Surprised by Hope Blog: November 2014

Friday, November 28, 2014

Team Development Meeting

Vickie, Alex, Alone, Pr Fred (Pr George and I are missing...sniffle)
Team's gotta eat!

We gathered together in the name of Jesus to see that Surprised by Hope achieves its vision to see that underprivileged East Africans become positive influencers in their community, in their country, and in the body of Christ.

With the eye of adapting a leadership curriculum I developed for small church groups in the States for use in East Africa, each of three days the team studied the topic. We began with various definitions and examples of leadership from life here and from Scripture. From there we identified our center or our motivating force to understand what leadership looks like with any center other than Christ. Finally we used a spiritual gifts inventory to understand and encourage one another to use our God-given gifts in service to the Lord.

Vickie, Alex, Alone, Pr Fred and his wife Justine
in front of their stationary shop.

Our afternoons were spent facilitating (on my part) and learning (on the part of the team) alongside Pull the Net, a group of pastors who organized themselves in Buwenge. The topic included the second half of the Entrepreneurship series, typically taught in two parts, which includes marketing and competition and then strategic framework.

While in Buwenge, we took the opportunity to pray for Pr Fred and for Alone. The projects they began while applying what they learned from Surprised by Hope teachings are going on well and we loved the chance to ask God to continue showering them with His favor.

I'm excited about these people – and sad I don't have a picture of us all together – because I can see how God is using them to see that the future of Surprised by Hope in Uganda is certain. Please pray for their continued encouragement and provision, please pray against any plans the enemy may be making against them, and pray that they would continue seeking Jesus in a deeper way.

Rising Star Junior School

Rising Star Junior School, like so many others, desires to see their community thrive. Of course they want their parents to pay school fees, but they also desire a God-fearing community who knows and applies a foundationally biblical understanding of commerce to their everyday lives.

The principles Surprised by Hope incorporates into our teaching includes so much more than just business. We address a mindset of possibilities based on having been created in God's image, standards of ethics drawn from Scripture, and so much more. Living out their everyday lives (not just Sunday church life) through the lens of Jesus changes the fundamental nature of the community.

A very large group of community members appeared and were very actively engaged in the teaching. I look forward to returning to see the changes and to add more learning. So very thankful for the opportunity to work with such a motivated, eager community.

Alone facilitates a portion of the teaching thanks to your gifts that help
ensure team members are learning and growing for Surprised by Hope.

Surprised by Hope Holiday Giving

As Christmas approaches, people are looking for ways to be involved in meaningful gift-giving. Surprised by Hope believes that there’s much more to Christmas than shallow commercialism. As I reflect on my Christmas gift-giving over the years, I recall two specific Christmas' that highlight the long-held depth of my belief.

Way back before any of my siblings married, my sister and I argued about Christmas gift giving. To illustrate my point – probably with a less gracious spirit than it might seem – I gave my sister a news article about a lady whose house burned down and whose child died. I shared with my sister that I'd brought this lady some household goods to help her get started again…all in the name of my sister. Today, that sister is one of the most generous people I know.

Later, when my own children were young, I wanted them to value the generosity of Christmas rather than covet the giant pile of gifts I did as a child. Throughout the year we did service projects. One year we cleaned up a Grand Rapids park after a particularly severe windstorm. I'd bet what they remember is not getting many gifts that year, they were children after all, but I can see their generous spirits twinkling at me occasionally.

Surprised by Hope believes that Christmas is a celebration of generosity, love, and risk-taking obedience. This year's Christmas newsletter is a multi-faceted campaign that provides you with a variety of opportunities to be involved in God’s mission during the Christmas season. It’s sort of like our Christmas list. We want to provide you with opportunities that re-connect you with the true message of Christmas about a God of love who sent his Son into the world to save us from our sin.

There are six great ways you can fill our Christmas stocking this year and we hope you find one that tickles your gift giving spirit.

