Family Visits...thoughts on short-term missions and church partnership

My husband, daughter and I are in the middle of a summer filled with family visits.  Neither of our families are local, so visits are always special and we are loving our time together.   And the truth is, they spoil us.  They take us out to eat, buy things for Jazmine, pay for our groceries, and buy us Starbucks....just to mention a few.

BUT...that is not why we enjoy the time.  What we enjoy and ache for when we say goodbye....the conversations had over coffee, walks to the park, books read to Jazmine, cooking together, eating together, laughing together, crying together.  I know we are where God has us to be and we love our community here in Tennessee, but I just wish Jazmine had more time with her grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins.

So that is the backdrop for my thoughts.

Our home church just got back from visiting our World Orphans church partner in Kenya.  It was a sweet time filled with the churches spending time together and ministering alongside one another.  Were there gifts and treats given?  Sure.  By now there are  deep friendships and thoughtful gifts are given both ways.  Are there finances involved in the relationship?  Yes.  The US church helps fund some of the ministries of their church partner.  BUT...this is why I love the World Orphans model of church partnership...the money is a part of it, but not what the relationship is about.  The yearly (or bi-yearly, quarterly...however it goes) short-term trips are part of a much bigger context of relationship.

So just as we are grateful for the gifts our families give, the churches are grateful for the gifts from their church partner.  But, because of the long-term commitment and real relationship, I believe that like with my family, that what I love, miss, and long for is the time together, that is what is at the heart of a true church partnership.

So I don't think we need to be afraid of the gift-giving aspect of church partnership and short-term trips.  We have to be wise and thoughtful, just as we do within our families.  But just as our families love to give gifts as an expression of their love, I believe there is a healthy place for gift-giving within short-term trips and church partnerships.  The key is the context of relationship.

I am so thankful for the way our families care for us physically....but what I'm longing for and waiting for is that next visit when we can spend time together.  And it's beautiful to watch those types of relationships grow among our World Orphans church partners...to hear accounts and read trip reports that speak of growing, deep, and abiding friendships.  There is gratitude for the gifts and the funds, but the longing is for the next time of fellowship.

I miss knowing she's praying...

Over the past few years I had the privilege of getting to know a woman I had heard about for a long time.  She was the mother-in-law of one of my mom's cousins, so I would hear family members mention her and I had been introduced to her, but never spent any time with her...until we moved to New Jersey in 2009.  She was a member of the church we attended while living in Rutherford and I was in bible study with her, so had the opportunity to spend time with her weekly.

She was one of those people who makes you think, "Lord, I want to be like that.  I want to walk with You like she walks with You."  

She loved praying for people, she loved serving people, and most of all she loved sharing Jesus with people.  She had a story for everything and it always ended up being about God's goodness and His faithfulness.

In 2011 she committed to be part of my financial support team with World Orphans.  The $15 dollars a month that she gave was like a million dollars to me...because I knew she was praying.  I know she spent hours a day praying, and it was an honor to know she was praying for me, my family, World Orphans...

She went home to be with the Lord last year.  She had lived a long, full life and was certainly ready to be with her Savior who she had walked so closely with in this life.  Her funeral was a celebration of her life, feelings of thanks that she wasn't suffering, yet full of grief for all those so sad to say goodbye.

As I get settled into this new year I find myself missing her.  We don't live in New Jersey anymore so I wouldn't be seeing her regularly, but I miss knowing she's praying.  I feel so very honored to have known her and I desire to serve, love, and pray for others like she did.

Particularly as I think of the children being cared for through the ministries of our church partners, children who know deep loss, pain and suffering.... I long for those children to know the touch of someone to faithfully love and pray.

Wrapping up 2012

Sorry this is late....here's the LINK to our end of 2012 newsletter...click HERE.

Happy New Year!

Preparing To Celebrate The Light Of The World

From the World Orphans Blog

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14

‘All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).’ – Matthew 1:22-23

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it….  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” - John 1:1-4,14

I enjoy getting excited about Christmas, yet my heart is heavy for all those who won’t have the opportunity for joyful celebrations; the struggles of life don’t take a break for the holidays. How do I, as a North-American follower of Christ, celebrate Christmas in a way the honors Christ and also honors my brothers and sisters around the world who are spending themselves to care for children in need?

