Local Care

The unfamiliar sound of cars brought her out of her hut when we were still far off. She stood outside as we drove past. With a hand motion out the window of the car, the pastors wife assured her we would stop on our way back. I imagine she spent the next few hours waiting and preparing for our visit. When we made our way back to her and entered her hut it was obvious she was excited for our visit. We spent a few minutes visiting. We thanked her for the orphans she has taken in to her home and presented her with some bags of food as a token of our gratitude. She tried to hide her disappointment as the pastor's wife asked her to share the food with others since we didn't have enough to go around...promising that more would come soon. We prayed for her, asking God to bless and protect her - to provide for her and her children. And then we said goodbye. She quietly sat down on her bed - our long awaited, special visit was over already. My heart broke as I watched her gently sit down with a wave goodbye. Most days she works hard and struggles to get by with few special moments. Our short visit and small gift didn't feel like enough. And it wasn't. The only reason our visit was good and helpful is because it was in the context of the local church. There will be more food and more visits even though our team left. The pastors wife regularly visits the rural mountain community, spending time with the women and connecting their jewelry business to a larger community. The local church in that South African town is committed to being involved in that rural mountain community. They have hopes for a church and a school, business opportunities that will make life better for everyone. Our visit was part of a much larger context of local care.





I am very grateful for the time I had in South Africa. I am encouraged by what God is doing through the church. I am humbled and challenged by how much my brothers and sisters are doing with very little resources. And I am again reminded why I am excited about World Orphans. Apart from partnering with local churches, Western influence (yes, even biblical, Christ-focused influence) is too isolated. But a World Orphans partnership that connects a church in the west with a church in the developing world for a long-term relationship isn't isolated, it's in context. We as westerns get to see and be a part of what God is doing around the world...but to people that we meet it's not just a random moment and then we are gone. Meeting people as we travel is a moment when we get to point to the local church that is not going anywhere. Praying, distributing food, giving gifts to children, thanking people caring for orphans, sharing the Gospel...it's all in the context of the life and ministry of the local church - day-in and day-out.

So I am grateful for the 10 days trips. I am grateful to be a part of mobilizing the western church - allowing people to see what life is like outside America and how alive and passionate followers of Christ are all over the world. And I am challenged. The reason a 10 day trip makes sense is because it's in the context of the day-in and day-out ministry of the local church.

What about the day-in and day-out here in America? While there may not be entire communities living without electricity and running water and the streets aren't filled with AIDS orphans...who are the lonely, hurting, tired, hungry people in your day-in and day-out that you can consistently reflect the love of Christ to?

World Orphans in the News

Check out our Press Release on Yahoo!

You can support our work in Haiti by clicking "Buzz up" at the bottom of the article, posting a link on your facebook page or blog and emailing to your friends

Other ways to support the long-term relief effort in Haiti:

• Sign up for church, organization, or individual involvement at http://www.haitiorphanrelief.org
• Put a HORT badge on your Website and/or Blog (found at top of post)
• Blog about Haiti and HORT as the most effective, scalable response (churches here, partnered with churches there . . . for the reunification, rescue and care of Haiti's orphans)
• Join the HORT Facebook Page at: http://www.facebook.com/haitiorphanreliefteam?ref=mf
• Invite all your friends to the HORT Facebook Page
• Put the HORT Facebook Page link on your personal profiles, pages, and groups
• Comment on Facebook updates at the HORT Page
• Visit the blog and/or Facebook Page of Paul Myhill, president of World Orphans for regular updates...and leave a comment! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Myhill/165526949753 and/or http://www.facebook.com/paul.myhill?ref=profile
• Subscribe to Paul's blog at http://www.abandoned-orphaned.com for more info and daily updates
• Twitter to www.twitter.com/haitiorphan
• PRAY!

Thanks!!

Caring from a world away

How do you begin to think about or respond to the crisis the Haitian people face as a result of the recent earthquakes?

How do you begin to think about the vast amount of suffering that exists around the entire world, for that matter?

The situation in Haiti is devastating and it's urgent. But reality is that most of the world faces challenges and suffering beyond what we as westerns can comprehend.

How do you respond from a world away?