100 Christmas Dollies 2014

Thirty little brown dollies donning their winks and smirks are crossing the ocean on their way to sights unseen (the inside of Posta Uganda). Added to what we already have, we'll joyfully launch our 100 Christmas Dollies campaign. Click here to peruse the dollies and listen for the one who whispers your name. Then send $25 for each dolly you love and we'll be sure that your dolly gets into the hands of a new little mommy (or daddy) on Christmas day.

Click here to choose your favorite dollies to sponsor.

Click here to find out which church will receive this Christmas gift using the funds donated from your dolly sponsorships.

Count Your Blessings

This is a savings box without a piggy tummy plug.

Last year Surprised by Hope received a gift because one family "counted their blessings." We received a blessing because they added one cent for every pair of shoes and boots they had in their house. We received a blessing because they added 25 cents for every item of clothing they wore that belonged to them and only them. We received a blessing because for the month of December and the days leading to Epiphany, this family counted their blessings. Many American's fully realize how blessed they are, but the Count Your Blessings giving activity is a great daily reminder for families to give thanks and to give blessings.

If you Count your Blessings as a family this holiday season, Surprised by Hope will deliver your blessings to an East African family in need. Click here to start counting your blessings on December 1.

Shop AmazonSmile on Cyber Monday and Beyond

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Surprised by Hope every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to Surprised by Hope.

Click here to set Surprised by Hope as your favorite charity and start your Christmas shopping early.

Jacaranda Creations Make the Perfect Gift

These beautiful Jacaranda products are handcrafted with quality by women in the Nairobi slums. Each product you purchase provides an income for local women who use that income to feed, clothe, and educate their children. Surprised by Hope works alongside Jacaranda in a variety of ways and we strongly believe in their mission, that's why we continue making their products available to you.

This holiday season, consider purchasing Jacaranda Creations products as gifts for the people you love. The gift goes beyond the product itself, but also toward helping a lady out of poverty. There are several ways you can support Surprised by Hope and Jacaranda Creations at the same time:

Visit the showroom (okay, the living room of the lady who manages product events).
Offer the products for purchase at your company Christmas party or at your family gathering. This one is so easy, all you have to do is ask!
Gather friends for ladies night and offer some early Christmas shopping along with a cup of cocoa.

The products sell themselves, they're gorgeous, trendy, and crafted with care. Click here to arrange your most convenient way to shop.

eBay Giving Works

When sellers list their items for charity, they choose how much of the final selling price they would like to donate and which organization to benefit…and they receive a credit on their seller fees. Sellers listing items through eBay Giving Works benefit because their items are easier to find and get extra exposure by being listed on eBay, the eBay Giving Works site, and on the MissionFish site.. MissionFish also provides a simple process to remit funds to the appropriate charity and a receipt for tax purposes.

Buyers can more easily find items supporting a cause, be assured the donation will reach the intended and pre-verified organization, and be satisfied in knowing they have made a difference. Click here to begin selling for Surprised by Hope.

Financial Management for Pastors and Church Leaders

Surprised by Hope is preparing a Financial Management conference for pastors and church leaders on coastal Kenya. During the second week of December, we'll welcome pastors from near and far to learn how and why to:

Prioritize tithing, saving, and giving
Track income and expenses (accountability)
Analyze financial statements to make business decisions
Budget for church growth and church events

Please take a look at the blog post for more details and prayerfully consider giving so that pastors have the materials they need to fully engage in the training, so that their stomachs are full as they process things like…math…, and so that traveling pastors have a place to lay their heads at night. Will you join us?

Want to Give?

Click here to give using your credit card or PayPal.

Or, send your check to:

Surprised by Hope

464 Adaway SE

Ada, MI 49301

Thank you!

We know this is a long Christmas list, and we're excited to see what the Lord will do as we work together to accomplish all that he's put before us. But please know that we don't take your generosity lightly. We are serious about loving Jesus and we know you are too.

