I love to travel and I completely believe in mission trips.  I have barely explored the world – but am so glad that the little traveling that I have done typically involves local people who live in completely different situations that my ridiculously blessed, western world allows.  Often when I complain about something ridiculous – I remember orphaned teens in Ukraine or street kids in the Bahamas or the man who offered to give me his daughter to take back to the United States in Honduras…

My father traveled heavily doing mission work.  A friend is getting prepared to go overseas for a year to work with an NGO that rescues trafficking victims.  I don’t believe that my life right now is built to be a missionary or a relief worker, but I have an incredible respect for anyone who works hard and selflessly for widows and orphans, specifically.

That said –  I’m at a loss for why Saeed Abedini isn’t a household name.

I’m at a loss for why our State Department and President aren’t putting insane pressure on the Iranian government.  I’m hurting for a family in Idaho who are missing their husband and father.  And my heart is broken for the kids in Iran that would have been served and protected by the orphanage that Saeed was there to build.images

Cliff notes – Over a year ago, Saeed, a US Citizen traveled to his home country to visit family and work on the orphanage that he was building.  He was arrested, imprisoned, as been denied medication.  He has been beaten.  And now he has been transferred to a prison where people are often murdered…or just disappear.

Now, this isn’t about Saeed.  This is about America.  We are a country that opens our arms to hurting people.  We open our wallets to help relief in other countries…and we pay our way to go and help orphans in other countries who desperately need food, shelter, clothing…and love.   Iran needs to let Saeed go.

And our Government needs to have our back when our citizens are overseas doing incredible charity work — and when our right are taken away.

Please read about Saeed and sign the petition.  Call the President, your Representatives and the State Department. Beg them to end this nightmare – and to stand for Americans who are doing incredible work overseas.

http://beheardproject.com/saeed#sign