I remember when I was 18 years old, a freshman at Wheaton College, and the Lord was starting to open my eyes to what life is like around the world, and particularly how many children are suffering. That year when I tried to shop for Christmas, the crowds overwhelmed me, a mother yelling at her children devastated me, and I ended up back home at my parents’ house sobbing, because I felt like the masses of people at the mall were completely missing the point. No one was thinking about Christ. They were stressed rather than excited about getting gifts for their loved ones, and they were not thankful for the fact that they were safe and had the means to shop.

For years, although I enjoyed the time with my family, I really struggled with how to balance the commercialism and consumerism of Christmas in America with the reality of all the people who are suffering and not able to enjoy Christmas. As a follower of Christ, how should I think about that? How should I approach Christmas?

I certainly don’t have all the answers, but after almost 15 years of wrestling with the questions and thinking about how I’ll approach Christmas with my own daughter, these are my thoughts:

• Gift giving is biblical. All throughout scripture, the old and new testament, God is pleased when people honor one another and honor Him with lavish gift giving. Do we have to be careful? Sure. It’s easy to get carried away and have our focus be cultural rather than biblical. But it can also be a wonderful thing to have a special time each year to intentionally honor those we love by giving them gifts.

• Scripture is clear that as humans we need to remember and be reminded. In the Old Testament, God told His people to have stones and places of remembrance, and He commanded them to celebrate things year after year. Why? Because He knows our tendency to stray and to forget. So yes, the commercialism and consumerism of Christmas in America is a challenge for Christians, and we have to be intentional about celebrating in a way that honors Christ. But, it is a wonderful thing to have a time each year where we stop and remember, to remind ourselves of what it means that the Father sent the Son, that He was born as a baby…

• And why do we need to be reminded that Christ was born? Because it changes everything. Immanuel, God is with us! “The Word was with God, and the Word was God….and He came to be with us! Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind….” Because Christ came, we have life. He made the way for us to be acceptable to The Father, for us to be sons and daughters of The Most High God.  That truth affects every moment of every day. May Christmas be a time to celebrate that and to remind us of the awesomeness of the Gospel.

As I think about our World Orphans partners around the world, likely weary from the struggles of caring in the midst of suffering, and likely without the means for the festive celebrations many of us in the US will enjoy, I pray they are overjoyed by the reminder that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. I pray they are encouraged as they remember that in Him is life, and that His life is the light of all mankind. And I pray they will know immeasurable blessing because they are reflecting that light as they care for those in need.

Merry Christmas, from World Orphans

So That He May Be Known

(From the World Orphans December E-Newsletter)

The Christmas season is upon us – a season when we reflect and celebrate the birth of our Savior. We reflect on what it meant for God to become man, to come and dwell with his people, to enter this world as a child. We reflect on what it meant for us then, and what it means for us today.

As I reflect on these things, I am reminded that I am part of a much larger story than my own. A story of redemption and reconciliation, a story of our God calling His people to Himself. It is a story of God building His family – one child at a time. And it is a story of a child that changed the world.

I am also reminded of how important this story of God, this story of Jesus entering our world as a child, is to the ministry of World Orphans. It is the basis for all we do. Our ministry is rooted in the Gospel; it is our foundation. Whether providing food or shelter, medical care, or access to education, we offer care and support to orphans for tangible needs through the church SO THAT the Gospel is central, SO THAT the church has opportunity to live out their faith, SO THAT the community sees the church in a different light, SO THAT He may be known. The Gospel is where it begins and ends.

As a World Orphans partner, you are a partner in the Gospel, a partner in rescuing children in need. You are a partner in ministry to the least of these. You are a partner in serving the international church, and in helping them grow and pursue ministry in their communities. You are a partner in changing lives.

As you consider year end giving, we hope you will continue your partnership with us. We realize there are many ways to give and many worthy organizations doing good work around the world. We understand the significance and the trust involved in a decision to give, and we would be pleased and honored this Christmas season if you would again place that trust in us.