Financial Management for Pastors and Church Leaders

David Maranz, author of African Friends and Money Matters, said that one of the most fundamental economic considerations in Western society is the accumulation of capital and wealth. Alternatively, he pointed out, one of the most fundamental economic considerations in African societies is the distribution of economic resources so that all people have at least their minimum needs met so they can survive (pp 4-5).

I'll be the first to admit that, for this frugal American woman, the culture of distributing resources for survival is a bit irritating. Almost everyone I meet is rather happy to distribute my money in their direction. When was the last time your neighbor knocked on your door saying she couldn't pay her children's Christian school fees and asking you to contribute? Or when were you last asked to give toward the burial of the 98 year old mother of the man who lives seven doors down. Seriously, who even borrows a cup of sugar anymore?

What disturbs me even more is that this culture of distribution is far more biblical than our American "everyone fend for themselves" approach. I love the story of Ruth when Boaz graciously allowed her to freely glean from his fields (Ruth 2:14-16). And Timothy's message to pastors when he said, "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share" (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

All at once I choke on my own lack of a generous spirit and long to protect their culture of distribution too. Yet, there are gaps in that culture of distribution where opportunities for better financial management abound. Why not at least try to prevent the deep poverty that leads to the need for distribution before it begins?

Most small business people in East Africa fail to separate their business money from their personal money. For example, they try to pay their children's school fees with business money and then wonder why there isn't money left to purchase additional inventory. They don't know how profitable (or not) their business is and they don't understand why they struggle to keep their business open.

Many churches receive less than $3 in tithes each week and because the amount is rather small, pastors feel it's pointless to allocate that money according to an agreed upon budget so that eventually they can replace their roof, purchase a sound system, or hold a crusade. And so the church goes on barely surviving and certainly not being "generous and willing to share."

Prossy shows the saving box used at this church outside Kamuli.
There's no rubber stopper by which to get inside.
That one coin has been rolling around in there for some time, I'm sure.

Surprised by Hope has the opportunity to help pastors and church leaders learn how to position themselves for growth by offering a four-day financial management conference in Watamu, Kenya. Pastor's will learn how and why to:

Prioritize tithing, saving, and giving
Track income and expenses (accountability)
Analyze financial statements to make business decisions
Know when buying and selling on credit are helpful (or not)

· Budget for church growth and church events

We'll also have the opportunity to address common issues such as:

The disappointing results of the prosperity Gospel
Ethics in money management
Alternative ways to meet the social demands for the distribution of wealth

This conference is no small undertaking, it's not in keeping with the usual Surprised by Hope simple workshop style. Instead, this conference provides comprehensive teaching-ministry, handbooks, meals, and the like. We want pastors from neighboring towns to come too and so lodging and meals will be available for them as well. To make all this event is successful, we have a small team of pastors at the ready to mobilize and prepare for the most well attended event yet.

WHEN: Wednesday, December 10 – Saturday, December 13, 2014

TIME: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm with film ministry beginning at 6:30 pm

WHERE: Watamu, Kenya

Please join Surprised by Hope in laying a foundation for change in the Malindi coastal area of Kenya. Will you consider supporting this important event to ensure that all the pastors who desire to attend can? And please don't forget to pray for us so that we would be God-honoring in all that we communicate about the sensitive topic called money.

Click here to give using your credit card or PayPal.

Or, send your check to:

Surprised by Hope

464 Adaway SE

Ada, MI 49301

As always, we couldn't do this without you…and we wouldn't want to.

When sellers list their items for charity, they choose how much of the final selling price they would like to donate and which organization to benefit.

Sellers listing items through eBay Giving Works benefit because their items are easier to find and get extra exposure by being listed on eBay, the eBay Giving Works site, and on the MissionFish site.. MissionFish also provides a simple process to remit funds to Surprised by Hope and a receipt for tax purposes.

