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!

Time to play....

In our holistic approach at World Orphans we recognize the value of children getting to play and have the time to just be children and have fun. We also recognize that because of hunger, war, abuse, poverty, sickness and other struggles, that many children around the world do not experience the freedom of having a childhood that includes fun and games and time to play.

So as we seek to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ and care for children in a holistic way that meets all of their needs, spiritual, physical, emotional and mental, we desire to include sports and games. I have found it to be the case everywhere in the world I have been, that a big step in connecting with a child is to play with them...which is why we value our HisKids Sports Program.

Both in the United States and around the world we have seen that sports and games are a powerful tool for both outreach and discipleship.

Outreach: World Orphans short-term teams, in partnership with the World Orphans partner they are visiting, will host a HisKids Sports Outreach event. That involves sports and games designed to illustrate and talk about God's character, our need for Him, and the glorious truth of the Gospel of Christ. In addition to sharing the Gospel, it's a great opportunity to have fun, work with the local church, bring positive attention to the local church, and love on children in the community.

Discipleship: Sports and games as an avenue for discipleship - teaching and training children to help them better understand the Gospel and what it looks like to apply the Gospel to daily life and relationships. In the US we have seen success using HisKids Sports in both schools and churches, and we are pleased to announce that in November we will be doing vision-casting and training regarding an on-going HisKids Sports discipleship programs for our World Orphans partners. That will mean that in addition to outreach events done while teams are visiting, that our partner churches around the world will have HisKids Sports as a tool to use both in the homes where orphans are cared for as well as in children's ministry at the church for an on-going ministry with children of the community.

All this is why we are so excited about the soccer field that just opened at our Project in Iraq. We anticipate the opportunity to play being a door for relationships that ultimately will lead to sharing the Gospel and discipleship.

Bringing Hope to Desolate Places (Iraq) from World Orphans on Vimeo.

Click HERE to make a gift towards the completion of our project in Iraq
Click HERE to read the blog of the World Orphans family living in Iraq

Our work in China

World Orphans offers only true family-care model for orphaned & abandoned children in China

China has one of the largest orphan populations in the world. Many of these children are abandoned due to physical disabilities, because of China’s one-child policy, or simply because they are girls. Although the Christian church is not able to have a physical presence, our network partner is reaching out to these precious ones with the help of local house churches.

Watch our new video to see how World Orphans is helping provide biblical family care for 76 children at the Bejing Training Center – children who are not eligible for Chinese government assistance under their strict guidelines. Without the center, these children would be left to indifferent family members or forced to survive on their own.

The Training Center is located in a former school that has been renovated to form 10 apartment-style homes, a central eating area and the training areas. The children are divided into families of eight who live with carefully selected Christian house parents devoted to providing the physical, emotional, spiritual and mental care they need.

Each of these 10 apartment home is in need of immediate monthly financial partnership of $810.

There are 3 ways you can help:

• Give a one time gift to this project
• Pledge $44 a month to this project. (You can set up easy recurring monthly payments online.)
• Raise up a group of partners and sponsor one of these 10 apartments for $810/month.

And you can watch our video here: http://vimeo.com/14649748

Fight Child Trafficking - You can do this NOW!

Please take a minute and do something tangible to fight against child-trafficking.

The International Justice Mission has put together very simple instructions we can follow to support a bill that would help eradicate child trafficking.

Here are the simple steps. To visit the IJM page click HERE.

1. Find out who your Senators are and how to contact them (Find your state in the upper right corner and look for the “Contact” section on your Senators’ websites.)
2. Check to see if either of your Senators has already committed to co-sponsor the CPCA.

3. Make the call – use these sample scripts as a guide:
   For Senators who are not already co-sponsors of the CPCA:
   “Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m calling from [City, State]. [Optional: Can I speak to the legislative aide who handles human trafficking issues?] I’m calling to ask Senator [NAME] to co-sponsor S. 3184, the Child Protection Compact Act. This bill would help to eradicate child trafficking, an issue I really care about. At a minimum, I’m hoping the Senator will commit to voting to pass the bill when it reaches the Senate floor. Would you please pass my message on to the Senator? Thank you!”

   For Senators who are already co-sponsors of the CPCA:
   “Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m calling from [City, State]. I’m calling to thank Senator [NAME] for his/her co-sponsorship of the Child Protection Compact Act. This bill would help to eradicate child trafficking, an issue I really care about. I appreciate the Senator’s leadership on the issue, and I’m hoping the Senator will vote to pass the bill when it reaches the Senate floor. Would you please pass my message on to the Senator? Thank you!”

I just did this and it literally took less then 5 minutes - PLEASE take the time...

Help a Photographer support World Orphans and other ministries...

