This is my Neighbor //

What can you do with two hours? We often think to take a long lunch, watch a movie, or get some work done. What about walking to a remote village to share the Gospel?  Or taking time to listen to an old friend share his problems so that you can pray with him? The below stories demonstrate what God can do when we allow Him to use our time.

Worth Every Minute

Two hours is a small price for Bhima to pay. He’s made this journey countless times, but when you’re feeding the hungry, the joy is worth it all.

Pastor Bhima travels to the surrounding villages of his home, sharing the love of Jesus with many who have never heard Christ’s name. When Bhima came to a town two hours away, he discovered that several people were hungry to learn about God. So he kept returning.

A Village Steeped in Religion

The majority of the villagers believe in karma and are bound in superstition, and most don’t know how to read. But these hard-working farmers will not put up with anyone mocking their faith.

Padma, a quiet young woman in the town, has worshiped and sacrificed to idols since childhood. Her family is often separated, because her father works in a different state, but she works hard to help her mother and brothers take care of their home. A dedicated student, one would never guess from Padma’s smile the difficulties she has to endure to make it through school.

Tormented by Spirits

Why they chose her, Padma didn’t know, but every time she tried to concentrate on her studies, demons attacked. She wanted to learn but frequent headaches prevented her.

Padma and her mother visited many doctors, but no one had answers to free Padma from her misery.

Pastor Bhima happened to visit Padma’s home one day and shared the Gospel with her mother. Padma arrived later, and he got to pray for her. Padma’s mother noticed a difference in her daughter after the prayer, so she asked Bhima to keep coming. He gladly consented and visited often, reading from God’s Word and asking God to heal Padma.

Where Two or More are Gathered

Bhima invited two believers from his hometown to begin a regular prayer meeting in Padma’s home. One day, as the three believers prayed over Padma, she fell down unconscious, but Bhima and his friends continued to intercede for her deliverance and the Lord rescued her. In moments, Padma stood up, fully restored.

Padma and her mother were overjoyed and thanked the believers profusely. From that day on, Padma started to attend prayer meetings, and gradually God convicted her heart of her need for Jesus.

Now, there is a wide-open door in this village to hear the message of Jesus. The people are amazed at what God accomplished in Padma’s life and they see the power Christ has over darkness. Padma also joyfully shares her testimony with others, and no one opposes her witness because they are so happy that she is healed.

// written by Clara Christofferson, Gospel for Asia

This is my Neighbor // homeless

 "A long time ago, when Chelsea was tinier than she is now, 

there was a big storm in the middle of the night. There was thunder, and lightning, and wind, and rain. Daddy heard little footsteps and looked up. There was Chelsea. 'Chelsea,' he said, 'Are you a little bit scared?' 'Uh-huh,' she said. So he picked her up and brought her to the window. They looked out at the thunder, and the lightning, and the wind, and the rain. 'Are you still scared?' 'Uh-huh.' So he tucked her safely under the covers in Mommy and Daddy's bed and she fell asleep." 

So goes the classic story in our household. I've loved thunderstorms as long as I can remember, but in spite of my sturdy house, strong roof, warm bed and tightly-shut windows, they can still be unnerving.

This weekend my mom, little sister and I met up with some friends at their work-in-progress farmhouse. During our visit, Gabi and I stayed in the summer kitchen, as there is only one bedroom in the actual house that isn't completely gutted. Each night there were terrible thunderstorms and flood warnings. After our experience this spring out our own farm, having the oldest tree on the land come down in a storm, I've been more on-edge about fierce storms. The clouds rolled in, the power went out, and I lay tense and alert. Lying there, under a thin roof, between uninsulated walls, old and shaky windows, and one blanket shared with my little sister, I listened to the storm. If a tree had come down on the summer kitchen, or the winds had blown in any of the windows or doors, or had a tornado come along, we would have been in real trouble. Still, we were reasonably safe and made it through each night, even sleeping soundly through much of the storm.

This year, as I have listened to storms wrap around and bang against the place I'm sleeping, my thoughts have turned toward the countless people who have to weather the same, often worse, storms that I weather, but without a roof. The summer kitchen was as close as I ever want to come to "roughing it" during a storm, but the people living in tents in Haiti, under tarps in the slums of India, in huts in Africa, or in alley-ways in America... do we ever think of what it must be like for them to endure such storms in their dwellings, or lack thereof? I think of how frightened I can be, when I'm not getting wet or having my shelter blow violently about me all night. I want to love those neighbors of mine. You can join me!

From now until the end of August, for every item sold through my online store, 50% of profits will be given to either http://www.helpusa.org/ OR World Vision's emergency relief fund. 
You choose which ministry you want me to put the 50% towards by specifying in the notes during check-out! Easy as that, we can help get our dear neighbors into real shelter so they can stop weathering storms alone and afraid.

This is my neighbor //

Recognizing my Hannah friend. 