As a follower of Christ I find myself thinking about it in these terms. Everyone who follows Christ is part of God's family. How does family respond when someone is hurting...they work together to care for one another. And wait, as followers of Christ we are called to love and care for everyone - what does that look like?

World Orphans exists so that believers around the world can be in relationship. So we can begin to know one another and function like the family that we are. We may not all be in the same place, but we can work together to care for one another.

Here are some steps we can take to respond to Haiti specifically...or anywhere:

1. Some people are able and will give money to provide resources and equip those doing the hands-on work:
Click here to give to Haiti specifically or World Orphans in general

2. Some people are able, have the opportunity, and will actually go:
Click here to learn more about and support those going to train and equip churches in Haiti

Click here if you are interested in traveling with World Orphans

3. Want to have real, lasting give-and-take relationships where you are giving and serving as well as being challenged and growing yourself?
Click here to contact World Orphans about getting your church involved in a Church-to-Church partnership

Trash can dignity...

It was the end of 2002. I was home for the holidays visiting my parents and I went into the city (the only city you refer to as "the city" in northern New Jersey...New York) with a friend.

We had a fun day just wandering around, taking in the sights, oohing and aahing over the Christmas decorations.

We were in Penn Station waiting for the train to take us back to my parents house. We were just standing there chatting and both happened to see this...

An older man, probably homeless, was going through a trash can. He was holding a cup or can that had liquid in it. A group of teenage boys walked by and one of them hit the cup so that it splashed on the man and got him wet. The boys continued on their way laughing. The man looked up and saw my friend and I watching him -he calmly said, "that wasn't very nice." We shook our heads saying, "you're right, that was not nice of them." And that was it.

On a somewhat regular basis I cry myself to sleep thinking about that man....and write this through tears as I think about him. I am sad that he didn't have a table to sit at and sad that I don't know what happened to him. And I am deeply grieved that my compassion for him stopped at a kind look. How I wish I could do it over...walk up and put my hand on his shoulder and tell him I'm sorry that those boys were so rude and thoughtless...maybe have a meal and get to know him a bit - take the opportunity to affirm his dignity and reflect to him the Gospel love of Christ. (And maybe give those rude boys a piece of my mind for being jerks - but I digress...)

I am so excited about World Orphans model of caring for orphans around the world by connecting churches here with churches there, supporting and equipping the local church around the world. I firmly believe in the model and am honored that I get to work hard to see that it played out.

But the face of that sweet man that I can see so clearly in my mind implores me that it can't stop there. Praise God that our hearts break for orphans around the world, and praise Him that we can be involved in what He's doing to care for them. And I pray that our hearts will also break for the broken and the hurting that we see as we're out and about - as we go to the store, coming home from work, taking the kids to the park...

Lord give us eyes to see and give us boldness to respond to what your Spirit wells up in our hearts...may the Gospel be reflected in our lives.

Lord, what can I do?

On the eve of celebrating Christ I find myself with mixed emotions. I love that we set aside a special time to celebrate His birth, yet I long to always be in awe of the humble way He came to serve and give His life as a ransom for many...



I am so grateful to be with family... that we'll enjoy giving gifts to each other and that yummy meals will fill the day in this warm, comfortable home. And at the same time my heart is breaking for the countless people around the world who are not even safe and cared for on this day...preparing to celebrate is about the farthest thing from their mind.

The ever-present tension of enjoying and being grateful for what I have while wanting to extend the love and care I have been shown to others...



While the story that follows is not a traditional Christmas thought...it's very Christ-honoring so I think appropriate to share.



A friend of mine, Christina*, lives in France and is part of a group of believers who are reaching out to women who have been trafficked and forced into prostitution.

Last weekend they went out at night to give Christmas chocolates to the women working in a particular district as a way to break the ice and get to know them. By going out regularly to the same area, they hope to build relationships and trust with these women to then help them as needed.

In two hours they met 19 prostituted people - they were from Brazil, Romania, Nigeria, Croatia, Chile, Bulgaria, Ghana and one from France...the women were thankful for the Christmas chocolates.

