Orphan Hope: Current Happenings

June 10

As soon as I step onto the American tarmac, busyness surrounds me like

a suffocating blanket. I have left a place where the sun sets at 5:30 and only candles dimly light the necessary rooms until we get tired of fighting off the dark and rest our heads. I have left a place where an hour in the early morning of prayer and listening before my God can be counted on, and little else can. I have left the small world of a missionary family who have given up myspace and music videos and youth conventions long ago - like John the Baptist in the wild. My heart longs for that place again.

Now my family and I are going to churches and interested groups to share our pictures and stories and life lessons. We are touching base with our church family and learning to live outside the parameters of being a "pastor", yet still being a father and a servant. We are learning that God does indeed provide for our needs - the first pledge from a church of regular personal support has brought us to our knees in thanks to our Father.

Here are the current and upcoming happenings of OH:

A church has donated $1000 to help build the next project at the Lichinga, Mozambique (NW corner of Moz) base for orphans. The building will be an open-air kitchen and cafeteria with a thatch roof. If any would like to help with the construction you can contact us and we will put together a trip for this.

We are available to share our stories and our vision for what God is doing, at your church or group. Contact us at orphanhope@onlinemac.com . Regina and Dan will be in Manitoba for July and August, then return to Oregon in September, but the younger (and more dynamic) ones will remain in the Oregon area.

We have approved a $1000 micro-business bank project for the ministry of Kutwanana Ministry in Maputo, Moz. They have 24 trained careworkers who visit and minister to AIDS patients and orphans in thier respective routes. We would like to help each of them get a business started, but at this time we are starting small with about ten of them. As we see the program operating successfully we will increase the bank to help more orphans. The goal of this is that with added income these caring ladies will be able to take an orphan or two into their homes as well as offer more care for the orphans in the community. If anyone would like to help them with these businesses or with extending the orphan care in this area, we have a place for you here.

Kyle Showalter, who accompanied us on the latter part of our Africa trip, has independently raised $1600 from family and friends and is right now in Maputo helping to build another orphan home with Kutwanana Ministry. Way to go, Kyle. Anyone can do this! OH is not here to get everything running through us - we will get on board and brag and help anyone who wants to help orphans for God's glory.

Jordan Shamburg is finishing her term as an intern with Kutwanana Ministry. She developed and ran a preschool for them, and is now returning to the States. Thanks, Jordan, for preparing the way for many others.

There are numerous ministries in southern Africa where we would love to send some equipped and directed interns. Too many young people go for a few months to help out and, because they are not prepared, are not able to accomplish what they thought. And too many African ministries suffer as they receive these well meaning "helpers". OH is attempting to develop a course to take our interns through to evaluate and equip. If you would like to help with this course, please contact me.

Word is getting out that we are praying for five families to start a base in southern Africa. We are beginning to pray with a number of people whom God is speaking to. We do not want to depend on persuasive words, but on the call of God within willing hearts. It is such an encouraging thing to see God working independent of man's methods! We are tentatively planning on going through the Church Planing eXperience (CPX) in Cape Town, SA in Feb-July 2008. This is with All Nations and Floyd McClung. Anyone wanting to join us for this should look at the website http://www.floydandsally.org/training-programs/ .

We have a few people wanting to help OH with web and administrative skills. We hope in the coming months to develop a more effective manner of communicating the message of love for the poor that is burning in technicolor in so many hearts. If your heart burns with this same desire and you have some time or skills you would give to this effort we would gladly give you some things to do for us. We are also setting up a new office, so if you have a good computer or something to donate to this we would appreciate it.