More than a decade of support and adventures. 

We aren't a super social family. We have a few friends who are very close to us that we see now and then. We like to entertain them over an elegant dinner or host them overnight in a spotless house. These times are wonderful. Laughter and nights that last, stories told and retold and memories made.

Then sometimes our friends comes over and we put them to work, let them dig in our fridge for food, and watch tv together. Nothing glamorous that's for sure but in these times they get to experience us the way we experience each other on any ordinary day. Doing life together.  

Celebrations and dinners and carefree times together in clean and decorated spaces are wonderful; pleasurable. Times of work and silence and mundanity in the a messy home or out running errands are more special though, because they're more intimate. If my friends are also my "neighbors" I don't just want to have a friendly-hello-as-we-collect-our-newspapers type of relationship, I want the I've-seen-your-bead-head-and-you've-seen-my-messy-kitchen kind. 

I have that with my dearest friends and its good. It's an environment for grace to be shown and God's glory to be seen. 

[side note: my best friend from childhood times, Hannah, and I will get to live out this neigborliness soon. She's going to be my roommate in my new "little house". Excited!]

Neighbors Abroad // Door of Hope [update!]

You may remember meeting David Ingram of Door of Hope International a few months back. He is currently serving in India and this is an update from him from the field!

If you would like to be a part of the work of DOH you can learn more on their website: http://dohinternational.org/

Neighbors Abroad // Alcoholics in Asia

Hope for the Whole Family // Sachi watched her husband become more and more dependent on alcohol to get through each day. She and Javesh had small children to feed, but whatever money he made, he used on his addiction. The situation grew worse, and their food was beginning to run out. The only glimmer of hope in Sachi’s and Javesh’s lives was that their son Chakor was enrolled in a Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope center. They knew he was being cared for and given a nutritious meal every day. While Chakor received the opportunity to learn and grow, things were looking grim for the rest of the family. One day, during a regular visit to the family’s home, the staff members from the Bridge of Hope center realized how dire Chakor’s family situation truly was. After meeting with the family, they decided to offer Sachi a job as a cook at the center. She was overjoyed at the prospect. The new job meant income, and an income meant their family wouldn’t have to starve. Sachi was very happy to be able to meet all her children’s needs again. God Answered Their Prayers The Bridge of Hope staff continued visiting with and praying for the family, and slowly, Javesh’s life started to change. He stopped drinking alcohol, and he began to use his wages to provide for his family again. Through the prayers and friendship of the Bridge of Hope staff, Sachi and Javesh saw the love of Jesus and knew that He cared very much for them. The couple and their children embraced the hope that can only be found in Christ. Today the family attends the local fellowship together, and their home is full of God’s peace. Not only has their outward situation changed drastically, but their inner lives were transformed as well. See how your prayers can impact Bridge of Hope children and their families. Here's an article I found that outlines the troubles of alcohol abuse in India. // written by Cari Poweziak of Gospel for Asia

This is my Neighbor //

At one of our pit stops on the way to Florida I passed by a stranger who was smoking. She spoke to me as I passed by. I don't usually associate with smokers by choice, but I saw her as my neighbor, not a smoker and I wanted to love her. I chose to stop and talk to her. We talked for awhile. It was good. I want to love all of my neighbors. Some of those neighbors will make lifestyle choices that are offensive to me, but it doesn't change the fact that they're my neighbor.

I read that Starbucks CEO was quoted as saying that if you support traditional marriage Starbucks doesn't want your business. My immediate reaction was offense. I was thinking, "Really? You want to cut that much of your market out of the picture? Okay. Lets see how you like losing that many customers." But spite isn't loving. If I walked past Starbucks with a judging scowl on my face every time I passed it, what would that accomplish? Starbucks hasn't persecuted me, they've merely offended me. Since we are supposed to love our enemies, people that use us and persecute us, I bet we're supposed to love our minor offenders too.

The baristas at Starbucks are my neighbors and they may not even be aware of what their CEO said. There are people who work there that do support traditional marriage, as well as ones who don't, and both are my neighbors. I want to love them. I choose to. So while some people may choose to buy their coffee somewhere else and whisper bitter words about Starbucks, I will continue to go back. It isn't about the coffee or the CEO's political views, I just want to love the people. Regardless.