We value your friendship, your partnership, and your support, and we extend our thanks.

Merry Christmas from our World Orphans family to yours.

Exciting Stuff...

So very thankful to be a part of this amazing ministry that encourages, supports, equips and strengthens the church around the world to care for orphaned and vulnerable children in their community.

Click HERE to read our 2011 annual report.

And follow along with all that goes on throughout the year:

Facebook

The World Orphans Blog

Email updates (sign up at the bottom right hand corner)

Thinking about the number of children in need overwhelms me, and I feel more passionately each day that equipping the local church around the world is the most biblical and most feasible way to rescue and care for them.

This Night...

Written at 3am on July 30, 2010 right after I returned from Haiti


This night as I sink tired, yet comfortably into bed I am overwhelmed by all those whose place of rest is so uncomfortable.


This night some sleep too hot, so hot it takes your breath away...others are too cold. Some too dry, their bodies and land parched for clean refreshing water.  Others are too wet.  The rain soaks their roof and walls and floors and bed, it takes away their comfort and threatens their safety.  Yet their exhaustion drives them to sleep, but I imagine it's a fitful sleep.  Sound sleep interrupted by questions of safety and what will fill the children's empty bellies.


So this night, overwhelmed with gratefulness for my safe and comfortable bed, I am reminded of my need for mercy.  Why I enjoy the safety and comfort I do not know.


I am also overwhelmed with gratefulness that my acceptance with Creator God is based not on my work or my righteousness, but on the perfect righteousness of Christ and His perfect, saving, redeeming sacrifice.


So while I rest in being a child of the Most Hight God by faith in Jesus Christ, I am reminded of His words that to whom much is given, much will be required.


So this night I find myself sinking into my safe comfortable bed begging that He will allow me to be spent that those who are hurting may know His redemption, not only in their hearts but in their lives.


Lord Jesus, have mercy.

My reflections on July 30, 2011
Having a newborn to care for, I was so grateful that we had a safe place to call home where we could care for her, that I had enough food and water and was able to nurse her, that Chris had the summer off from school and we were able to enjoy time together as a family, and that we were surrounded by friends and family who loved us and Jazmine in amazing ways.

And being a new mom, I was grieved in deep ways that there are parents all over the world who desperately want to care for their children and are not able to because of poverty, war, sickness, and so many other evils.  And also grieved that there are so many children around the world who don't have someone to love, care for, and protect them.

July 30, 2012
Today I find myself on the brink of a new season in life as we have recently moved, Chris is done with school and has started a new job.  I continue to find myself overwhelmed with gratefulness for the Lord's sustaining us and providing for us.  We continue to ask what it looks like that we would joyfully spend ourselves so that others may see a tangible reflection of His love, care and provision...

T4A Partnership

Working for an orphan care ministry, people often ask for resources and recommendations on any number of issues related to orphan care.  World Orphans is committed to church-partnership, supporting and equipping local churches to help them care for orphans and vulnerable children in their community... and we are committed to doing that well.

Thankfully, there are other ministries focused on other aspects of orphan care.  One of those ministries that we often refer people to and we are so thankful to be in partnership with, is Together for Adoption.

There's a lot of exciting stuff happening at T4A, but we are particularly excited that their director, Dan Cruver, is partnering with us to provide training and equipping for some of our international partners...specifically this May in Nicaragua.

My gifted co-worker, Kathy Davis takes the lead on facilitating these trainings, that we are finding to be super effective and fruitful for our partners.  Read her posts about the last time we partnered with Dan, in Haiti, May 2011 HERE.  And our last training was in Ethiopia in November, 2011, that you can read about HERE.

Happy reading!

Work with me at World Orphans!

I was going to mention two opportunities to work with me, but thanks to the amazing volunteer that the Lord provided who is doing an excellent job helping with mobilization admin work, I now just have one opportunity to tell you about!

Are you passionate about short-term missions?

Do you enjoy training and equipping team leaders and members to help make their short-term mission trip a positive, Kingdom-building experience for everyone involved?