Buyers can more easily find items supporting a cause, be assured the donation will reach the intended and pre-verified organization, and be satisfied in knowing they have made a difference.

Click here to begin selling with a purpose.

Click here for the FAQs about the program or here to learn more about the eBay Giving Works program.

Click here to select Surprised by Hope as your favorite charity.

Click here for more details about the AmazonSmile program.

100 Christmas Dollies 2014

Sweet and innocent, you say? Hardly.
These girls play tricks on me by hiding in the bushes where I can't find them.
Lucky they don't get eaten by a goat!

Last year the 100 Christmas Dolly campaign gifted 100 children with adorable mom-and-friends-made dollies on Christmas day and provided windows for Pr Ephantus' new church building. Pr Ephantus applied what he learned in the Entrepreneurship Series by planting tomatoes in the land near his Mountain of Glory Church and using that income to purchase building materials so that he could construct his church. You'll be happy to know that he continues planting, but this season he went with green peppers.

This year, Surprised by Hope has been on the lookout for its 2014 recipient. When selecting the recipient, we use a few criteria. First, we desire someone who has applied what he or she newly learned from any of the Surprised by Hope teaching-ministry lessons. Second, we have a heart for pastors and desire that our gift impact the life of the church. Third, we see evidence that the pastor and his or her church have made significant efforts to meet their own needs and therefore our contribution would not be the majority portion.

Less than a year ago, one pastor in Watamu, Kenya was told he had to vacate the land where his temporary church structure stood and that he had less than a week in which to do it. This pastor identified a nearby plot of land and the members made quick work of dismantling the church and moving it down the "road." Sounds a bit like the OT Tabernacle, doesn't it? Determined never to be uprooted again, Pr Samuel Owino set out to raise the funds needed to purchase that small plot of land.

About 3 years ago, Pr Owino invited Surprised by Hope to deliver the Entrepreneurship Series of teaching-ministry at Grace Abundance Church. One of the many lessons in that teaching was designed to help pastors think about how their church would be set apart in the way they accomplish the purpose of the Church universal. I'll never forget Pr Owino's declaration that his church would be an evangelistic church, it was like an epiphany for him. What I've seen in Pr Owino over these past 3 years is a steadfast determination to do exactly what he declared he would. Security guard by day and street evangelist by night, Pr Owino holds street evangelism and crusades almost bi-weekly. Follow him on Facebook to see his persistence, his leadership, and his bold faith.

Another way Pr Owino applied what he learned in that Entrepreneurship workshop was to teach his church members about using farming to provide a source of funds with which to purchase church land. More than 25% of the funds raised to date came from these hardworking families. Given that the average total tithe in these churches is less than 1,000 KES weekly, this result is nothing short of miraculous.

The purchase price for that small plot of land is 600,000 KES (about $6,700 USD). As a result of many fundraising and income generating events, Pr Owino and his church members remain with a balance of 244,000 KES, which is due before December 31.

Surprised by Hope would like to be part of something bigger, and we know you do too. Will you please join us in this year's 100 Christmas Dolly campaign? Our campaign will not fill the entire need, but we can make a big impact on the life of Grace Abundance Church by helping give them a place to call home.

Select the dolly who is calling your name and give $25 to the 100 Christmas Dolly campaign. Then, we'll give your dolly a new mommy or daddy for Christmas and help Pr Owino and his church members secure their new home.

Click here to see last years' 100 Christmas Dollies campaign.

Click here to see all the dollies waiting for a new home.

Click here to deliver your support electronically.

Or mail your check to:

Surprised by Hope

464 Adaway SE

Ada, MI 49301

Count Your Blessings

Count Your Blessings

Take a small box, put a slot in the lid, and then wrap it in Christmas paper. Each day, add the following:

Dec. 1 - Put 25 cents in the box for everyone in your family that had at least two meals this day. The average American eats five times as much as people in developing countries.

Dec. 2 – Add two cents for every light bulb in your house.