///

In Jesus' day, Jews did NOT associate with Samaritans, and men did not associate with women unaccompanied, and teachers of the law did not associate with people known to be sinful. Jesus knew all of this when he chose to pass through Samaria. There He met a woman He knew to be living a sinful lifestyle. There He told her what He knew of her. There He, the Savior she knew would come one day, had come to her. There He offered her what her heart yearned for, life abundant. And the disciples marveled but did not question. (John 4)

At the temple, the scribes and Pharisees brought before Jesus a sinful woman. There Jesus revealed to all of their hearts what He knew of their sin. There Jesus remained with the woman after all the others had departed. There He offered her what her heart yearned for, forgiveness. And I'm sure the disciples marveled but did not question. (John 8)

Jesus' love compels Him to provide the way for us to live with Him. Only one repentant of the sins they know they are guilty of can desire what He offers, can accept what He freely gives, can welcome the Spirit in to change their ways. "From now on sin no more." (John 8:11)

As Jesus did, we meet people where they are. We offer them what Christ's love in us compels us to offer, what their hearts yearn for: forgiveness and abundant life and, yes, hope even for you! We testify of the benefit of giving up your old way of life, with all it's sins, and allowing The Lord to enter in and make us more like Him with every passing day. Draw near! Do not hinder them. For in drawing near to Him you see your desperate need for Him. In pressing into Him you find life abundant.

Neighbors Abroad // widows and orphans, India

In India alone there are reports of 45,000 children missing each year.1 They Go Missing for Many Reasons Some are abducted by strangers and placed into forced labor, like Nadish. Others are trafficked and exploited in the sex trade. Still others are sold to families to work as domestic help. Some 44 million orphans and runaways are living on the streets not knowing of the danger that awaits them.2 India is not the only place India has close to 13 million children younger than 15 in its workforce—more than any other country in the world. Some estimate the real number is closer to 100 million.3 That's five times the population of the state of New York. In Thailand, almost 1 out of every 10 children between the ages 10 and 14 are working rather than going to school.4 In Bangladesh, an estimated 27 percent of children ages 10-14 are working in a variety of hazardous occupations.5 In Sri Lanka, one of the most physically punishing forms of child labor is the fishing industry, which keeps the children in slave-like conditions and far from the public eye.6 UNICEF estimates that 4,500 children from Bangladesh are trafficked to Pakistan each year. Thousands more are sent to India and the Middle East. How can we stop this? Gospel for Asia is working among South Asia's most endangered children.   Delhi Street Children's Home You can give toward rescuing children on the streets, teaching them about Jesus and His love and reuniting them with their families. Rescue a child from the streets of South Asia ► Bridge of Hope You can sponsor a child in Asia and provide an education, the love of Christ, clean clothes, food and medical care. Sponsor a child in Asia ► Notes: 1 National Human Rights Commission, http://nhrc.nic.in/ 2 ChildLine India, www.childlineindia.org.in 3 ChildLine India, www.childlineindia.org.in 4 U.S. Department of Labor, International Labor Affairs report. 5 U.S. Department of Labor report 6 U.S. Department of Labor, International Labor Affairs report. Next we have the story of Sarojini, a widow with a sickness she couldn't afford to treat.  Click here or on the banner to read Sarojini's story. For over 30 million widows in South Asia, life is a desperate struggle for survival. Blamed for their husbands' deaths, they're forsaken by their families, shunned by their friends and despised by their communities. One in four homes in India is home to a widow. 92 percent of India's women age 70 and older are widows. Street begging or prostitution often becomes a way of life. Many are left caring for their children with little help from relatives. In order to provide for themselves and their children, many resort to gathering food from the trash. Some gain income only from selling their bodies on the streets. For those who cannot bear the shame, suicide is their only escape. Because Sarojini heard a message of hope in her time of need, she no longer lives in fear of tomorrow because Christ is her assurance for today. Help more widows like Sarjani by sponsoring a woman missionary. Sponsor a woman missionary ► Finally, if any of you haven't read No Longer a Slumdog yet.  Please order your free copy here. It will change you!

// Written by Cari Poweziak, Gospel for Asia

This is my Neighbor //

All month I have been trying to make a habit of loving the person in front of me. It has been shocking and humbling to realize how often I fail to even recognize the person in front of me because I am so caught up in myself. Loving the person in front of me is a way to practice recognizing and loving my neighbor. This past week alone some of my neighbors have been: my best friend from childhood who came to stay, my fellow leaders for the youth group mission trip, the waitress who served me at the Nucleus, a friend having a hard day, children waiting to be adopted in China (last week's Sevenly cause), a family in Colorado that I had a dream for, bloggers I read, other writers I met on Twitter, my mom's co-workers, the barista in our Target Starbucks, fellow drivers on the road, the employees at Half Moon Tea & Spice and Charlotte Ruse, and my little brother who has been trying my patience. Guess who else? You. You are my neighbors, dear readers. Let me encourage you to begin to recognize and love the people in front of you today. They're everywhere!