Are you organized, like details, have good communication skills?

Is God calling you to be involved in orphan care ministry?

If you answered yes to those questions (or know someone who would)....let's talk about the job opening World Orphans has for our Mobilization Director.

(The reason you'd be working with me is because it's currently a role that I am filling, but we are looking for someone to fill the position who can give it their undivided attention and allow me to fill other roles within the ministry....we would work together closely.)

We sent over 30 international short-term mission teams in 2011 and will send more in 2012.  Our busy and growing Mobilization Department needs an energetic and passionate leader who will invest themselves in seeing that World Orphans does an excellent job preparing, facilitating, sending and debriefing our teams.

Interested or know someone who would be?  Call or email me and we'll talk!
865-776-5477/kate@worldorphans.org

The size of her clothes...

With tears in my eyes and a knot in my throat I folded my daughters clothes tonight.  Not because I mind, I actually really enjoy folding her clothes.  The tiny size reminds me how dependent she is on us, the awesome responsibility of being a parent and caring for her.

And as I fold her sweet little clothes I find myself thinking of all the children around the world who don't have a mom to lovingly fold their clothes.

So it's with a heavy heart that I crawl into bed...grateful for my little girl and grieving for all the little ones who don't have a safe place to sleep tonight.

2011 Borders Year-in-Review

So is January too late to write a year-in-review of last year?  I don't think so...I think any time this month would be acceptable.  And speaking of January, I hope to do a better job of posting here this year...check back for info about working with me at World Orphans!

So...my family's 2011 year-in-review...

New and beautiful - Jazmine Eliza:  Born on the 4th of July, Jazmine filled the second half of 2011 with wonder and delight.  We love getting to know her and have enjoyed watching her grow from a tiny newborn into a little girl full of life and personality.  We look with awe and anticipation to future years as we parent Jazmine and watch her grow.

Challenging - Chris's work as a graduate student:  Chris continues to work and study very hard as he prepares to be a Physician Assistant.  Currently in his third and final year of his masters degree, Chris has spent countless hours in a dozen hospitals around the state of New Jersey.  He loves what he is learning and looks forward to completing his degree in May 2012.  At this point Chris anticipates practicing in the area of primary care.  The location of where our family will settle is still up in the air...we’re thinking somewhere on the eastern seaboard....stay tuned for our 2012 year end letter to find out!  We look forward to seeing how the Lord leads us.

Growing and changing - Kate's role at World Orphans:  I am continually grateful to be involved in supporting churches around the world that are caring for orphans.  With help from my family, I hosted a few “Home for the Holidays” parties this December....thinking of how grateful we are for family and homes to gather in at this time of year and praying for all the children around the world who don’t have homes or families.  While the situation is daunting, the work God is doing through his people, His church around the world is awesome.  This year saw my role grow into being a senior director in our Projects department which allows me to help keep an eye on how different aspects of our ministry and organization fit together - I oversee all the teams we send overseas, as well as our holistic care emphasis which focuses on training and equipping our partners around the world.  The work is challenging and keeps me busy, but I am honored to serve alongside my hard-working, gifted, passionate co-workers and our church partners.

Chris and I would love to hear what 2011 held for you and what 2012 has in store.  We pray this finds you growing in the presence and knowledge of Christ.  Immanuel - God is with us!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

With love and best wishes for 2012,

Kate (on behalf of all of us)

Partner with Us!  I am responsible for raising funds on behalf of World Orphans to cover the costs associated with my work for them.  I need to raise about $8000 between now and next summer.  We would be honored and thankful if you would consider partnering with us by giving a one time or monthly gift.  

Don't Worry...

I nurse my four month old daughter and she gets into a comfortable state somewhere between awake and asleep while she contentedly eats. After awhile I pick her up to burp her. With her head on my shoulder she realizes that she is no longer comfortably eating and lets out a quiet cry of protest. I pat her back and gently tell her, "don't worry, there's more". She quickly quiets down, burps and then settles in to finish eating.