There was one girl in particular that Christina feels burdened for, I'd like to introduce you to her now. She is about 18 years old, short and has a wonderful smile. The language barrier made communication between she and Christina a challenge, but the girl had a genuine smile the whole time. In 40° weather, her bare legs were covered in goosebumps and she fidgeted, shifting her weight from one leg to another, as she shivered - and yet she smiled. She gave the standard line many of them are told to say: she'd been in France just under three months (the max time you can stay without legal paperwork) and said she'd be going home in 15 days. However, as she said it, her eyes teared up. She smiled and said, "Life here is good for me." But that time, her beautiful smile was forced and broken.

My heart aches for this young woman and the men, women and children who are being mis-treated, have no family, or don't get to be with them. And at the same time I am thrilled that Christina and many others are reaching out.

Lord, what can I do? Who can I give Christmas chocolates to? I know there are people all around me, please give me your eyes to see...


*Christina is not her real name

Celebrating Adoption...

November is National Adoption Month, with National Adoption Day coming up this Saturday, 11/21/09....setting aside time to celebrate adoption.

Here are some questions to get you thinking about how you can celebrate adoption - not just this Saturday or this month, but all the time.

• Do I consider myself a follower of Christ? Praise God that I can be His child because He has adopted me into His family because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
  
• Do I know anyone who has adopted a child? How can I look for ways to encourage them in their journey of parenting adopted children?
• Do I know anyone who is adopted? When can I make time to spend with them and ask about what it's been like?
• Do I know anyone who is planning to adopt? How can I support them emotionally, spiritually, and/or financially?
• In what ways can I generally be more encouraging and supportive of adoption on a daily basis?

As you think through these things, I would very highly recommend this book, Adopted for Life, by Russell Moore. He does an amazing job of describing the theology of adoption in a very personal way through his personal story - it's amazing. And...while my thoughts are not as good as his, I certainly have some and would love to chat with you if you want :)

Always reason to celebrate this...

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace ⁸that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." - Ephesians 1:3-8

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." - John 1:12-12

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. ¹⁷Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." - Romans 8:16-18

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" - 1 John 3:1

Praise the Lord!

World Orphans in Iraq

Are you interested in what God is doing in Iraq? Know someone who is? Please CLICK HERE to read a letter and invitation from the President of World Orphans.



"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." - Matthew 9

Faith like a child...

Dear Kate,

Today our class learned about "telling and giving." Our story told us about Paul and Barnabas going to Antioch to tell the people there about Jesus. Many people in Antioch became Christians because of Barnabas and Paul telling them of Jesus' love for them. Then, Agabus visited this new church in Antioch and he told them there was not enough food for the people in Jerusalem and throughout the Roman world. The Christians in Antioch wanted to help, so they gave their money to the church in Jerusalem.

The children in our class also heard about your work with World Orphans. They decided they wanted to give money to you so you and other missionaries can continue to go and tell the orphans about Jesus, and buy them things they need.

In Jesus' Love,
The River Oaks Community Church Pre-K and Kindergarten Sunday School Class



Matthew 18:1-5
¹At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

²He called a little child and had him stand among them. ³And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

⁵"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

Food for Thought...

October 16th was World Food Day and October 17th was World Poverty Day.



I would ask you to take a minute and look at these slide shows...think about how we as Americans eat in relation to how people around the world eat:

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519,00.html

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1645016,00.html



It's a hard thing for me. I love to cook. I love to eat good, healthy food. I like to make special meals to celebrate people. I think sharing a meal is a God-ordained, powerful way to build relationships. However...I also realize that most people in the world have so much less food than I do.



I want to (and learn more to) enjoy the food I have been given, praise God for how He provides for me, my life to be about sharing with those who don't have as much as I do, and pray that I will continue to trust His goodness if a day comes when I don't have enough...



Thoughts?

Too much...not enough...

Water is so...unique. That's not really the word I'm looking for, but can't think of another one.

It can be so calm and beautiful, and it can be raging and ravaging.

Right now there are parts of the world that are too dry and in desperate need of water. And simultaneously there are places where the volume of water is destroying homes and lives.

So as you sip water today, be reminded to pray.



Pray for those in need that they will have clean water to drink and rain to cause the crops to grow. And pray for those who are flooded - that God would rescue them and help them trust in His goodness in the midst of unexplainable devastation. And pray for all of us, everywhere - whether thirsting for water, drowning from the excess, or have what we need and don't really think about it. May we all thirst after the Living Water that never runs dry...

