Veterans day, orphan care and Christmas....

Finding out just last week that I was off from work today in honor of Veteran's Day, I started thinking  about how to make the most of a precious day off in the midst of a busy season, and about why Veteran's Day is a holiday...

Having traveled to well over 20 countries, I'm always grateful to be home...my family and my own bed, but I'm not always glad to be back in America.  Spending time in other places, especially poorer places, can shine a spotlight on the consumerism and sense of entitlement we struggle with as Americans.  Seeing people in other cultures who physically have so little yet are so joyful and so generous can make the abundance of America overwhelming.

However, as I listened to an Army veteran on Sunday, with tears in his eyes, remind our church body about how amazing it is that we could freely gather to worship Jesus, I was freshly overwhelmed with gratefulness for the peace and freedom we experience in America.

Our military and government certainly provide plenty of topics to debate and disagree over, but I don't ever want to take for granted the great sacrifices that countless men and women have made over the years that allow us to live and worship in peace and freedom.

So as I spend today trying to prepare for a thoughtful, intentional and worshipful Advent season for my family and gift giving that will honor those we love, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

As I think of my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are spending themselves to care for those in need, and who are suffering because they choose Christ, I am humbled to count them as family, and longing to honor them in prayer and in the choices that I make this season.

So whether or not we find ourselves in peace and freedom, may we be consumed with the peace of Christ that transcends circumstances and passes understanding.

Prayer Update - Iraq

During this season of Lent I'm desiring to meditate on the reality of Christ's death and resurrection, and the glorious truth that when we trust in the sacrifice of Christ, the Father sees His perfection and not our sin.  And at the same time desiring to think about what it means that out of that trust, flows love and obedience....not to earn His favor (if we could earn it, Christ didn't need to die) but as an outpouring, a reflection of His love and grace.

This is a portion of a newsletter written by my co-worker living in northern Iraq.  It struck me as an excellent summary of what the Christian life calls us to, and I'm praying Lent is a time to focus my heart and have a fresh understanding of a life that is about seeking Him, finding Him, walking closer with Him...

My prayer for you is that this Lent season finds you with a renewed sense of passion and awe at God's love for us.

And I'd ask that you'd join me in prayer that the Lord would encourage this family as they walk with Him....

Jesus is drawing all of us into the limits of our own abilities and beyond. The life of faith seems hardly worth living if He's not, and so, the stretching, stretching, and more stretching continues... unabated. But, aren't we so glad it does. When we finally get to the end, we'll be able to look back and see a life that was SPENT, not hoarded, a life that was consumed by God's grace and presence, not just kept safe and secure in the mires of our own personal goals and dreams. It's a life of sacrifice that God has called us to, and if we're not on that road then, our spirits' should be crying out for it. For it is upon that road that we find Christ. I want to find Him... closer today than yesterday, more ever present than I could imagine, truly one with Him, doing together what the Father is doing in our world. Hurdles are ever-present just like with everyone else, so please keep us close to your hearts and in your prayers, and step by step we'll climb the mountain together.

To read more about their ministry, click HERE.

One of the many reasons we need our family....

If you've read this blog for any length of time, it won't surprise you to hear me say how honored and grateful I am to be in relationship with my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, how much I have learned from them, how they challenge me, and how they inspire me.

Recently I read this article, "What we say when we don't mention the Gospel" an honest and well written reminder of our desperate need for a Savior....and for me another reminder of of our need for relationship.  (Highly recommend reading the article - definitely worth the time.)

Being in relationship, in true partnership, with Christ followers in other cultures, reminds me in deep ways that what really matters is Jesus, trust in the hope and truth of His Gospel.

Being in real cross-cultural relationship has a way of showing you that you don't have all the answers and you don't have everything figured out.  The food, the dress, the music, the style of worship, the approach to time....it's all gloriously different.

A reminder that God is calling to Himself people from every tribe, tongue and nation.

A reminder that there are a lot of things that are important, but only one is necessary....Jesus.

I pray this season of Lent finds you being reminded of the sufficiency, centrality, beauty, joy and amazement of Jesus.  (Really great thoughts and recommended readings, here.)

Vision for the year...prayer update

A few months ago I did a little survey to get a sense of what kind of updates people (my friends, family, financial and prayer supporters) want about the overall ministry of World Orphans, my role in the ministry, our personal life, etc.  Your feedback was super helpful (and the random winner turned out to be a woman who has been faithfully volunteering for us in Mobilization for years, so I was thrilled to send her a gift!)