Each time I say, "don't worry, there's more" I find myself overwhelmed with gratefulness that I can say that to her, humbled by and thankful for God's provision. Recognizing all provision is from God's hand, at the moment I'm able to say, "don't worry, there's more" because I have enough to eat and drink so my body is producing the nourishment that she needs. Lord willing, as she gets older I'll be able to say that because my husband and I will work hard to provide for her.

For over 10 years now my heart has been breaking for children who don't have enough food to eat. But now as a new parent I find myself thinking of parents who struggle to provide for their children. My heart breaks for the moms and dads who desperately want to care and provide for their children yet poverty, drought, sickness and other challenges prevent them from being able to.

I have to admit I don't understand why. I trust God's goodness and His sovereignty, but don't understand why I find myself in a position to be able to provide warmth, shelter, protection, and food for my baby girl, while so many parents would give anything to be able to do the same and aren't able.

As I wrestle with these questions that don't have answers I find myself yet again thankful to be part of the ministry of World Orphans as we work through local churches around the world to strengthen communities, so families can be supported and encouraged, so parents are able to work and provide for their children.

One very specific way we go about this is through our Home-Based Care Programs. The objective is to assist the church in their desire to provide much needed spiritual, emotional, physical and mental care for households in their community with orphaned, abandoned, or vulnerable children who are being cared for by single mothers, extended relatives, neighbors, friends, or church members.

The program is designed to ensure that the children receive: spiritual care - through discipleship during home visitations and participation in a weekly children’s program at the church; emotional care – by providing ongoing counseling, group activities, and home visitations; physical care – in the form of food, access to clean drinking water, and access to medical care; and mental care – by ensuring access and support of education.

As I feed my daughter and lay her down to sleep, faces of dear brothers and sisters I have ment through World Orphans partnerships flash through my mind. My heart aches knowing there are grieving parents putting their children to be hungry. At the same time I am very humbled by how hard parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, community members and church bodies are working to care and provide for those children.

As we seek to care for children, whether it be children under our roof or children around the world, may we never lose sight of the greatest need we all have, for our relationship with God to be restored. Praise God that He has met that need, through the Gospel of Christ. As we meet physical needs, may we never cease to point one another to the Gospel.

Currently World Orphans has Home-Based Care programs in Haiti and Ethiopia. Click HERE to read more about Home-Based Care and click HERE to start a campaign to raise money to support orphan care ministry around the world.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing... - Psalm 68:5-6

Our baby girl...

My husband Chris and I welcomed Jazmine Eliza on July 4th at 3:58pm

1 day old

I had a delightful 6 weeks of maternity leave - it was so nice to just focus on getting to know Jazmine and begin to learn how to care for her.

2 days old

I'm now back to work, so grateful to be involved in the ministry of World Orphans where my work is something I'm passionate about.

3 weeks

So often as I look at Jazmine I'm overwhelmed with gratefulness for her health and that the Lord has given her to us. And my heart just breaks for all the children who don't have a family.

6 weeks (no, she didn't ride on the motorcycle...we'll let her get a little bigger :)

I am so thankful that World Orphans is about mobilizing, supporting and encouraging churches around the world to care for children in need of a family. And I pray that the Lord would continue to stir hearts all around the world, that followers of Christ would be known as people who care for the fatherless.

7 weeks

The other children...care here and abroad

Our northern New Jersey newspaper reported that a 4-year old girl was found dead in her Brooklyn, New York home. Her mother was arrested on charges of assault and endangering the welfare of a child. The mother called 911 herself after finding her daughter unconscious, but the medical examiner said the child was under-nourished and that marks on her ankles indicated she had been tied up...probably to a small bed in the corner of the mother's room. The mother was also charged with the possession of crack cocaine and marijuana. The little girl had two brothers, 5 years old and nine months. The last sentence of the small article that reported on this tragedy reads: "The other children were placed in foster care."

My heart is broken for the little girl whose life just slipped away. In a city of such affluence, she simply wasn't well-cared for and she died. And my heart breaks for her brothers. Their young lives, lives that will never be the same again as their world was just shattered, their lives were summed up in one sentence. "The other children were placed in foster care."

