Agape Children's Ministry

Here is an overview of Agape Children's Ministry, the organization I will be working with this summer.

One-hundred fifty million abused and abandoned children, many orphaned by AIDS, live desperate lives trying to survive on the streets of virtually every city in the developing world. They are alone...hungry...without hope. They are society's outcasts, begging and stealing to make it through each new day. Agape Children's Ministry is a non-profit, Christian mission organization dedicated to bringing help and hope to these children.

Agape’s mission may be summed up in four words: rescue, redeem, rehabilitate, and reintegrate. We must first rescue the child from the life-threatening dangers of the streets. On the street they are victims of violence, physical abuse, malnutrition, and disease. Malaria and illnesses caused by eating rotten food from garbage bins and drinking contaminated water are common among street children. Many boys turn to sniffing glue in order to numb their minds and escape their loneliness and fear. Sadly, continued use of glue can cause irreversible brain damage.

As part of their rescue, Agape addresses their physical needs by providing a safe place to live, clothes, nutritious meals, and necessary medical care. The ministry also seeks to deal with their emotional and psychological needs. Agape provides an atmosphere of love and acceptance, where every boy is taught he is God’s unique and valued child. Most importantly, Agape shares the life-changing message of the Gospel with them. As they come to know and experience Christ’s love and forgiveness (redeem), emotional wounds heal—hope and purpose are restored.

The next step is to seek to rehabilitate the boys through academic and vocational training, equipping them to be independent and to live productive, contributive, Christ-centered lives when they leave Agape. Finally, Agape endeavors whenever possible to reintegrate the boy back into his family and community, re-connecting him with his roots and culture.

I am going to Kenya!!!

I just received the official acceptance to do my internship in Kenya over the summer. I am looking at going during the months of June and July. It is probably going to cost somewhere from $3000-$3500. I am going to be ministering with Agape Children's Ministries. I will be finalizing dates, plane tickets, and all the logistics over the next month or so. I will try to write a post soon explaining the ministry a little more and what I will be doing. For now please pray as we make final decisions and as I start to raise support. I will be writing a support letter soon. I will post it to the blog for you all to see. Also, pray as I am finishing up the fall semester at Liberty and have 4 final test next week!

Update On Life

It has been awhile since my last post. School started and my life became very busy. I wanted to give some updates on my life right now.

1. Christian Alliance for Orphans Conference: This is the conference I went to in May. It was really good and I would highly recommend making plans to be at the next one in California. I unfortunately will probably not make it to this one. At the one in May I came in contact with an organization called Agape Children’s Ministry. They work in Kenya with mainly street boys. After talking to the lady running the booth, I decided to try an intern with them next summer. I am currently in the process of working out details with them about next summer. I plan is to spend two month in Kenya working with the organization. Please pray that if this is God’s will it will work out and be great preparation for the future.

2. Liberty University: I am currently live on campus and getting a degree in Psychology at Liberty. I recently found out if I switch to online I could graduate a semester early and much, much cheaper. I am figuring out the details of switching right now. This would allow me to start looking for future placement on the mission field sooner that expected. Please pray as I figure out where I would live while finishing up online and if that is what I should do.

3. Relationship: I am currently dating one of the godliest girls I know. She also has a heart for missions and orphans. Please pray for us as we grow closer together and seek God’s will for our lives.

I will try to update these prayer requests as they happen. Also, I will try to start posting resources and news reports again as I come across them. Thank you for your prayers.

Poverty Cure

We need a shift in our mindset as westerners. We need to stop allowing people to become dependent on us and help them become independent.

Child Mutilated for Profit

This story makes me sick to my stomach. The thought of a 7 year old boy being maimed in such a grotesque way is almost unthinkable. The things man will do to make money. One of the saddest things about this story is that it is come place in some of these countries. It is not always quit so violent but some times it is. Pray for these little ones who have no one to protect them from greedy men. A think what would God have you do to help them?

Here is the full story.

Why do we talk instead of act?

This past week I have been thinking about why we do not act on our words as Christian. We say that we care about the lost but how many times do we stop and talk to someone about spiritual things? We say that we stand for life but there are children waiting for homes and we say we are to busy or give some other lame excuse to justify not taking them in. I mean if we expect a lost young girl to not abort a baby that will possibly ruin her plans but we will not sacrifice our comfort and finances to help those children already born with no home, what kind of hypocrites are we? We complain about the financial crisis in our country but instead of complaining about how to much money goes into welfare programs why doesn't the church stand up and care for these people with Christ's love and make the government programs obsolete. There are so many examples that I could make but it all comes back to the original question. Why do we talk, complain, and judge instead of acting with Christ's love by sacrificing our time, money, and lives? Here is a song that kind speaks to this issue.

Foxes Have Foxholes - Whistle Blower [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

This is a great song on the feelings of a child solders. Many people have heard of the whistle blowers. This song is about them specifically. For those who have not heard about them they are young children who are forced to be on the front lines and blow whistles in order to distract the opposing army.

The Truth About Adoption

This a great music video by Third Day. They put adoption in a right perspective. Adoption is not just charity to a less fortunate child. An adopted child is just as much a part of a family as a birth child. In the same way we that have been adopted by God are his children just like Christ.

Rom. 8:15-17
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

If you would like to explore this top more thoroughly I would suggest reading Adopted For Life by Russell Moore.

Does Immigration Help World Poverty?

I was made aware of this video clip though an email. It talks about how immigration is hurting the impoverished people of the world and how if we really want to make a difference we need to infest in local leaders, who are willing to stay in their countries and change them. It is only 6 min and it will be well worth your time.

Life and Justice Conference

Just wanted to let everyone know about a conference this weekend (Jan 22). It is the Life and Justice Conference put on by Focus on the Family, New Life Church, Children's HopeChest, and iEmpathize. I found out about this conference on Tom Davis' blog and am going to try tp be listening in on the web. I hope you will be listening as well.

The Boy Without a Name

This is an amazing testimony and a story of success. The Boy Without a Name

A New Year

Another year has come and gone. Looking back it was a year filled with change and taking steps toward the fulfillment of my hearts desire, aka caring for the fatherless. Those steps include getting connected with the Christian Alliance For Orphans and it’s member organizations, reading several books on caring for the fatherless, and changing my major at Liberty Univ. to Family and child development. Also I have meet many families that have adopted or are in the process. I became the vice-president of the International Justice Mission chapter at Liberty as well.
I am very excited about this upcoming year. There are many opportunities on the horizon. One of which is a possible missions trip to a Ugandan orphanage. Also, I am going to try to go to the Summit VII put on by the Christian Alliance For Orphans. I am going to try to be updating this blog more with what I am doing as well as the usual news stories. Please pray that God would continue to provide the finances for school and other things he calls me to do. Have a great beginning to the year.