Dec. 3 – Add up the number of years your whole family has gone to school and add two cents for each year.

Dec. 4 – Add 10 cents for every hour the television set was turned on.

Dec. 5 - Add 10 cents for every gallon of gas your car holds.

Dec. 6 – For every can of pop in your house, add two cents. We discard 1,500 aluminum drink cans every second. Over a year, that’s 788,400,000 cans.

Dec. 7 – Count all the pairs of shoes and boots in your house and add one cent per pair.

Dec. 8 – If you have your own bedroom, sewing room, or office, add 25 cents.

Dec. 9 – Total the length of your house and add six cents per meter.

Dec. 10 – Contribute 25 cents for every pet you own.

Dec. 11 – Add three cents for every electrical appliance you use today.

Dec. 12 – For every room that’s carpeted, add 10 cents.

Dec. 13 - Add 25 cents for every toy gun in your house. Don’t forget video games.

Dec. 14 – Add one cent for every page of today’s paper. Every day, it takes 500,000 trees to supply newsprint for America’s Sunday newspapers.

Dec. 15 – If you or any member of your family has ever been vaccinated, add 25 cents per person. Every minute, 13 children under five years old die in the developing world because they haven’t been vaccinated.

Dec. 16 – For every electrical outlet in your home, add five cents.

Dec. 17 – If you have a clothes drier, add 50 cents.

Dec, 18 – Add five cents for every pair of mittens or gloves that you own.

Dec. 19 – If you are wearing clothes that have only belonged to you, add 25 cents.

Dec. 20 – If you have a bed of your own to sleep on, add 25 cents. In Bombay, India, between 100,000 and 500,000 people rest their heads on the pavement every night.

Dec. 21 – Add $1 if you own a VCR or DVD player and $1 for every computer or smartphone in your home.

Dec. 22 – For every glass of clean water that you drank today, add 10 cents. Of the six billion people living on the planet today, one in four do not have access to adequate drinking water.

Dec. 23 – Add 25 cents if you know the name of your doctor.

Dec. 24 – If you have more than one blanket on your bed, add 25 cents.

Dec. 25 – Add five cents for every serving of meat given in your house today.

Dec. 26 – If you didn’t recycle your Christmas wrappings, add $1.

Dec. 27 – For every glassed window in your house, add five cents.

Dec. 28 – For each person in your family who earns more than 20 cents an hour, add 50 cents.

Dec. 29 – Add 25 cents for every fridge or freezer in your home.

Dec. 30 – For every book you have read or received this month, add 10 cents.

Dec. 31 – If you keep the water running while you brush your teeth, add 25 cents.

Jan. 1 – Add five cents for every time you talked or texted someone on a phone today.

Jan. 2 – For every can of food in your cupboard add 5 cents.

Jan. 3 – If you have more than 10 items in your fridge, add two cents for every extra item.

Jan. 4- Consider how fortunate you are. In North America, one out of every four children under the age of six is living in poverty.

Jan. 5 – Sit down with your family and decide to whom you would like to donate the contents of your sharing box.

Jan 6 – (Epiphany) – Add up the contents of your box and then send your blessing to Surprised by Hope through your credit card or PayPal or by sending a check to:
Surprised by Hope
464 Adaway SE
Ada, MI 49301

Together, we can change our world!

The Journey to Oyam

I hadn't started this journey with the idea that it'd be difficult. The roads between Kampala and Lira are good and there are many bus carriers heading there throughout the day. Little did I know…

9:00 AM

I began my preparations with the most difficult question: To bring a fork or not to bring a fork. [As it turned out, I didn't need one.]

11:34 AM

After an hour and a half of waiting for the bus to fill, we're on our way. There's a lady saying a Christian prayer for our journey. Amen! [Um…after this journey, I can see how pre-Christians wonder about our God. The explanation is simple…stupid people.]

I would never EVER want the job of backing busses into this tiny park.