One sentence, a paragraph all by itself. Grammatically it reads like an afterthought. The words haunt me and I can't stop thinking about those little boys.

One of the (many) reasons the words are haunting... in theory I could do something to directly care for those boys.

One of the things that I most appreciate learning through my work with World Orphans, and that I find most challenging, is that you don't need to have a lot and you don't need to have all your ducks in a row to care for children in need. I am humbled, challenged, and inspired by my brothers and sisters I have met around the world through World Orphans partnerships who are spending themselves to care for orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children. And I want to follow their example.

Some of our partners are young parents giving up the privacy of their own home and time alone with their biological children in order to raise orphans in a church-based children's home. Others are families who are living very sacrificially to bring children into their already full home. Then there are the pastors who have grown children, work full-time jobs, and spend the rest of their time shepherding small churches and caring for orphans. And those are just a few examples of people living lives of servant leadership so that children are cared for and their communities are impacted by the love of Christ.

These individuals seem to be some of the most sacrificial and at the same time most joyful people I have ever met. And I believe they are setting an example for us.

I know there are differences between America and the developing world. I know there is a lot of red tape and paperwork involved with caring for children who are not your own in America...but I don't think that should stop us.

Often times when I tell people about World Orphans the response is something like, "it's great that you are concerned about children around the world, but what about the children here in America?" And to that I say, "amen!" Through my work with World Orphans I feel increasingly passionate that it's a both/and situation. I believe God desires for us to have a heart for the nations, to be a part of what He is doing around the world. AND...I believe He desires for us to reflect His love and the truth of the Gospel right where we live. We can do both.

And for those of us who live in America, the reality is that children die because people neglect them or because people beat them. There are children who need homes and we can do something about that. I know the foster care system is messy, I know it's hard...but I find myself drawn to it. I want my home to be the home those little boys go to when their sister dies and their mom goes to jail and their dad is not around.

I know it will be hard. I know they will have issues. I know I don't know what I'm getting myself into and that my life will never be the same. And yet I am so excited. I write this as we are just a few weeks away from welcoming our first child. We are so thankful that the Lord has given us a baby and we can't wait to meet her. And as excited as we are to be having this little girl, our hearts continue to break for children in foster care and we feel so drawn to caring for them.

So I'm writing this for all of you to see. And whether a hundred people read this or it's just my few wonderfully loving and faithful family members who always read my blog...we want to be held to this:

When we have a home that would pass a home study, because let's face it...we love living with my grandmother and it's all we can afford at the moment...but I don't know that we would pass a home study and I'm pretty sure we couldn't handle it at the moment....but in a few years - we will do foster care. Most likely that will be when Chris is done with school. And I'm not saying we're going to do it indefinitely...(if it works out and we adopt a bunch of them we'd have to take a break at some point)...but we're going to do it.

And I'm asking you to consider it. Consider what it looks like to be aware of and involved in what God is doing around the world, and right in your community. It won't be glamorous, it will be hard. It won't be easy, it will be risky. But as a Christian living in America I can't think of anything I would rather do than be in relationship with brothers and sisters around the world - supporting and encouraging them, and take care of children who don't have a family.

So just consider it. I know God calls people to different things, so I know it's not what EVERYONE is called to, but I think more of us are called to foster care and/or adoption than dare to consider it. And if you don't bring children into your home you can still be supportive and encouraging to those who are. What does it look like for you as an individual and your church as a community?

So as you are drawn to be a part of the work God is doing around the world to care for orphaned and abandoned children...let us know. I can tell you that the World Orphans Church-to-Church model is an awesome and exciting way to be involved and would love to tell you stories of how the Gospel is transforming lives. And I hope in a few years we are doing foster care and I can tell you about the ups and downs of caring for orphaned and abandoned children in America and tell you more stories of God’s great love and faithfulness.

Will you please...pray

A co-worker posted this on her blog:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41360579/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

I wish there was something I could say, "please do THIS" to help stop the sex trafficking at the Super Bowl...but I don't know what tangible things there are to do, so I would beg you to pray.

Let it be said...

