HOPE for Hope for Children

We became involved with Hope for Children nearly a decade ago sometime after the launch of our series of children’s books, The Adirondack Kids®. As the books began to do well, we wanted to "give something back”, so we decided to sponsor several children.

I can’t even remember exactly where we picked up the Hope for Children brochure, but do recall scanning the checklist printed inside - list of areas in the world we could choose from with eligible children.

The checklist included:

Africa/Caribbean/South Pacific/Asia/Central America/Where needed most...

I looked at the list and said, "Lord, how do we choose? Which one?" So we prayed and checked – Africa.

Hope for Children then sent us our packets with the information for the 3 children in Zambia, Africa we would be sponsoring, all from the same family.

Fast-forward 10 years, and Carol and I find ourselves in the ministry as a pastoral couple and become foreign correspondents for Global Partners - the missionary arm of the Wesleyan Church. And where did GP want us to go on our first assignment?

GP: "Africa."

Us: “Where in Africa?”

GP: "Zambia.”

Us: “Zambia?”

So I called Hope for Children and asked:

Us: "I know Zambia is the size of Texas - but is it possible for us to visit our sponsored children if we are anywhere near them?"

HFC: “Absolutely.”

And guess what? Our children were less than 20 minutes from two of the missionaries we were scheduled to stay with and photograph! And they knew the family. And knew them well. And they drove us directly to their home and then to their budding church. Amazing. Which God is, right?

The family photo accompanying this piece has the faces blotted for security reasons. That is my wife Carol interacting with them.

Honestly, standing there with the family that incredible day, I could not remember exactly when we began our sponsorship. While I was stumbling over my tongue trying to figure it out – the children's father knew and spoke the exact date immediately.

Several months have now passed since that moving visit when we were able to see first-hand what such sponsorship means to these children around the world and to their families. Each sponsored child at $34/mo. receives clothing, nutritious food, an education and some medical help and maybe most importantly - hope.

Two weeks ago, I had an idea of inviting others to join us in sponsoring the balance of the eligible children in the same village where our children reside. I learned there were 7 still eligible from the village. I issued a challenge on my personal Facebook page and now there are only 5.

Encouraged, I called Hope for Children and dared to ask how many children HFC hopes to enroll – what is their goal?

Hope for Children currently has some 3,500 children enrolled – but are positioned to handle up to 10,000!

So - here's the challenge. If you are interested in sponsoring one of the five remaining children who need sponsorship in the village where our 3 children reside – let me know at garyvanriper@yahoo.com If God leads you to consider a child in a different location, you can contact the organization directly, (www.worldhope.org) click on Hope for Children, and ask God to help you choose.

WARNING: Be careful about the country you select. You might end up there yourself one day!

gary.

He's Got The Whole World in His Hands

Among the most eye-opening revelations of our trip to Africa was to see the way God is so powerfully moving among nations throughout the world. Among our greatest highlights of our trip to Africa was a spontaneous 2 and a half minute interview with a young boy named Joshua.

Video link is here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/garyvanriper#p/a/u/0/EX5s1QMtH8U

PIcture Yourself Making a Difference - in AFRICA

Before Carol & I left to serve as correspondents for Global Partners, we asked the Lord to help us with two specific things.

First, that He would enable us to finance our work as short term missionaries as much as possible ourselves. Once word was out we were going to Africa to serve in this way, our immediate family and incredible church family insisted on helping, and for their help we are most grateful. And so, we were able to keep the circle of support quite intimate.

Knowing we would be returning to make appeals for much of the worthy work we were called to report on, we wanted those who heard us to understand we were not asking anyone else to make any voluntary sacrifices we were not willing to make ourselves!

Second, we asked God that He would direct us to those ministries He wanted us to spotlight for prayer and finances upon our return.

Carol and I have had the privilege of making several presentations at churches already. These have been more general reports, but now we want to get more specific.

And so the next few blog entries will be devoted to several of those missionaries and work which are in need of prayerful and financial support.

Among Global Partners Missionaries and projects in Africa we expect to highlight over the next few weeks and months are Mike and Cindy Helvie and the Pilgrim Wesleyan Bible College and a Bible Student Scholarship Program; Drs. Dan and Joan Jones and Zimba Mission Hospital and Zimba Eye Hospital; Jerry & Jody Manwaring. We also plan a special and very personal report on Hope for Children.

Thank you for taking your valuable time to read and prayerfully consider these stories and needs. Our hope and prayer is that there may be those who have never really given to missions before who may be able to PICTURE themselves making a difference with us to the glory of God – in Africa.

It’s Your Move

Drafat. It is a board game we saw played in Zambia. But what we’ll consider here is no game…

I just read another incredible story of great need in Africa. Another solid Christian organization is doing good work to meet the need among young people in Nigeria. Another worthy cause.

Bombarded with so many requests for help can seem overwhelming – and assuming you are moved to respond – the question often arises – which one?