12:13 PM

Aaaaannnnd…bus problems. [In retrospect, I wonder if the guy who was working on the bus before we left should have been a clue.]

1:32 PM

Fast food Africa. Vendors crowd the bus windows hoping to sell boiled water, roasted meat, and more. Friend and former Uganda housemate, Lauren, says she could go for chicken on a stick. [She's right…no matter how long it's been sitting in the sun, it's yummy.]

3:52 PM

A little sightseeing. I don't know about you but the last place I'd want my hiney is just above a truck full of longhorns.

4:18 PM

Bus just quit in the middle of the road to nowhere. I'm on the sun side. I knew I'd regret not taking that last short call.

5:08 PM

Broken down…#3.

5:46 PM

Shall we try for #4. Almost made it to beautiful Karuma Falls.

6:09 PM

Out of the bus and into a car hopefully the rest of the way. [Guys hire our their cars and fill 8-seaters with 12 people. It's a little like hitchhiking but somehow we're pretty safe. Once the car is full, which takes a while because lots of folks just don’t' have the money to pay for the bus AND the car - don't be silly, we don't get refunds for the broken down bus.]

6:20 PM

Chickens anyone? [Sitting at a stage stop for cars and busses, vendors try to sell their goods. I was impressed that this one had her chickens in the basket. Usually they're just running all over.]

7:35 PM

Stabbed deep w a porcupine quill. Too hard to explain how. Gushing blood all over the seat. Worried drivers stopped at the clinic. Giant bump. Oowie!

[Let me take a moment to explain. First of all, I made it almost an hour without stopping. Yea. Second, we have a saying…TIA (this is Africa). Lots of weird things happen here and you just learn to deal with it. But a porcupine quill stabbing just doesn't fit into even that kind of weird.

Here's how this went. I was in the front and needed to scootch to the middle "seat" to make room for an old man to sit next to me. I put my arms down to lift my rear and as I did that and leaned back just a bit the quill went deep in. Why? The second row of seats had five people so one guy was scootched forward to make room. He was in a park that day and found his porcupine quill treasure and was holding it in his hand in just the right spot for me to get stuck. He did not do it on purpose and was incredibly apologetic.

Okay, stick, ouch, and blood gushing. "Does anyone have a handkerchief for me to stop the bleeding?" Everyone looks at me with non-comprehension. "Okay, I know someone in this car speaks English, will you ask for a handkerchief." Yes! Got a very moist, possibly snotty kerchief for my arm all the while thinking of Dale DeWitt who was sure to ask for a photo and deciding there was too much going on to try that at the same time.

Now it's dark and the driver feels bad so he's going here and there trying to find a clinic that's open to get me a plaster. Don’t even think of asking for a Band-Aid here. Task accomplished and we're on our way again.]

Post sticking bruise.

8:54 PM

Arrived and picked by Pr George. Enjoying dinner with his family. Whew! [I love Pr George and his wife. They spoil me but even better they love Jesus so much. Such a sweet couple.]

[It's worth noting that in the past I'd get a 5:00 am bus in an effort to reach Lira in time for the one and only taxi going to Pr Patrick's place in Oyam. Typically we'd miss that taxi because of bus issues. I decided to plan ahead to stay in a hotel so that the next day we'd not have the rush. For a while I regretted this decision thinking I should just get up earlier. Today, though, I was quite thankful given the long long journey.]

9:07 AM the next day

Ready. The only thing missing is me.

11:55 AM

Arrived without incident. Praising God! [Our journey was a 2-hour boda ride on red dirt roads.]

My journey home was uneventful, praise God!

Thirty widows were expected to crowd their way into this tiny church for a brief word of encouragement. Instead what we found were something like 50 ladies with more on the way. The journey is long with the houses spread so far apart. These ladies of all ages are widows for two primary reasons. First, Joseph Kony grew up in this area and began his murderous operations with their very families. Second, having husbands who have multiple wives and ultimately die of HIV means many of these ladies also have HIV. Nevertheless, so many of them work hard to provide some income by using what they know in handcrafts and agriculture.