Yesterday marked a year that a man from our church died suddenly...he left behind a wife and 4 children (high school through young adults...) It was devastating, but it's been remarkable to watch the church grieve with them and care for them. And remarkable to see the affect that one man had on so many people, the affect he had of the Kingdom of God.

The worship team played this song and I couldn't help thinking about in the very brief time I knew him, how I could see how he blessed and serve others in the name of Christ...it was amazing.

And I found myself being reminded as we work to care for children around the world, how important it is that we be intentional about reflecting the Gospel and the love of Christ in everything. Whether we're doing something that seems exciting like taking a trip to another country...or we're just doing the routine things of life... In the grand scheme of things I believe it's not that some things matter more than others, it's that we depend on Christ to honor Him and reflect Him in whatever we are doing...and I'm thankful to know people who live like that.

The Blessing

By John Waller, Troy Denning

Let it be said of us while we walked among the living
Let it be said of us by the ones we leave behind
Let it be said of us that we lived to be a blessing for life

And let it be said of us that we gave to reach the dying
Let it be said of us by the fruit we leave behind
Let it be said of us that our legacy is blessing for life

Let it be said of us that our hearts belong to Jesus
Let it be said of us that we spoke the words of life
Let is be said of us that our heritage is blessing for life

This day, You set life, You set death right before us

This day, every blessing and curse is a choice now

And we will choose to be a blessing for life

'Cause blessings and curses are choices
Will we build up, tear down? The moment of truth is now

For your kingdom, for our children
For the sake of every nation
For your kingdom, for our children
For the sake of every nation
We will choose to be a blessing for life

Haiti - One Year Later...

Haitian churches continue to care for orphans

Today marks the anniversary of the devastating Haiti earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people and left 1 million people homeless. Left behind were thousands of orphans, adding to the estimated 380,000 children previously without parents or someone to care for them.

Following a February 2010 trip to Haiti, World Orphans established the Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) program at ten Haitian churches. These churches had already taken in orphans in their community and placed them within church families. With the OVC program these families receive the support they need to continue caring for the children.

By partnering these churches with a U.S. church that provides financial support, the 200 children in the OVC program are receiving food, education, medical care and trauma counseling.

We praise God that all 10 Haitian churches identified last February have been partnered. But, of course, the need continues.

World Orphans would love to expand the OVC program in Haiti as we can raise fund and identify U.S. churches or groups of individuals who have a desire to get involved in helping the orphans of Haiti. For more information, e-mail Alan Hunt.

$8 for Clean Water

What if you could make a huge impact with just $8?

World Orphans was given 300 water filters to distribute to our OVC families and others in need. To use the water filters those families need two buckets which cost $4 each.

Your $8 donation will provide clean water, critical in preventing disease and malnutrition, to a family. We still need buckets for 266 filters.

GIVE NOW

New Year Update

Hello Friends and Family,

Happy New Year! It has been an eventful few months both personally and in my ministry as we wrapped up 2010 and started 2011. Let’s see, where to start…

The holistic care trip I was preparing for in the fall went really well. We worked hard getting ready and it was so encouraging to see our partners soak up and process the information we shared. We believe those who attended will really be able to apply the information we discussed regarding emotional care of children who have been through trauma. We are already planning another holistic care training for this April; this one will be in Haiti and focus on education, among other aspects of holistic care. Provided we are able to raise the necessary funds, we hope to do additional holistic care training trips this year, as well as continue to network with other organizations to provide the best possible support and encouragement to our partners while making the most of the resources God has given us.

Me and my co-worker, Kathy Davis, in Kenya

The group that participated in the Holistic Care Training

The training site

As for my mobilization role, we now have over 20 trips on the calendar for 2011! Thankfully we’re using new software that is very helpful as I oversee the details of all those trips. I’ll be attending a conference in April to continue learning about how to make our mobilization and trip-sending process more effective. It is going to be a busy year, but I’m very excited about the work ahead of me.