// images from Pinterest //

Neighbors Abroad // mother of nine, India

When Sneha asked Rajeshri about her past life, Rajeshri's face darkened. Sneha, a Gospel for Asia woman missionary, had reached out to Rejeshri at her lowest point, near death, but Rajeshri had faced many other difficult times too. 
Rajeshri, a mother of nine, endured a nightmarish life with her cruel husband for more than 35 years. She patiently suffered -- until he brought home his mistress. The woman wouldn't allow Rajeshri to touch anything in the house without permission and prohibited the children from attending school. Rajeshri and her children felt like prisoners in their own house. Humiliated, Rajeshri decided to leave. Three of her adult children had already moved out, so she and her remaining six children relocated from their village in the mountains to the bustling capital city. Through the help of a childhood friend, Rajeshri started a manual labor job at a construction site and rented a small apartment. As she and her family gradually adjusted to their new life and community, Rajeshri was able to start sending her older children to school. It was hard work to pay the rent and provide food, clothes and her children's school fees, and to make matters worse, Rajeshri had weak health. Despite the hardships, though, Rajeshri considered her life a thousand times better than what she'd left behind. She didn't know things would soon fall apart. One day, Rajeshri woke up and was unable to get out of bed. Pain engulfed her whole body, and she shivered with cold. One daughter brought her some medicine for a fever, but Rajeshri couldn't even raise her head to swallow it. She was no longer able to work, and though she visited many doctors, the remedies they prescribed had no effect. Her friend brought a sorcerer and then a witch doctor, but neither succeeded in healing her. Three months slipped by. "It seems to me that I am going to die," Rajeshri told her friend one day. "If I die, who will look after my children?" Rajeshri's friend finally went to the right place for help. She brought two Christian woman, including GFA missionary Sneha, to pray for Rajeshri. They told Rajeshri that Jesus loves sick people and makes them well and that when He came to earth, He healed the sick, raised the dead and died on the cross to save all humanity. Sneha and her co-worker prayed for Rajeshri and promised to visit often. Filled with hope by their words, Rajeshri started to attend church with her friend's help. After a few months, she was completely healed and able to begin working again!
Today, Rajeshri has found new life in Christ. Because she experienced Jesus' love through the miracle of healing and the care demonstrated to her by Sneha and her fellow missionary, Rajeshri chose to follow Him. Now she participates faithfully in church activities, grateful for God's work in her life.
Thank you for helping send missionaries like Sneha to bear the light of Christ to women oppressed by darkness. As these servants lift up the name of Jesus, women like Rajeshri are finding new lives full of hope and purpose.

// Testimony from the February issue of 'Harvest', Gospel for Asia's newsletter. Sponsor a woman missionary and continue the work of encouraging our sisters in Asia here.

His Little Feet // Guest Post by Brooke

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” 

–Corinthians 1:27

Who am I? “Who am I that you are mindful of me? The daughter of man that you care for me?” (Psalm 8:4) I search the face of my King? I am like Mary declaring to the Lord, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.” (Luke 1:46-48) Who are we but a people born of a sinful nature? Even the heavens above declare HIS Gospel! With one WORD He spoke and the galaxies were thrust into existence! (Jeremiah 31:35) The heavens declare the glory of God! And so, I ask again. Who am I that He would choose me, would wash me, and would use me? And yet, here in my humble estate I declare that “Behold, I am the maidservant of the Lord; let it be unto me according to Your WORD. (Luke 1:38)

In these past two years, I have seen the hand of the Lord at work, at work in me and in those around me. Oh, how many times I would ask Him, “why me!?” I can’t even begin to share with you the wonders of His infinite wisdom and faithfulness that He has revealed to me, day in and day out. 

I am here to share a glimpse of a ripple effect that started with 15 children from Haiti. Children who were lost, hungry, and rescued. I was an “Auntie” to these children for 7 months, wonderful months! For the past two or so years I have had the privilege of being a part of the ministry His Little Feet. His Little Feet (HLF) is an international children’s choir. We have children who are orphans themselves come from different parts of the world to stand before many and be a voice of the children all over the world who are crying for help & love but have not been heard. The children and staff of HLF travel around the United States to spread awareness of God’s royalty, the orphaned & vulnerable children all across the world. I have had the privilege of traveling with the first two tours of His Little Feet. This little story I am about to weave is to reveal my Lord’s faithfulness and the ripple effect that comes as we, the foolish things of this world, are used for HIS glory!  