It quickly became obvious that these ladies are in serious need of the Entrepreneurship teaching to help expand what they're doing now. But when asked whether they'd attended the series the last time I was there, all answered no. When asked whether they were attending the financial management series now in progress, again their answer was no. Even in the village, the difference in knowledge and understanding between men and women is vast. Truly they will benefit most from a program tailored specifically for their needs.

They were very excited about having Surprised by Hope return to provide some teaching and guidance. And I'm thankful for your support that allows us to fulfill the call God has placed on us.

Sensible Shoes for Mother's Care Nursery from Libby

Mother's Care Nursery and Primary School is the result of one student applying what he learned in the Entrepreneurship Series delivered in 2012. What better place to continue showing the love of God and to share the Ephesians 5:1 message of walking in the way of love than to these wee ones and their elder Technical School students.

The sun set on our visit but the joy and dancing continued. Desirous children pushed their way to the front to see what was going on and once they learned I wasn't hurting them but instead loving and praying for them, they all settled in for their turn. Mothers pushed their children to the front of the group in hopes of receiving shoes for their barefooted children.

Scootching their little buns onto the chair while pushing out the last recipient, we shoed 10 pairs of feet and prayed specifically that these children would be spiritual leaders and that they would live out the example of walking in the way of love. Of course, when we finished we prayed over all the people, that they would encourage their friends in this way as well. Unfortunately it was too dark and a little crazy to capture a group photo.

As always I was incredibly blessed as I took my time with each child (also silently thanking God for the lack of mosquitoes in the darkness of Oyam). Please continue to pray for this school and for these children and their families.

Jasper attended the Entrepreneurship Series some time ago. I remember his practical application project being a technical school, but hadn't heard about his progress. Often students have viable ideas but don't do anything with them - having the belief that God will plop something into their lap from the sky. Not Jasper, though. Jasper applied what he learned and opened Mother's Care Technical School where students learned either tailoring or brick making. With the proceeds from that school, Jasper then opened Mother's Care Nursery and Primary School where almost 100 children attend.

Upon learning about this amazing application testimony, I was determined to visit during the short time of daylight following our class time. Welcome songs filled the air, songs where my name appeared many times. The technical students and the primary students were all talented when dramatizing this momentous event. Why momentous?

Jasper relayed that the inspiration for the schools came from the Surprised by Hope teaching. As a result, he named the schools Mother's Care. He said that his mother was also a widow and that our collective care for him and his future was like a mother's care. During this ceremony, Jasper officially renamed his youngest daughter and reported that others are now also calling her "doctor." Oh boy.

I'm proud of Jasper and his application of what he learned. Clearly the material helps those who co-labor with the Lord. Please pray for him as he continues to expand both schools in an effort to honor the Lord.

Head girl.

My new namesake.

Sensible Shoes for Orphans from Joyce, Marian, Elaine, Martha Anne, and Nancy

Not long after delivering the Entrepreneurship Series teaching-ministry, Pastor Patrick opened a simple school for orphans just down the road from his church, Christ Fountain Ministries. This was his practical application of the material he'd learned. Divine Palace Orphan Center was filled with 86 children from the vast surrounding area. The children welcomed us with a song and big smiles on their faces.

Sharing with all the children about walking in the way of love (Ephesians 5:1) is as always a blessing. We talk about practical ways kids can love one another, not just the philosophic "be nice" kind of speech. I don't know if the simple teaching helps but the prayers certainly do.

Following the teaching I washed the feet of 13 shoeless children. Their bright shoes stark against the dust covered everything else. So many brave little ones sat on the simple bench with their feet in the water. Still as stone but not screaming for mommy…oh, right…they don't have a mommy.

It was a privilege to pray for the school, the children, and the teachers before we left. Will you please continue praying for them as well?