On a bit of a logistical note, this year finds me continuing to build my financial support team. One of my significant supports is no longer able to give to World Orphans to support my work so I’m looking for others who are able. In order for my salary to remain where it’s been over the last two years, I need to raise an additional $1500 per month. I would ask you to pray that God would raise up people to partner with me in this work. If you have questions or would like to learn more, please contact me. If you’re interested in joining my support team you can let me know or follow the links to the right. And for those of you already part of my support team – thank you!

On a personal note, this fall was particularly eventful for us because Chris and I found out that we are going to be parents! We are expecting baby Borders in mid-July and are very excited! We definitely have moments of feeling nervous as Chris will have one more year of school and I’ll continue my full-time work with World Orphans. But we are thrilled to be having a baby while we’re near family and completely confident that this is God’s timing and excited about what we know will prove to be a wonderful and crazy new adventure.

In related news, Chris survived his surgery rotation and did very well. It was really challenging, but he learned a lot and definitely grew from the experience. This spring he’ll do rotations in internal medicine, long-term care, psychiatry, and obstetrics. While he’s keeping an open mind, he’s leaning towards practicing emergency medicine when he’s finished with school… I’ll keep you posted. Speaking of finished, we officially past the halfway mark and are in the second half of his program. We anticipate Chris graduating and taking the boards in the spring of 2012 – keep praying for us!

I hope this finds you well. I would love to hear how you’re doing and what 2011 has in store for you.

Blessings,

Kate

Days of Hope

Does the countdown to Christmas fill you with anxiety and stress?

World Orphans wants the 33 days before Christmas to fill you with hope and faith.

During the next few weeks World Orphans will be introducing 33 of the children who's lives have been impacted by the faithful partners of World Orphans.

These 33 are just the beginning of a much larger story. The story of thousands of orphaned and abandoned children being taken in by the local church in areas like Haiti, Ethiopia, China, South Africa, Uganda, Thailand and more.

If you don't already receive the World Orphans emails, visit our website to subscribe so you can enjoy the stories and other news from the ministry.

We hope you will share the stories with your family. Some of them will include a printable ornament with the child's picture that you can hang on your Christmas tree to remind you to pray for that child.

We hope that as you meet these children you'll be encouraged and inspired. The first story will be shared on Monday....enjoy!

PS: A blog about my recent trip to Kenya coming soon :) - Kate

Party with a Purpose

It's hard to believe it's that time already. The air is getting cool, the leaves are changing, and the holidays are just around the corner.

Our thoughts will turn towards making plans, setting tables, buying gifts...

...and hopefully our thoughts won't turn away from those who struggle to find anything worth celebrating.

As North-Americans Christians the holidays can be a challenge. We want to honor our friends and family but don't want to get lost in the waste and overindulgence. We want to enjoy celebrating, but it can be hard to do that in light of the daily suffering of so many people all around the world.

What does it look like, as an American follower of Christ, to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in a way that honors Christ and the Gospel and keeps in mind the struggle and devastation of orphaned and abandoned children and honors the tireless work of our brothers and sisters in Christ caring for those children and their communities?

I don't think there's a simple or easy answer, but here are some of the thoughts I have...

• Look to include those in your community who might be orphaned or abandoned in your holiday celebrations.
• Buy gifts that support people working to keep families together.
• Regularly remind yourself, your family and your friends about what reality is for so many around the world and talk together about what you can do.
• Really think through the money that is being spent...certainly give gifts that honor people, but don't buy gifts just for the sake of buying something.
• In lieu of a gift, make a donation to World Orphans or another ministry in someone's honor.
• And this holiday season World Orphans has a very specific way you can gather together and celebrate with the purpose of advocating for orphans with our Home for the Holidays Campaign

Our communications department did a great job putting this together - so in one click you can visit our website to read about the campaign, request invitations, download the party planning guide, and be on your way to planning a party that will support the work of World Orphans, raise awareness and encourage others to make their holiday season about being grateful and about considering others.

If you're interested in hosting a Home for the Holidays party and want to chat about it please let me know. If you're in the Maryville/Knoxville area I know a number of people who would love to speak about World Orphans at your party. If you're in the northern New Jersey area I would love to come speak at your party. And if you're somewhere else I can find you a World Orphans advocate or provide you with information so you will have all that you need.

Happy planning!