There was a consensus that quarterly newsletter updates are good, that people do want to hear a combo of the overall ministry, my specific role, and how my family is doing.  And EVERYONE wants more pictures of Jazmine :)

One thing I heard from a number of people was a request for more prayer updates.  So hear is my goal...

I'm committed to actually sending out quarterly newsletter updates (not just drafting them) that are hopefully interesting to read, and have plenty of pictures of Jazmine.

But in between the newsletters, I'd like to do a once a month blog post with ways you can pray for the ministry and/or my family.

So....It's not the end of January yet and here's a prayer update!  Thankful to be off to a decent start :)

We would covet your prayers for the ministry as we cast vision and set goals for the year.  

As part of the World Orphans Management Team, I was in Colorado the first week of January with other World Orphans leaders - it was a wonderfully encouraging time as we each shared our assessment of our department and our vision and goals for the year.  We all came way encouraged and excited to share with our co-workers.  The coming weeks and months will be filled with hard work as we each lead our departments to do our part in supporting our church partners around the world.

I am honored to be part of a ministry that exists to empower the church to care for orphans....until they all have homes.

Please pray that the Lord will grant the entire World Orphans team joy in working hard in our roles, unity in working as a team spread out all over the US and around the world, and that in the midst of the details (which are really important) that we'll keep our eyes on the eternal purpose of what God has called us to as we equip, inspire, and mobilize the church to care for orphans and vulnerable children...to see churches engaged, children restored, and communities transformed by the Gospel of Christ.

St. Nicholas....

As the years go by I find myself more and more interested in the history behind our traditions and celebrations.  I think of God's commands to His people in the Old Testament to remember and celebrate on a yearly basis and see the God-ordained value in regularly reminding ourselves of who God is and what He has done for us.

On and off through the years I have heard bits and pieces of the history of St. Nicholas.  I am sure that differing sources will lead to different versions of the story, but I believe it's agreed upon that the third century St. Nicholas is the original person that the stories, traditions, and legends of Santa Claus are based on.

Regardless of whether or not you incorporate Santa Claus into your Christmas celebrations, I think it is very note-worthy that St. Nicholas was known as a defender of children.

Contrary to the popular notion of him giving gifts to "good boys and girls", he was about helping and defending those in need!

One source says:

His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young.  Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering.  He dedicated his life to serving God and was made a bishop while he was still a young man.  Bishop Nicholas because known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.  Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned....  Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds.  These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as a protector and helper of those in need.

Santa Claus is based on a man who loved Jesus, suffered for his faith, and spent his life assisting the needy, the sick and especially children!

Just recently I listened to one of my co-workers share of the beautiful, sacrificial faith of our World Orphans church partners around the world who give even out of their own physical poverty and physical need.  They give, trusting the One who supplies all things, knowing that ultimate hope is in Him.  They give and love sacrificially to see that children cared for and hear of His love for them.

This Christmas I find myself praying that my family will learn from our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world and enjoy giving sacrificially to reflect the most sacrificial love ever of The Baby who was born in Bethlehem.  May we boldly look to Jesus and remember the cloud of witnesses, like St. Nicholas, and let our lives, including our Christmases, be about spending ourselves for the least of these.

Approaching Thanksgiving...

I wish I was in the mood to reflect and be thoughtful about Thanksgiving....because I love setting aside time to remember the history of our home and to focus on being grateful.

BUT....I'm in the process of finalizing a draft of a chapter that World Orphans is contributing to a book project, which I'm super excited about.  But at the moment, fried on writing.

So bullet points it is :)  These are the significant days we have approaching:

• Thanksgiving
• Black Friday
• Cyber Monday
• Giving Tuesday!

What is Giving Tuesday, you ask?  Read HERE. 

Want to give to World Orphans?  Click HERE.  

Win a gift!

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, I realize what a poor job I've done about communicating with my friends and family about my ministry with World Orphans.  My summary thoughts about that are:

On a heart level I enjoy keeping in touch with people because I love staying connected.

On a professional level, I know that being in a support-raised position, it's important for me to communicate what I'm doing.

I know I need to find a better system (just something that personally works better for me so I don't put it off) so I can send pictures and updates more regularly (via email and blog, with links on Facebook, of course).

As I thought about it I realized that I want to hear from YOU, my friends and family who actually read what I write :)  What do you want to hear about?

So....fill out this short survey and be in a drawing for a free gift from the World Orphans store!

I'll take submissions until the end of November, and don't worry, it's only a few questions :)  It will only take a minute  - thanks!!

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