These pages reflect the heart and mind of a world traveler. Inspired by God to champion the cause of the impoverished and the forgotten children of this world.
As a child, my family rarely traveled, the exception was to visit relatives. In the eighteen years I lived with my parents, I remember going on a formal vacation only twice. Once we went to Niagara Falls, but that was a day trip. The other, to Cape Cod for three or four nights. As a child, I would look at National Geographic and dream of going to all those places. Often in my backyard I would see passenger jets flying overhead. I often wondered where they were going and longed to be on that plane, without even knowing their destination.
After leaving my parents home, I decided to see as much of the world as possible. I hoped traveling would fill my feelings of wanderlust. I was very fortunate to be able to visit many places and experience their unique cultures. However as I started traveling, I was shocked at the disparity between how we live in the United States, and how people live in other countries. This disparity was even present in modern industrialized countries like Germany and England.
As I continued to travel, I found myself traveling to destinations off the beaten path. I traveled to places where modern conveniences have yet to become common place. Most of these destinations were huge on scenery. However, once you got beyond the scenery, the reality of poverty smacked you in the face. When you first encounter poverty on a large scale it’s shocking. It’s probably because we are so accustom to our extremely comfortable lifestyles. You might be thinking, we have poverty here in the United States. But do we really? Have you ever been anywhere in the United States where the homes have dirt floors. Have you seen a house constructed with walls made from discarded cardboard boxes? How many homes do you know that don’t have running water, indoor plumbing, electricity or gas? I hope you are starting to see the picture.
The first few times I experienced people living in conditions like these, it was almost mind boggling. The more I was around it, the more I started to see their every day struggle to survive. God must have given me a compassionate heart, because as difficult as it was to see people living in deplorable conditions, it was absolutely heartbreaking to see children living day to day in such filth. It was these experiences that led me to sponsor my first child through Compassion International. My sponsorship of this little boy was such a rewarding experience that I ended up sponsoring three more.
I often hear, there are poor and hungry people here in the United States, why do you feel the need to help those in other countries? My response will always be: In the States if someone is hungry there is always somewhere they can go to get a meal. If someone is homeless, there is always a place they can go for a warm bed. If someone is sick, there are programs available to see medical professionals. Whatever the need, here in the States, the poor can always find a place or a program to help.
In contrast, most people in the States are oblivious to the living conditions the world’s poor. I often wonder how the average American would fare if their drinking water was contaminated by raw sewage or loaded with parasites. How well would we cope with two articles of clothing to our name. Or could we handle twelve people crammed in a one room house a little bigger than a walk in closet. Would our health suffer if the livestock we rely on for food were sickly due to poor living conditions and parasites. What I have described so far is just the tip of the iceberg. These people suffer daily from diseases, which have long been eradicated in the United States. Then there is AIDS, the biggest problem of all. Jesus knew the problems the poor would endure. This is why He commanded each one of us to help them.
As I look back at the events that shaped my life, I can see how God used my experiences to mold my heart into the person I am today. This brush with poverty, led to sponsoring children. My sponsored children were the triggering mechanism to open a gift from God, placed within my heart long before I was ever born. This tiny little spark, started by three sponsored children, has become an all consuming fire that burns within me day and night. Somewhere along the path, God impressed on me the need to do something more than just sponsor a few children. He has burdened my heart to be an advocate for the unfortunate children of this world. Because of their economic condition, these kids don’t have a voice. God has called me to be a champion for their plight.
Today I serve as the person at the helm of the foreign missions program, at Shore Fellowship Church. Our church has partnered with MANNA Worldwide, a non-profit organization that establishes feeding centers, orphanages, schools and medical clinics, around the globe. Currently our church feeds 375 children daily. We help these children who would otherwise go hungry. 375 children is just the beginning. These children represent just a drop in the bucket. We have so much work to do. For every one child we feed, there are millions, who go hungry every day.
The reality is such, one day we will all stand before Jesus. And on that day He will ask, what did you do for the poor of this world? All I know is I want to be prepared to answer that question.