in their new habitat, they both weighed about 7 kg.
("By way of explanation - because there was no government authorized
program to release captive raised orphan grizzlies at the time that Grinder and
Coola became orphans, these two bears had no chance of being releasable in any
event." Dr. Ken Macquisten)
By the time their first winter arrived, Coola weighed 78
kg and Grinder 61 kg. They had both learned how to forage for food and how to
do all the other things that bears need to survive. Most importantly, they
proved that Ken's idea would work. Thanks to this successful experiment, the
Canadian authorities now have an alternative for orphaned bear cubs.
It only took one man to make a difference in the survival
of these abandoned cubs! Just one man!
Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the Western
hemisphere, has an infant mortality of 7.6%! Because of a baby boom, almost
half of its population is under 14 years of age, with the median age being 17.
The average life expectancy is 51. If you ever visit this country, you will be
in for a major shock. Crowds of people live either in the streets or in shacks
that aren't fit for human occupation. Water mixed with human waste flows freely
in the streets. Disease rampages out of control.
What can one do in such conditions?
Hands and Feet, an autonomous ministry founded by members
of Audio Adrenaline and Flicker Records, came to the rescue of Haitian orphans
to provide hope to future generations in Haiti. Their philosophy: "When we
impact the lives of these orphans, we impact future leaders of communities,
cities, and a nation. Touch a child and you can rescue a nation. It begins with
the children. They need love, hugs, and a caring family - a home. Together we
can change their world through God's love."
One little thing, yet what a difference it makes in the
lives of those kids.
A
It only takes one dedicated person to make a difference
in this world. Will you be that one?
Dear Lord, We pray that we would be the one to make a difference
in the world for You. Help Your love shine through us in such a way that those
around us will come to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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