My story begins when we were told some news, news that rocked the world of everyone who was a part of the His Little Feet team. It was during the first tour, and Mike and Christa (the founders and directors of His Little Feet) were preparing to leave in the morning to go to Ethiopia to start the process of selecting the new children for the upcoming tour. The children had a performance that night and then the next day, Sunday we had four performances, three morning services at one church and one evening service at another church. Mike and Christa gathered the children around them after the concert explaining what was happening and where they were going. Then, after a pause, Christa told the children that they received the news that one of the “Mamis” who these kids have known and grown up with at the children's home in Haiti had suddenly passed away. There was a still shock hovering in the room and then, deep pain and anguish burst from the hearts of these sweet children who had become so dear to me. They wept, heart wrenching sobs, a moment that is forever etched in my memory. Tears of confusion, hurt, agony...I will never forget the wails of these children who had already gone through so much pain in their young lives, crying out to God. I sat there among the other staff with tears freely falling, praying, comforting in any way I could. The verse, “weep with those who weep, comfort those who need comforting, and rejoice with those who rejoice” became so real to me in that moment. After quite some time we all headed to our host homes, the children still in a state of mourning and shock. I remember what a blessed time the Lord gave my two girls and I that evening as they asked all manner of questions about heaven and eternity. I sat in their room praying over them as they drifted off to sleep asking the Lord to give them strength for the next day where they had to pour out. Not quite knowing what to expect and knowing that this was one of the biggest days of the tour, I knew the Lord would show Himself faithful. The next day came quickly and the kids allowed the Lord to work through them in the first three morning services. And then our last concert came. As they began worshiping the Lord with all they had in them, blessing His name, the Holy Spirit empowered them. Their voices rose and fell and they began singing a song I had heard them sing dozens of times before, yet the words were coming alive to me as I witnessed these 15 children rise upon a strength not their own. “Blessed be the name of the Lord...you give and take away...my heart will choose to say...Lord, blessed be your name!” Tears came to my eyes and to those around me. These children were offering a sacrifice of praise and a sweet peace, the aroma of our Lord swept through that little church in South Carolina. He was there strengthening each of the children just as He had in the past; comforting them, empowering them, and refreshing them. There was such joy in the faces of those dear 15 Haitian children, a joy not their own. “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” (Psalm 126:5) I will never forget this evening, because it showed me my Jesus in a way I had never seen Him before. But because of the faithfulness of our Lord, because He uses the weak of this world to confound the wise, this story of mine does not end there...

Soon after the first His Little Feet tour ended the Lord opened up to me the opportunity to go to the Philippines for 10 days. We where asked to prepare a few speeches to share with the churches in the Philippines. As I was praying the Lord kept placing in my mind and heart the testimony of the children as they offered their King a sacrifice of praise. I could go on for quite some time sharing what the Lord has revealed to me about blessing the name of the Lord, it would fill page after glorious page, but for time sake I shan't go there. I was asked to share at two different churches in my time there in the Philippines and a boldness washed over me both times, a boldness that was other than me; boldness and peace. I shared what the Lord had intricately put on my heart, I shared what He taught me, and then I shared the testimony of those 15 wonderful children who were instruments used by my God to show me what it looked like to bless His name in the good and bad times. May we raise our voices because HE is worthy of all adoration and praise! As I shared this dear memory of those children I took care of and traveled with, tears came to my eyes. Sharing from the depths of my heart, a heart that had learned so much, a heart that yearned for her Lord’s name to be blessed, I glanced around the room and tears were streaming down the faces of all those in the room. As the translator translated my inadequate words, words that I knew did no justice to the subject, I saw the Holy Spirit at work. After I was done sharing people came up to the front tears streaming down their faces, some falling to their knees sobbing, worshiping, adoring our Lord. A different culture. A different language. Same God. And then tears came to my eyes as I saw what the Lord had done. I saw the people of the Philippines worshiping Him, re-dedicating their lives to HIM, giving HIM all the glory, all the honor, all the praise. All because He took the weak of the world and shamed the wise. He handpicked each of those 15 children in Haiti, He rescued them from the tough times in their past and He gave them the opportunity to be a voice for millions across the world, not only that but through them He spoke into my life as His glory filled them in a time where it seemed as if there would be no praise left in them. The Never-ending Fountain of Life used those children, who were destitute and lost, to reach hundreds of people across the world from them with the testimony of His empowering grace. I was speechless and in awe of my Lord as I saw His hand reaching across the nations, reaching across language barriers, reaching across cultures. His presence, rippling outward because fifteen orphaned children chose to Bless the name of the LORD in spite of what circumstances dictated…a ripple that has affected eternity. 

Please consider joining His Little Feet International Children’s Choir as we travel around the United States spreading awareness for the Orphaned and Vulnerable children around the world. There are many ways you can partner with us. We call it our {Be In On It} Campaign: Give. Sponsor. GO. Adopt. 

{GIVE} Partner with us by giving to His Little Feet, helping take care of the sweet children while they are here in the states by caring for them, as well as helping us with the daily needs of gas for the bus as we travel from state to state spreading His fragrance. 

{SPONSOR} a child in need through Compassion International. The definition of compassion is not just having sympathetic consciousness of others' distress, not just seeing, not just knowing coupled together with a desire to alleviate it; it goes even further then a desire, compassion is an action. An action to alleviate that pain, hurt, & distress. 

{GO} “Go into all the world and preach the Good News.” We are commissioned by God Himself, to proclaim His good news to the ends of the earth and have compassion on lost souls, souls who need their Savior! His Little Feet is partnered with Visiting Orphans, connecting you with an opportunity to spread the love of God to the orphaned in the world around us and at the same time giving them LOVE, Himself. 

{ADOPT} Prayerfully consider becoming a forever family to a child. Giving them a future and a hope, a loving family, daily needs, and most importantly, Jesus. 