The Bible College? The Hospital? The orphans? The AIDS educator? The doctor? The nurse? The maintenance man? Do I go myself? Do I pitch in to send someone else? And where?

Maybe this will help.

A number of years ago after starting to write our children’s book series – we decided we wanted to give back to something or someone with a portion of the profits.
I had heard about World Hope International’s ‘Hope for Children’ and so we decided to support a child somewhere in the world. Opening the brochure, it read like a menu and listed different areas of the globe: Asia – Africa – Caribbean – South Pacific – Central America – Where Needed Most

Where do you begin? “Lord," we said, "which one?”

We discovered a special program where it was possible to sponsor the children of national pastors. That resonated.
“Which area is this being offered?” Africa. “Okay, Africa it is.” We decided to sponsor 3 children – all from the same pastoral family.

Fast-forward nearly a decade.

Through a series of circumstances, some of which can be found on our earlier blog entries, Carol and I were led to fulfill an identified need as correspondents for Global Partners, the missionary arm of the Wesleyan denomination.
“Where do you need us to photograph?” Africa. “Okay, Africa it is.” “Which country?” Zambia. “Okay, Zambia it is.”
“Hey, World Hope – the children we have been supporting are from Zambia. Do you think we might be able to meet them?”

Long story short. In a country the size of Texas, we just happened to be placed by Global Partners with an assignment 30 minutes from our family and with missionaries who knew them!
And so we met Billy and Brian and Fidess, who now aspire to be a doctor, an engineer and a teacher.
We were emotionally overwhelmed at the meeting with the family. I could not remember the exact year we began the support. The children's father knew the exact date.

What were the chances? Of all the continents in the world – of all the nations – of all the families and individual children – what were the chances?
With God? 100 percent.

Try not to listen to who has the loudest megaphone – rather listen for the still small voice of the Spirit. Then make your move.

Global Partners: http://www.wesleyan.org/gp/
Hope for Children: https://www.worldhope.org/

The Face of Christianity

David Livermore challenges us to picture the typical Christian and asks, “What do you see?”
Then he lets us in on it.
“The vast number of Christians [in the world] are young, nonwhite, poor, theologically conservative, and female.” *
Would it surprise you to know, “The western church is no longer the trendsetter and center of Christianity…?”*
Would it surprise you to know, “The largest Christian communities today are NOT in the U.S. Bible Belt but in Africa and Latin America – and that none of the fifty largest churches in the world are found in North America?”*
Spending time at a Bible College in Jembo, Africa, we learned that the dedicated students there spend their holidays and time between semesters - doing ministry. A district superintendent we met has a great number of churches over a vast area he serves – mainly on foot. We saw home-made instruments and heard a lot of worship singing that was ‘a cappella’. A banner we read in a Pilgrim Wesleyan Church in Livingstone that has grown from some 200 to 600 in two years has a banner hanging in the sanctuary that dares to read, “Bringing Thousands into God’s Kingdom” with the motto: “Arise & Be Involved” – Matthew 28:1
Selah.

* From Serving with Eyes Wide Open by David Livermore, pages 31-33.
For more information on Global Partners – to support missionaries or perhaps - become one. See http://www.wesleyan.org/gp/

Photo: Student at BibleCollege’s Married Housing © 2010 Gary VanRiper

How Far Do We Reach?

Question: Should we reach out to Jerusalem? Or Samaria? Or the uttermost parts of the earth?

Answer: Yes.

I love these quotes from David Livermore: "Don't go running overseas to do something you aren't already doing in your own neighborhood." AND "Short-term missions is just another opportunity for us to live out what we need to be doing 24/7 wherever we are." (from Serving with Eyes Wide Open, page 173)

We are blessed to be part of a missions-minded church. To me that means we are part of an obey the Great Commandment & Great Commission church. We serve at home - we serve the region - we serve the globe.

My good friend and phenomenal photographer Emmanuel captured this shot of Carol and me this afternoon while we were reflecting on our recent time in Zambia. This Sunday at our home Camden Wesleyan Church (Camden, NY) we will share highlights of our experience with God's people and neighbors in need on the other side of the world.

"He who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard. " - Psalm 21:13

One of the quotes I committed to heart before traveling to Zambia from David Livermore's book, "Serving with Eyes Wide Open", was this one: “Here is what some African church leaders said when asked what they wanted most to say to American churches: 'Please raise our dignity before the Christians and citizens of North America. We are not naïve, backward, and ignorant black people. Instead, we are your brothers and sisters in the family of God who are seeking to be faithful to his calling on our lives.' (Serving with Eyes Wide Open, Page 169)
One of the promises I made to the Lord was that I would watch for stories and images that would do just this - raise the dignity of the Zambian people before the Christians and citizens of North America within our sphere. Such stories and images were not hard to find - in fact, they were everywhere. We are hardly experts after being guests for just 9 days. And we did see great need. Particularly at the hospitals and clinics. But it did not take long at all to realize that the people of Zambia do not need more of what we in the west have in terms of material wealth. We need less of what we have.