Close to home

We all need to know that trafficking is going on all around us.

Lord Jesus, have mercy and show us who is around us that we can speak up for.

My husband drives through Newark everyday and goes to school one town away from East Orange.

Woman describes journey from Africa into human bondage

Wednesday, September 16, 2009- The Star Ledger

Joe Ryan - Star Ledger Staff

Vida Anagblah said she was a teenager when a prosperous merchant came to her West African village and offered to take her away to a nearby city and teach her a trade.

With nine other children, Anagblah's parents had no money for school. So they sent the girl away with the woman, Akouavi Kpade Afolabi, hoping she, too, would find prosperity.

"She said she was going to buy me a sewing machine," said Anagblah, who was the first alleged victim to testify yesterday on the opening day of a trial in federal court in Newark where Afolabi is accused of running a human trafficking ring.

Authorities say she smuggled girls from Togo and Ghana to New Jersey and forced them to work without pay in hair braiding salons in Newark and East Orange.

Most of the alleged victims were uneducated and spoke no English. To control them, prosecutors say Afolabi used fierce beatings, threats of voodoo curses and draconian rules, which included forbidding dating or telephoning Africa without permission.

"You work every day. You don't make friends. You don't call home "¦ and if you disobey you get beaten," Nancy Hoppock, deputy chief of the U.S. attorney's office's criminal division, said during her opening argument yesterday.

But Afolabi's lawyer, Olubukola O. Adetula, urged jurors to listen skeptically to prosecutors.

The lawyer has argued the girls were, in fact, paid. They were not forbidden from making friends -- they worked in public salons, Adetula said. As for calling Africa, the lawyer said it is complicated to reach a village where the nearest telephone is miles away.

The attorney described Afolabi as a benevolent mother figure, who once adopted an infant abandoned outside her home in Togo. The girls, he said, she treated like daughters. "She took them in. She took care of them. Clothed them. Housed them," Adetula said.

Afolabi sat quietly during the arguments, wearing a yellow floral print shirt and black slacks, which concealed the shackles binding her legs.

She was arrested in 2007 along with her former husband and son. They have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit forced labor. Both told a federal judge that Afolabi, who has been in custody since her arrest, was the group's ringleader.

Prosecutors say the group manipulated a visa program to slip up to 20 girls and women into the country, ranging in age from 10 to 19. If convicted of forced labor, Afolabi faces up to 20 years in prison, said Shana W. Chen, an assistant U.S. attorney.

During her testimony yesterday, Anagblah, now 24, recalled Afolabi's large, two story house in Lome, Togo's capital city. There were about seven other girls living them when Anagblah arrived in 2000. They worked six days a week selling jewelry in the market, and they were forbidden from talking to men, Anagblah said.

She testified that when Afolabi suspected her of breaking that rule, the defendant tied five mango switches together and ordered the girl onto her knees.

"She beat me all over my body," Anagblah said.

Browsing...for children?

Being that we just moved to New Jersey, I was online looking for volunteer opportunities in our area. Somehow I ended up on the Department of Child and Family Services website.

While we're not in a position to adopt at the moment (Chris is in school full-time, I'm working full-time, we're living with my grandmother and there's not much extra space) we are excited about adopting in the future. So...just for kicks I decided to click around some of the adoption links on the website.

It was devastating and I haven't been able to stop thinking about them. There they were, posted online like items to be shopped for. Pictures, names, birthdays and "a brief description".

Almost all of the children were older teenagers, almost all of them had extreme challenges, and many of them had severe physical disabilities and/or medical conditions. And almost all of the descriptions said something along the lines of, "...what he really wants is to find his forever family where he will be loved and cared for."

Aside from the fact that pictures, names and birthdays on the internet seems like a security issue...it is heartbreaking and I have no idea what to do. Will we ever be in a position to adopt an older child with severe medical conditions?

I don't know what to do, I don't know what to suggest, and it makes me so, so sad...

But I do know this. Along with the children on the NJ DCS website, there are countless opportunities for all of us to care for people around us who are hurting.

At World Orphans we are working on a resource to help families and their young children care and advocate for the orphaned and abandoned in their community and around the world.