Be sure to look at the HLF schedule to see if they are going to be coming to a church near you! You will be blessed! 

hislittlefeet.org // facebook // twitter // Brooke's Blog // facebook

Door of Hope International // Guest Post by David

I never was one to want to take care of kids or want a future caring for them. In fact I asked God not to put me in that kind of ministry. Of course, God usually has different plans...

Two years ago, I took a trip to Kigali, Rwanda in Africa. It was my first trip overseas so naturally I was very excited! At the missions house we were staying in while in Rwanda there was a mother who worked there with a daughter about 2 or 3 years old and what a precious child she was. We spent a lot of time with her when we were at the base. One day the girls on our mission team told me that the mother of this child was trying to get us to take her little girl Angelina back with us. Angelina’s mother was dying from AIDs and knew her child would be motherless if she didn’t find help. Well, of course we couldn’t take Angelina back with us. But a few days later God asked me a question that would change my life forever. He asked if I would devote my life to rescuing children like Angelina and the other street kids and orphans we spent time with. This was a hard question to answer because I never really liked kids and they didn’t like me.  But cheerfully I said yes and I haven’t regretted it since then. Now, not only do I love kids, but kids now like me even the ones I don’t know. At the beginning of this year (so January) the Lord put it on my heart to start Door of Hope Ministries and here we are. 

Simply put, we love Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and do what we do for His glory alone in accordance with His word. It’s because of the Hope He has given us that we desire to bring the message of Hope, the Gospel, to all those who are perishing. We have an unceasing passion to see an orphanage, school, church and maybe even a hospital placed in every country in the world and millions of lives eternally rescued through this ministry. We want to go where no one else wants to go to deliver the poor that cry, and the fatherless, and those that have none to help them... to be eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. To be fathers (and mothers) to the poor: to search out the cause which we know not, and to break the jaws of the wicked, and pluck the spoil out of his teeth. --Job 29:12-17 

• Rescue - We rescue the orphan, the widow, the lost, the poor, and the needy, not just physically and emotionally but most importantly by giving them hope through the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ
• Establish - We establish Orphanages, churches, schools, and Hospitals
• Equip - We Equip indigenous leaders to become Pastors and Missionaries
• Adopt - We make Adoption possible and Affordable

We are of course not doing some of those yet, but hope to in the future. Also, we have a passion to come along side other organizations and help them in anyway possible. We aren’t trying to re-invent the wheel here, but want to simply wash the feet of other organizations if the Lord wills. We are one body and we believe we must start truly working as one. It’s not a competition to see who can get the most missionaries, most funding etc. It’s for one purpose, to evangelize the world and bring glory to our King. 

I, David, personally am the founder of this little ministry and, thus far, have been to Mexico City on a scouting mission. There we visited 2 orphanages in Puebla and spent most of our time on the streets seeing the need there. Currently we have missionaries in China working at an orphanage and caring for little children. 

Since we are so young our impact isn’t very wide yet, but this mission to India may be a door to something great!

We have the opportunity in May of 2013 to go to India to help care for 57 orphaned children. These children are the orphans of Christian believers who were martyred in 2008 during the Persecution of Bhubaneswar. Right now they live in what is equivalent to a one-car garage and receive very little food. We are raising $20,000 to build a 2400 sq. ft. building for these children to live in. While there we will be caring for the children (laundry, cooking, teaching, etc.) and hopefully helping to build their new home! This is a big task and we need your help and prayers to make it happen!

dohinternational.org // David's Twitter

Overland Missions // Guest Post by Leah

“Any Road, Any Load, Any Time”-- Overland’s Motto
By Leah Morford
*The information contained in this post does not reflect the opinions of Overland Missions as an organization, they are merely my own thoughts and opinions.

Can you hear them? Are you listening? Don’t you hear the cries lifted on high? It’s the sound of those who are perishing without the hope of Jesus. The cries that wake me up in the middle of the night, begging me to come and bring the Light. It is the desperation of hearts trapped in darkness, who do not know the way out of that dark place. A foreshadow of an eternity separated from the Father. Though they do not even know it, their soul cries out for deliverance. Do you hear it?

We call them the unreached. All over the world there are those who have never heard the precious name of Jesus. People walk in hopeless situations, overcome by their own weaknesses. And even if their consciences testify that they are lost, they have no idea where to go to become found. It is these people that my heart beats for, because the Father’s heart beats for them. Jesus’ final words before departing were, “Go into all the world…” Jesus paid the price for them ALL, and He longs that they should all know Him and come to repentance.

Though the Body of Christ has existed for over 2000 years, there are still SO many people who have never been touched by the Gospel. How can this be? As His body, we must fulfill His heart’s desire; we must preach the Gospel and make Disciples throughout the ends of the earth. 

