Well, here it is, my first blog post, I admit, it’s a little daunting, (as one realizes that you’ve been journaling and formulating thoughts for - well, hmmm - 50 plus years…) So how to start? What to write? What not to write? So let’s start at today, how I’ve landed, and how and why Amilia’s Light began.
How I’ve “landed...” How I want to live my life, and who I want to be in relationship with. Philosophically, I want to hold myself and others to a high standard. “For God, myself and others, I want to be a woman of integrity, a beacon of light and a vessel of love.” Great Idea! Not so easy to accomplish, every minute of every day; but we all need dreams to propel us forward, to guide us through life, and to help us determine when we need to trim the sails.
I don’t know about you, but 55 years of living, has offered me a plethora of decisions on what sails to put up, and when to take them down. There have been times when there has been no wind to sail by so I’ve drifted, letting God do the work. There have been stormy times, when the winds were so strong, the sails were torn to shreds. Others, calm and steady, when the ride was smooth and the destination clear. But always, the journey continued, calm seas or not, and while for many years I thought I was the captain of my own ship,
I realize now - I am just the first mate.
The metaphor of the wind, to me, has been the influence of the Holy Spirit in my life. One of the “gifts” given to me, is the ability to connect to spirit, and one of the struggles has been learning to listen and trust that spirit, and just lean into God. Amilia’s Light, has come to be, as a result of listening and trusting, and getting comfortable, being “uncomfortable” in both calm and stormy seas.
In 2003, my family and I were in an explosion at our vacation home in Lake Winnipesaukee, NH. My five year old daughter, Amilia was killed. The home was engulfed in minutes, and it was surely a miracle that six of us survived. I’m not going to debate, the human factor vs God’s plan here (as I frankly am still on the fence with this one). But I do know that God, can make good from all things, and he has led me to do the same.
Our family received donations in her name, and we gave them out to different local organizations helping children. In 2009/2010, Pastor Phil, who regularly traveled to Uganda, connected us to Destiny Women, a NGO in Uganda, that runs a program for rehabilitation of trafficked young women. We supported them with funds to work with 5 young women, in a new program, named after Amilia.
Destiny Women’s vision is to build a Center that would rescue, rehabiliate, and re-empower trafficked women. This future center will also be named after Amilia.
Meanwhile, the storms at home were beginning to rage again. I was in the middle of a divorce, trying to hold together our family and figure out what my next phase in life was going to be.
As the 10th anniversary of Amilia’s death was approaching, and I faced commemorating it alone, I heard God’s voice, telling me it was time to honor this child of light and to be strong and courageous, to step out of my comfort zone and do something. I complied. On March 9, 2013, some friends and I gathered for Amilia’s birthday, and together, we began to plan a fundraiser, reflective of her bright light.
The name we chose, is meant to reflect Amilia’s personality, which is aptly captured in Matthew 5:14 -16. “This Little Light of Mine” was Amilia's favorite song and she embodied the message of this song. Our pastor, Phil Bauman, described her as "10,000 watts of light”. She had a God given gift to touch people, and brighten a room.
That winter, UCC Medfield was arranging for it’s annual World Vision/Mission trip to Uganda. It was perfect timing for me to meet our sponsored children and to extend the trip to evaluate opportunities at Destiny Women for Amilia's Light.
It was a blessing to meet Stella and her mom. We chose Stella in 2008, as her birthday was close to Mil's and her name reminded us of the stars, and light.
We also had a new child, called Namie, and I was thrilled to have a chance to get to know him and his family. Namie and his family were so welcoming, they even gave me a chicken! I was humbled, a very special gift!
The UCC Medfield April Mission trip was life changing for many of us. Charlie Peck, former President of Brookline Bank, “happened” to be on that trip, and agreed to stay on with me, to evaluate Destiny Women’s business proposals. As my good friend, writer, CathyChung, http://seedsofscripture.blogspot.com, often says, “there are no coincidences, only God-incidences”. By the plane ride home, Charlie, was committed to helping Amilia’s Light illuminate our world, by changing lives affected by Human Trafficking, with our plans to support Destiny Women’s Programs and the future Amilia Rehabilitation Center .
On May 24, 2013, over 140 people came to my home, to help celebrate Amilia’s life, and together we raised over $10,000 and Amilia’s Light was born. As we are advised in Matthew 15:1-17: The old branches were thrown into the fire, and new growth has begun.
Michelle Mannarino Luhrmann,
Founder, Amilia’s Light
#Illuminateourworld!
Next Post:
Inspirations from Destiny Women