So I hope to soon be able to point you to a specific resource. But in the meantime it starts with just looking around, asking the Lord to give us eyes to see those who are hurting. The children in foster care, the elderly person who lives alone, the kid at school who no one talks to, the lady at church who always sits by herself.

Matthew 25:40 "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Lord please, help us hold our schedules and agendas loosely so we can be available to show your love to those around us...please.

Forgiveness...

As we seek to engage the orphaned and abandoned around the world who have been sinned against in horrifying ways I cannot really grasp, I long to keep this biblical view before me. For myself and for those who have been hurt that I have the honor of knowing and caring for...

From Ken Sande:

To understand what forgiveness is, we must first see what it is not. Forgiveness is not a feeling. It is an act of the will. Forgiveness involves a series of decisions, the first of which is to call on God to change our hearts. As he gives us grace, we must then decide (with our will) not to think or talk about what someone has done to hurt us. God calls us to make these decisions regardless of our feelings--but these decisions can lead to remarkable changes in our feelings.

Second, forgiveness is not forgetting. Forgetting is a passive process in which a matter fades from memory merely with the passing of time. Forgiving is an active process; it involves a conscious choice and a deliberate course of action. To put it another way, when God says that he "remembers your sins no more" (Isa. 43:25), he is not saying that he cannot remember our sins. Rather, he is promising that he will not remember them. When he forgives us, he chooses not to mention, recount, or think about our sins ever again. Similarly, when we forgive, we must draw on God's grace and consciously decide not to think or talk about what others have done to hurt us. This may require a lot of effort, especially when an offense is still fresh in mind. Fortunately, when we decide to forgive someone and stop dwelling on an offense, painful memories usually begin to fade.

Finally, forgiveness is not excusing. Excusing says, "That's okay," and implies, "What you did wasn't really wrong," or "You couldn't help it." Forgiveness is the opposite of excusing. The very fact that forgiveness is needed and granted indicates that what someone did was wrong and inexcusable. Forgiveness says, "We both know that what you did was wrong and without excuse. But since God has forgiven me, I forgive you." Because forgiveness deals honestly with sin, it brings a freedom that no amount of excusing could ever hope to provide.

Food for Thought

Praise God for his gracious gift of forgiveness to us! The Scripture says "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Eph. 4:32, emphasis added) You will probably have an opportunity to extend forgiveness this week. When you do, try to remember what forgiveness is not, and fix your eyes on the full and gracious forgiveness that God has given you in Jesus Christ.

Lovingly challening thoughts...

An email from a friend...

As we spent time in I Corinthians 3 and 4 this morning, we were reminded to build with gold, silver and precious jewels; not hay and straw. It's possible for big events and splashy programs to be nothing but straw. How do we keep Jesus out in front of all we do?

I'd like to hear how you do this in your own lives. How have you managed to keep Jesus at the center instead of on the side?

A blog from a World Orphans colleague:

I wept this morning as I sat in the London airport surrounded by the trappings of this world – the duty free liquor shops, the endless rows of high priced jewelry & chocolate shops, realizing that my 1 much desired latte would have paid 1/2 a month’s rent for people I visited in Muthare slums this week.

I continue to pray that God would let my heart be broken for the things that break His heart, and that He would change me to be more like His son Jesus Christ – a compassionate, self-sacrificing servant, who considers others as more important than himself (philippians 2:1-8), and who loves his neighbor as himself, to be able to say as Paul did that to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

A message from a pastor...

"No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light." Luke 11:33-36

“Be careful!” This is the only imperative in the text. Be careful what you see! Be careful what you regard as bright and attractive and compelling. If it is not Christ, you will be filled with darkness—no matter how bright it seems for a season. Candles seem bright until the sun comes out. Then they are useless and put away.

Christ is the glory we were made to see. His light alone will fill us and give the light of life and meaning to every part of our lives. And when that happens, we ourselves will shine and give off the rays of Christ. “If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

Lord, open the eyes of our hearts to see the supreme greatness of your wisdom and power. Make our eyes good. Heal our blindness. Fill us with the all-pervading, all-exposing, all-purifying, all-pleasing light of your presence.

Why World Orphans?