This great commission, this calling is why I joined Overland Missions. Overland Missions was founded by Philip Smethhurst, a man from South Africa who has devoted his whole life to seeing the nations reached with the Gospel. Philip first caught this vision for ministry while serving in the South African military and was stationed in Angola. After serving in the military, he traveled throughout more than 40 countries in a period of 6 years, bringing the message of Hope to countless people. In 1999, Overland Missions was birthed by Philip and his wife, Sharon.

 The vision of Overland is to reach the most rural, neglected, and isolated people of the earth with the Gospel through evangelism, discipleship, and humanitarian efforts. Our mandate is “to reach 200 sectors by 2020”. A sector is a portion of a country (about 10,000 sq. km) designated to be reached until the Gospel has had its full effect in that region, leaving it sustainable and thriving. The ultimate goal is to leave no portion of the earth untouched by the effects of the full Gospel.

It is my honor and privilege to serve with such an amazing organization and family as Overland Missions. I have served with Overland in Zambia, Cambodia, and Vietnam. I have witnessed the glory of God touching the earth. I have seen people healed spiritually and physically. People overcome by evil spirits have been delivered by the authority and name of Jesus Christ. With Overland, I have walked in the footsteps of Jesus and seen Him faithfully fulfill His promises. I will never be the same, and I can never live any differently. As long as I’m alive, my life is about loving God and loving as many people as I can into the Kingdom of God, by His grace and power!

Interested in how you can be a part of this?

• Join me in Cambodia for two weeks in 2013: http://www.overlandmissions.com/expeditions/detail/cambodia-expedition-july-17/

http://www.overlandmissions.com/expeditions/detail/cambodia-expedition-august-1/

OR

• See other opportunities of involvement:
  Short Term Expedition- http://www.overlandmissions.com/expeditions/
  Become a Missionary- http://www.overlandmissions.com/amt/article/become-a-missionary/

Overland Missions // Facebook // Twitter // Leah's Blog

Noonday Collection // Guest Post by Wynne

Our passion at Noonday Collection is to connect you with the lives of artisans struggling for a better future while styling you along the way.  Fashion and design are a vehicle for opportunity and change.  You, too, can be a voice for the oppressed!

I was introduced to Noonday Collection & Jessica Honegger (the founder) at the adoption conference that changed my world.  It was in Austin, Texas in October 2010 and that weekend was the weekend the Lord grabbed hold of my husband and he said YES to adopt!  The conference was full of amazing ministries, and Noonday instantly grabbed my attention.  You see, I LOVE accessories.  I’m always drawn to them, but when I saw the beautiful items Noonday was selling, I had to know more.  They were both beautiful & had a story.  I wanted to know that story!  Since that conference, I have become a part of the Noonday family.  Some good friends of mine hosted a trunk show to support our adoption, and it did SO WELL that I got the amazing opportunity to be one of the first gals to become an ambassador.  What that means is I sell these items in peoples homes, but what it really means is that I tell these women's stories!

Noonday Collection sells jewelry, accessories, and home accents made from women (and some men!) from over 10 different countries around the globe.  Ethiopia, Peru, Uganda, Ecuador, Rwanda and India to name a few.  These artisans get paid a fair living wage for their work, and I can honestly say the work they are doing does more than pay the bills!  I have had the opportunity to go visit our artisans in Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda and see them at work and visit their homes.  I’ve heard their stories!  The work they are doing is not only helping them provide for their families, but it’s giving them a sense of self worth.  It’s teaching them work ethic & many times connecting them to Jesus!  It’s giving them a community of other women that are going through the same things they do.  They aren’t just making jewelry, they are making a life for themselves and their families!

This is my friend Embemebet.  She lives on Mount Entoto in Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia.  Mount Entoto has been said to have healing waters for people living with HIV.  Most of the artisans we work with in Ethiopia live here.

She is just ONE example of how lives are being changed through Noonday.  By purchasing the BEAUTIFUL items these artisans make, you are changing their lives.  You are teaching your friends how to shop responsibly.  You are letting people into the stories.  Since I told you before I am a self proclaimed accessorize-ista, I used to wear mainly items from Target or Forever 21.  NOW when people stop me to tell me they like my earrings, I can tell them proudly that they were made by a group of artisans in Ethiopia.  Y'all, the stories and the conversations that are started from simply wearing fabulous items is out of control.

I invite YOU to be a part of the story.  Shop our website.  Buy your sister or your mom something lovely & give it to them proudly on Christmas knowing that you are making a difference in the world.  

Noonday means a lot to me.  It was the primary way we raised money to bring home our two little ones from Ethiopia.  

