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/