The Harvest
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Matthew 9:37-38 |
Ministries that are near to my heart and in my prayers
These are but a few of the ministries that I have been blessed to support and be a part of for many years. Each has withstood the test of time and is reaching many souls for Christ through the Word, food, clothing, education and more. Click on the title for each ministry to visit their websites and learn more about them.
Compassion International
In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.
Compassion provides the opportunity for you to sponsor a child from many places across the globe. The children range in age from 1-22 years of age. Your tax-deductible contribution of just $38 a month connects your child with a loving, church-based Child Sponsorship Program. Your support provides: food and clean water, medical care, educational opportunities, life-skills training, and the means to hear about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout the year, you can send letters, photos and extra gifts to the child and their family. Several times a year you will receive letters personally written by your sponsored child. You will also receive letters from their school teachers and pastor, as well as, photos and updates. When children find out they've been sponsored, the joy they feel is indescribable. Just knowing that someone across the globe cares means more than you can imagine. Sponsoring a child will profoundly change the future for your child, and will change your own life as well.
Compassion provides the opportunity for you to sponsor a child from many places across the globe. The children range in age from 1-22 years of age. Your tax-deductible contribution of just $38 a month connects your child with a loving, church-based Child Sponsorship Program. Your support provides: food and clean water, medical care, educational opportunities, life-skills training, and the means to hear about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout the year, you can send letters, photos and extra gifts to the child and their family. Several times a year you will receive letters personally written by your sponsored child. You will also receive letters from their school teachers and pastor, as well as, photos and updates. When children find out they've been sponsored, the joy they feel is indescribable. Just knowing that someone across the globe cares means more than you can imagine. Sponsoring a child will profoundly change the future for your child, and will change your own life as well.
I've been sponsoring a little girl about the age of my niece for several years. Sayuni, from Uganda, will be 11 in November. She is in the third grade and lives with her parents who are peasant farmers. For her last birthday, I sent her a gift for her and her family. A few months ago, I received a letter thanking me for that gift. What was absolutely awesome is that the family took that money and invested it into some livestock for the family - a goat and some chickens. About three times a year, I receive a handwritten letter from Sayuni filled with information about her schooling and her family. Her letters are full of drawings and writings. Over the years I have seen her skills grow in each letter. Recently, I decided to sponsor another child who is about the age of my oldest nephew. This time I found a young man from the Dominican Republic named Jose. Jose is 14 years old. I look forward to seeing the work the Lord has been doing and will do in this young man's life.
Anyone that knows we well, knows that I love me some DATA and some RESEARCH. Yesterday, I received my copy of Compassion Magazine. The entire issue was dedicated to a research study that was done by Dr. Bruce Wydick, a professor of economics and international studies at the University of San Francisco. The study titled "Does International Sponsorship Work? A Six-Country Study of Impacts on Adult Life Outcomes" looked at over 10,000 children across 6 different countries. The study compared the long-term outcomes of those that had received sponsorships to other children in the same villages who had not. So hear are a few of the findings: a Compassion sponsored child is 27-40% more likely to complete secondary school; a Compassion sponsored child is twice as likely as their non-sponsored peers to finish a university program; a Compassion sponsored child is 35% more likely to become a white-collared employee (teachers, pastors, nurses); and a Compassion sponsored child is more likely to become a leader in their community and church. I don't know what you have to say about these findings but all I can say is
"A Compassion Sponsorship Works!!!!"
Samaritan's Purse
Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ. "Go and do likewise"... Luke 10:37d
This ministry has been on the front-line of disaster relief for many years. They were on the ground after Hurricane Sandy. They are currently working in the mid-west providing relief after the tornadoes that affected Oklahoma.
Operation Christmas Child
Since 1993, more than 100 million boys and girls in over 130 countries have experienced God’s love through the power of simple shoebox gifts from Operation Christmas Child. Samaritan’s Purse works with local churches and ministry partners to deliver the gifts and share the life-changing Good News of Jesus Christ.
I've been participating in this ministry for more than 17 years. It started with one box many years ago and has now become a year-long project of gathering items to pack and send off right before Thanksgiving. There is nothing like getting an e-mail that says a box you packed and prayed over was delivered to the hands of a child from Iraq, the Middle East, Honduras, Namibia, Indonesia, and Ukraine. I've had the blessed opportunity to lead Sunday School children in collecting items, making items and packing shoeboxes. I've had the opportunity to support the Roanoke Gospel Outreach Ministry in leading the people on the streets to pack shoeboxes for others in need. I've even hard the opportunity to work at the Samaritan's Purse office in North Carolina preparing the shoeboxes to be shipped overseas.
This is not a difficult project to take on for yourself or for a ministry. I have found that if you start right after Christmas hitting the clearance racks at Wal-Mart you can get many small items (stuffed animals, pencils, erasers, crayons, small toys, candy) for very little money. Throughout the year, I hit Wal-Mart after every holiday and fill my cart up with holiday goodies that any child would love. Yes, that would be me with a cart full of stuffed animals, pez dispensers, crayons, glue sticks, notebooks, gloves, socks, sandals and whatever else I can find for a discount. I've been able to get stuffed animals that would cost $5.00 during the holiday seasons for 50 cents. The more quality items I can get for less, the more shoeboxes I can fill and therefore, the more children I can bless. And it is not just the items that deliver the blessing. With every shoebox delivered, the child has an opportunity to hear the Gospel delivered and receive a copy of the Greatest Gift of All in their own language.
Roanoke Gospel Outreach Ministry
In 1996, Scott Lyons started walking the streets of Roanoke delivering the gospel to anyone who would stop and listen. After many years on the street, the Lord opened up many buildings for him to use for short periods of time. He would use these buildings to hold services, prayer meetings, Bible studies and to feed those that are hungry. In 1998, Scott and Sandy were married and continued together in the work of this ministry. About 7 years ago, the Lord opened the doors for the ministry to purchase their first home on Salem Avenue in downtown Roanoke across from the Roanoke City and Greyhound bus terminal. What a perfect location to reach people who were coming through town and waiting for a bus exchange. The Lord has been faithful all of these years as the ministry has expanded from witnessing on the streets to delivering the Gospel to the children and elderly through puppets, music and food in the housing developments in Roanoke. The outreach also provides group meals for all who come at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas and holds at least 3 picnics in the parks for the community. The people on the streets highly anticipate these times of food and fellowship throughout the year. Each Friday and Saturday night the doors of the outreach are open from 8 pm to very early the next morning. It is a refuge for those that need to rest, get a cup of coffee, a danish or need to talk/pray with someone. On Sunday mornings, weekly services are held and followed by a meal of sandwiches, drinks and danishes.