I hope you fall in love as much as I have.

noondaycollection.com // Facebook // Twitter // Wynne's blog

International Justice Mission // Guest Post by Jessie

"One of these words just doesn’t belong here: shock, disbelief, disgust, grief, hope.  How can hope be mixed in among the reactions we have to the horrors of injustice that grip our world today?  In 2008, I was first confronted with the knowledge that more than 27 million people are literally enslaved across the globe, many of them women and children.  I learned that little girls as young as 8 years old are sold to brothels where they are abused by up to 20 “customers” per day.  I learned that boys my sons’ ages work in rock quarries 16 hours per day, 6-7 days per week, in blistering heat, beaten if they are ill, rather than going to elementary school.  I learned that widows in Africa are forced from their homes, leaving them with no livelihood to provide for their kids, while young men are illegally imprisoned, no longer able to provide for their families.  Twenty-seven million people, sons and daughters of the King, living under oppression, violence, corruption and darkness: I was shocked, disbelieving, disgusted and grieving.  And still, a ray of hope: a sliver to me then, a blazing beacon to me now…

International Justice Mission (www.ijm.org) is a Christian human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression.  Since 1997, IJM's staff has stood against violent oppression in response to the Bible's call to justice (Isaiah 1:17): Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.  They are extraordinarily strategic and effective, working with local officials to secure immediate victim rescue and aftercare.  IJM professionals are changing the justice equation in the darkest parts of our world, ensuring that public justice systems – police, courts and laws – effectively protect the poor.  IJM is made up of over more than 400 lawyers, investigators, social workers and other staff - approximately 95% of whom are nationals of the countries in which they serve.  They collaborate with local and state authorities to bring about not only rescue, but system-wide change to make their vision become a reality: To rescue thousands, protect millions, and prove that justice for the poor is possible.  God is using IJM to, quite literally, change the world.

I first learned of IJM in 2008 at a Leadership Summit through Willow Creek Church, and I wept for the victims whose stories broke my heart.  “It’s not okay, it’s not okay, it’s not okay” was my refrain as I gazed at the pictures and videos of beautiful young people being bought and sold like commodities.  I was also seized with the conviction that it would be equally “not okay” for me to sit on the sidelines in this battle for justice.  God had my full attention, but what could I do?  That is the question that plagued me as I prayed and wrestled with Him in the days and weeks after the Summit.   It is also the question that I inevitably get asked time and again when I speak about injustice and the work of IJM.  Fortunately, there is an abundance of good answers to that question.

Just as I have become increasingly convinced that God is at work in IJM, using them to blaze new paths to justice in our generation, I have also come to realize that each of us can do SOMETHING in this fight.  When confronted with an impossible task, feeding 5,000, Jesus said to his disciples, “Bring me what you do have.”  They brought 5 loaves and 2 fish, and HE did the miracle.  When we bring what we have to this impossible problem, HE does the miracle.  God multiplies our offerings, and when we join Him where He is working, people get saved, in every sense of the word.  What did I have to bring?  What were my 2 fish and 5 loaves?  Well, I have a big mouth…I could TELL people about injustice and about IJM.  I did that right off the bat.  I am blessed with a good job as a physical therapist, yielding financial flexibility for giving and providing connections to people who might care if only they knew.  So, I signed up to be a Freedom Partner and I told my colleagues and patients about it.  I love to run and have girlfriends who are caring and generous with their time and energy.  So, we decided to put on a run/walk event, the Just Us (ordinary people for justice) Run/Walk.  We’ve done that for the last 5 years, exposing literally thousands in our community to the problem of modern-day slavery.  I’m unafraid of the spotlight, so I talk about IJM wherever people will give me a microphone.  I can pray, so I signed up to be a prayer partner for IJM.  I had more than I realized that can be used against this “impossible” problem!

The list of ideas for “what can I do?” is limitless.  God has given each of us gifts.  He has made us the body so we can move on behalf of the oppressed.  We can be creative…ABCs for abolition:  Act, Blog, Cycle, Draw, Equip, Fast, Give, Hike, Investigate, Jog, Kneel, Lobby, Minister, Notify, Open, Pray, Question, Read, Shop, Tithe, Understand, Vote, Walk, eXamine, Yodel, Zeal…  I know of a small group who gathers monthly for a meal and “pays” the host what they would pay at a restaurant for a similar meal.  That meal money then gets donated to IJM.  I know of people who recruit teams for the Just Us run and get their company to match their donations.  I know of kids who set up lemonade stands and teenagers who act in skits depicting injustice.  As Christmas approaches, purchasing items made by freed slaves or those in preventive programs just makes sense.  

The options for seeking justice are limited only by our creativity.  We all have time, talent, treasure and influence—it’s just a matter of what we spend it on.   We can join God where He is already at work, through IJM or similar organizations that grip our hearts, through relationships, through prayer… we CAN do SOMETHING.  And the joy that comes from following Christ into this battle is the surprising side-effect, as He does the miracle with our loaves and fish.  The blazing beacon is the Son himself, and we get the privilege of being used for the good works, that he created in advance for us to do.  Pretty dang cool if you ask me!"

www.ijm.org // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // www.cvjusticerun.org // Facebook