Actual post from Julie Gumm - click HERE to see actual post

I (Julie Gumm) have a friend who has entered a photo contest sponsored by Sigma and is hoping to win some great camera gear from them. Josh is passionate about using his skills as a photographer and videographer to help non-profit ministries like World Orphans and so I would love to see him win this contest. So much so that I’m offering a cool giveaway if you will help me spread the word.

He’s entered in 3 different categories and you can vote for each photo.

It’s a 2 step process.

1) Go here and click the button under one of the photos.

2) You have to enter your e-mail address and then click VOTE

3) Check your email for a confirmation message and click the link. You ONLY have to do this on the 1st photo.

4) Now you can vote for the other two photos.

You won’t get spammed, they are just validating you’re a real person.

THE GIVEAWAY

To encourage some voting I will be giving away one of the beautiful necklaces that Mark brought home from Ethiopia (read more about the ministry they came from).

You will get one entry for each of the following things that you do.

1) Vote for all 3 photos

2) Post a link to this blog post (here’s the URL: http://juliegumm.com/wordpress/?p=2099) on Facebook so your friends will vote.

3) Tweet about the contest and link this post

4) Blog about Josh’s entries and encourage people to VOTE.

Leave me a comment for each of the above actions you take.

IMPORTANT: You need to make a comment on JULIE'S BLOG POST for EACH thing that you do. I will use a random number generator to pick the winning comment so if you do all 4 you need to make 4 separate comments to increase your chances of winning. Just a quick “voted”, “facebooked”, “tweeted”, “blogged” will do.

I’m going to run the contest for a week and draw names at the end of the day on Thursday, September 8th.

The winner will receive this gorgeous silver and coffee bean necklace…

Encouragment in Haiti

It was truly an honor to partner with Dr. Phyllis Kilbourn and her team from CCTI (Crisis Care Training International) to provide training for our partners in Haiti at the end of July. Based on her education, training and many years of experience, Dr. Kilbourn provided not only training and guidance to our partners in Haiti, but created materials specifically geared towards helping the children of Haiti process the trauma they have been through.

As Dr. Kilbourn talked about the many aspects of trauma and tools for helping children process their experiences, I was blown away by how hungry our partners in Haiti are for more information and specific answers to their questions. Over just two short days a lot of information was shared that I believe will be helpful to our partners: pastors and teams of volunteers that visit orphaned and vulnerable children in their communities. During that time it was evident over and over again that the volunteers are passionate about and committed to not just the physical care, but the emotional and spiritual care of those in their community who are hurting.

But the overwhelming reality…everyone is hurting. At the training we gathered with pastors and volunteers who want to learn how to better care for children, but there was not one in the room who isn’t in the midst of grieving pain and loss themselves. One in particular who stands out…a pastor who lost his wife and children, yet he still desires to care for those around him who are hurting as well. Praise the Lord that there are many churches full of believers who are placing their hope and trust in Christ and watching Him give them energy and strength to care for others in the midst of their pain. But the need for support and encouragement is great. Yes, the finances are a piece – funds are needed so the OVC (orphaned and vulnerable children) program can operate. But just as crucial is the relationship – for a church in Haiti to know that a church in the US is committed to them. Not only committed to helping with the funds, but committed to praying, to encouraging, committed to caring that our brothers and sisters in Haiti are trusting on a daily basis that the Lord will sustain them and guide them as they rebuild their lives.

This Night...

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. Yet others sleep too cold. Some too dry, their bodies parched for clean refreshing water. Others too wet, the rain soaks their roof and walls and beds...takes away their comfort and threatens their safety. But their exhaustion drives them to sleep...but I imagine it's a fitful sleep. Sound sleep interrupted by questions of safety and wondering...wondering what tomorrow will bring and what will fill the empty bellies of the children.

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

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

So while I rest in being a child of the most high God through faith in Jesus Christ and nothing more, I am reminded of His words, "to whom much is given, much more will be required."

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

Lord Jesus, have mercy.

Growing ministry in Haiti

Just last week, World Orphans secured a location for our new guesthouse in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. With the introduction of the Haiti Orphan & Vulnerable Child Program (OVC) we saw a need for an inviting and restful place for the visiting church ministry teams to stay.

World Orphans desires that this guesthouse be a place of rest, connection, support, encouragement, nurture, and preparation for service.

Through the generous support of one of our churches we have a beautiful home leased to serve as our Haiti Guesthouse but we need to raise $8,000 to secure a generator, create a secure environment, buy appliances for the kitchen, get furnishings, and the various other items needed.

We have a team arriving at the guesthouse on June 11th ready to put in the work to make this place a temporary home for our first mission team that will arrive on the 18th.

You can not only give a gift online, but on our new World Orphans web site you can create your own fund-raising campaign that lets you make a customized fund-raising page, set a monetary goal and then just share the link with all your friends and family and ask them to help you meet your goal.