If you are reading this you are probably interested in caring for orphans in one way or another. You may be thinking that there are a lot of organizations out there and wondering what sets World Orphans apart.

Some may say I'm biased about World Orphans as an organization because I work for them, but I'm not so sure. I am beyond grateful to work for them, but that is because I'm passionate about seeing orphans rescued. Not only is that what World Orphans is about, but they are about rescuing orphans while building up the local church so that each child, each church, and each community (both here in the west and internationally) is impacted by the Gospel of Christ. As an organization we work hard to do that with compassion and integrity in a way that maximizes each moment, each dollar and each ounce of energy

In a nutshell, World Orphans exists to partner churches in the West with indigenous churches around the world (mostly in 3rd world countries) who are caring for orphans.

Why is getting involved with churches around the world important? Because...there are over 143 million orphans. And in the past hour…

• 1,625 children were forced to live on the streets by the death or abuse of an adult
• 1,667 children under the age of five died from malnutrition and vaccine-preventable diseases
• 115 children became prostitutes
• 66 children under 15 were infected with HIV
• 257 children were orphaned because of HIV/AIDS

There are lots of ways you can get involved - here are some of your options to stay current with what World Orphans is doing, know how to pray, and know how to take action (donate and tell others how to donate, see options for travel, etc.):

• Join the World Orphans facebook page by clicking HERE
  
• Read the World Orphan blogs - this link will tell you when people update
• Sign up to be on World Orphans mailing list by clicking HERE

Side note: If you're interested in what's going on with me personally, Chris and I made it to New Jersey safe and sound. I got my office setup and we are working on getting settled and seeing what life will be like here. We miss our community in Maryville, but we feel peaceful about being here and are excited to see what the Lord has in store.

Personal Update

Sorry for the lack of blogging in the past few months. My husband Chris and I are moving to New Jersey. Literally...we're leaving in a few hours. Chris is going to Seton Hall University to get a masters degree as a physician's assistant. And the big bonus, I'm from New Jersey so we're going to live with my grandmother and be near all of my family. We are very excited, but also very sad about leaving the community we have here in Tennessee. I hope/plan to blog more in depth about this transition, but at the moment I'll just say I am so very thankful for the de-centralized model of World Orphans that allows me to continue the work I do for them from New Jersey. I packed up my office here and I'll settle into my grandmother's attic and continue plugging away. I am so, so thankful. So until we're there and settled...may the peace of the Lord be with you.

Dead or Alive?

I have had two conversations just in the last 72 hours that both involved friends saying something along these lines...

"I am starting to see the reality of what life is like for people in most of the world and I don't know what to do....it feels like I could just lose it at any minute....what do I do with the fact that there are children dying of hunger and I throw away leftovers...what do I do with the fact that there is so much suffering and I watch people spend so much money on clothes???"

To both of these dear women I encouraged them to keep struggling, and to be willing to share the struggles so that more people are aware of the realities.

Be honest about the fact that you can't just sit back - can't ignore the war, the hunger, the sickness, the abuse, the injustice...

I think that as our children, families, friends, co-workers and neighbors watch us wrestle with how to live our lives in light of the realities around the world - I believe we can help each other to be alive.



In scripture God has strong words for the church. He says: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!" - Revelation 3:15

We have GOT to wrestle through this together and not let each other be lukewarm. There is such joy in living the hot, alive, joyful life that Christ calls us to. But...it's not easy and it's not comfortable. That's why He created us to function as a body - we need each other to walk to challenging, messy, fantastic adventure that He has called us to.



There are no easy answers or solutions - I think the only "answer" is to wake up each day and ask God what He has for today. What does the abundant life Christ calls us to look like for today? What does is look like to lavishly reflect God's love to the people in your life? What does it look like to give sacrificially to help meet the needs that exist around you and around the world?

"There is a sort of dead-alive...people about, who are scarcely conscious of living except in the exercise of some conventional occupation...They have dwarfed and narrowed their soul by a life of all work, until here they are at forty, with a listless attention, a mind vacant of all material for amusement, and not one thought to rub against another while waiting for the train." -From 'An Apology for Idlers' by Robert Louis Stevenson

Will you choose to be alive? Awake to the sin and the hurt and the pain and the suffering...and in being awake and responding to that, there is such great joy, glory and delight because Christ is Redeemer!

30 Hours...

Millions of people around the world go for 30 hours in between each meal...30 hours.

Over 26,000 children die each day - most from preventable causes like disease and hunger.

This weekend people all across America are fasting for 30 hours to raise awareness as well as to raise funds.



I am very, very thankful to be a part of World Orphans where the goal is to fight for those 26,000 children by strengthening churches all over the world so future generations can see those children cared for and those numbers lowered.

I would ask you to remind yourself and the people you come in contact with about these numbers. But don't let them be just numbers, let them be real people...and ask God to give you an excitement about what you can do to fight for these children.

There are lots of ways to get involved - please let me know if you're interested.

Pray for Rain

The Kenyan government has declared the country in a state of famine - there is a drought and therefore staple crops are not able to grow.

We have told our friends there, our brothers and sisters in Christ, that we will join them in praying that the Lord will send rain. Will you please join us in praying that the Lord would send rain...

James 5
13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.


Farmland in Kenya that is ready and waiting for the rain

Excerpt from an email from a Kenyan pastor:
We are praying for rains to start before we plant corn and beans though we have already bought seeds. Pray with us because we don't see any sign of rains, farmers are now wondering what next. With the famine we are experiencing in Kenya, unless God does a miracle many will suffer.

Stories from Ethiopia and Kenya

To be honest, I'm feeling a bit at a loss for words, or maybe more a loss for writing. As I think about what to share with my friends, there are thoughts formulating in my mind but they don't feel like they are going to transfer to the blog very well.

As I transition back into the swing of daily life I keep coming back to these words of Jesus from Luke 12:48 "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

Not in a burdensome way but in a joyful "Oh Lord, you created me how you did and allowed me to be born where I was born, allowed me to have education and food and health....please, please, please, let me reflect you with all that I am and all that I have..."



I wish I could introduce you to my friends who I learned so much from in such a short amount of time. But since I can't introduce you to them, I'd like to tell you their stories...

Meet Fred and Alice. They have 3 children, help lead a network of churches in the Nairobi area, help run a school for 300 children and a home for 30. There are children who have a roof, food, education, and hear the love of Christ, because Fred and Alice know that the joy of the Lord is their strength....Proverbs 19:17 "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done"

Derek, Cindy (with Fred and Alice's youngest daughter River), me, Alice and Fred


One of the classes at Candlelight School that Fred and Alice help run

Meet Rosemary. She is 8 months pregnant, works 40 hours a week and spends her Saturdays and Sunday afternoons walking with her husband to tell people about the love of Christ. When she gets tired, she prays that the Lord will give her strength. Oh Lord, give me that kind of fervor...

Rosemary, me, her daughter and husband

People want to be known. I was amazed when one of the boys I had seen last October walked up to me and said "Hi Kate". He remembered my name. His name is Martin. Martin reminded me that I want to spend my life knowing people and showing them the love of Christ.


Me and Martin

There is a group of beautiful, young girls at Fountain of Life who spend their days ministering with the church on a volunteer basis and then they go to class in the evenings - for hours, every evening. Those women remind me that life is not about being comfortable, being organized or being scheduled...it's about living abundantly and trusting that God will provide.


The Fountain of Life team with our group

I come back reminded that this is the truth I want to live by. Luke chapter 12...

²²Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ²⁶Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

³²"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

And at the end of that chapter...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Will you join me in spending yourself on behalf of the hungry out of the riches God has given you? Let's remind each other that we want to provide purses for ourselves that will not wear out...we want to store up treasure in heaven, not here on earth.

Here are a few more pictures, and there's an album on my facebook page.


Me and Brian, he also lives at the Fountain of Life home



One of the church plants from a church we visited in Woliso Ethiopia


A real live dust storm...amazing


Matthew 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."


The Mathare slums


This flower was right outside the door where we stayed in Kenya


Fountain of Hope ministry team


(Left) Victoria and her siblings. Victoria is a smart little girl. Pray that her grandmother will have the money for Victoria to see an eye doctor and to send her and her siblings to school


Revelation 21 ^"3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

⁵He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

⁶He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

PS - More pictures HERE