Voice Box

what i had...

Julie and I sold 2 items on eBay in the last few weeks, an electric guitar and an unopened bottle of perfume.  We were glad to follow the lead of generous and courageous first-century Christians by selling our possessions and giving to the poor.  It's a program called WHAT I HAVE.  We went to hopechest.org, selected GIVE, and gave the money toward the areas of greatest need for orphaned children around the world.  What do you have?  How will you leverage your possessions to meet the needs of kids growing up in life-threatening circumstances?

care and concern blooms in times of tragedy

We recently received news of the deaht of Sergei Ilyichev.  He lived in the Grace Home Vladimir, a small cottage-style home outside the city of Vladimir. It is supported by Grace Episcopal Church in St. Helena, CA. The church helped us purchase the cottage, and now helps sustain its operations.

After we informed Norm, the leader of Grace Episcopal's outreach to Grace Home Vladimir, about Sergei’s death, he wrote this back to us:

Sergei was truly a boy of our hearts, since he was a part of our St Helena family for many years at the summer camps. Of all of the boys at our camps, he was the one who was continually running up to me to say, "Horochaya programa, Dyadya Norm" ("Great program, Uncle Norm.")-- he was always wanting to assure us that he and the other kids were enjoying our program.  He was a grateful boy. We pray that his soul is at peace in the hands of our Lord. I also remember when we walked around the outside of your Grace Home with Papa Sergei and discussed the things that should be done to make the home nicer and prettier for you.  He made a point of telling me, "Uncle Norm, not to worry. I will work with Papa Sergei, and everything will be just the way you want it to be.”

It’s often in times of great joy and great tragedy that we’re able to see the depth of connection that this ministry can make. When you’re in the day-to-day, it’s hard to see what’s really going on. Hearts are being filled with hope again. Relationships are being repaired by love and concern. When these terrible events happen, we get to see a little bit more of God’s promises for orphans.

In their letter back to Norm and the team, the kids from Grace Home Vladimir wrote this:

Thank you for being our family and for sharing our sorrows! Family support is very important especially in difficult times. Sergei was our dear friend and we will never forget him. Three of us were able to go to the cemetery last week to say our last goodbyes to Sergei. It was very hard. Then in the evening, as we all gathered for dinner, we talked about Sergei and the time that we had spent together. Everything is going well here. We work in the garden almost every day, we planted a lot of vegetables already. We also planted flower seeds that you had brought to us. We believe they will grow into beautiful flowers. We are always looking forward to hearing from you and to seeing you. Thank you very much for loving us and caring for us.

I bolded that sentence because it is again one of those times when the kids are poetic and prophetic. The second, and deeper meaning here is that the children are themselves the flowers, blooming into a beautiful and unique creation. Through the tender care of sponsors and friends along with the nutrients provided by the Holy Spirit—the children blossom and grow into beautiful flowers.

As Katya Celenina, National Director of Fund Nadezhda, the Russian arm of Children's HopeChest, says often, “that is worth everything.”

if you follow Jesus very far...

Jesus began his ministry on earth with a simple invitation which would offer profound implications not only for his 12 closest friends but for millions of us for centuries.  He said, simply, 'Come, follow me…'

What happens if you follow Jesus?  Where do you go if you follow Jesus?

If you follow Jesus very far…
He will lead you to a grassy hill and will teach powerfully and if you are a Jew growing up in the first century – if you revere Moses and the Law, Jesus will comment on it and illumine it in shocking ways.  This critical sermon begins with the Beatitudes.

In early April, Tom Davis and I had the privilege of meeting with a Senator – a peacemaker – and his Director of African Affairs.  His Director of African Affairs, who had been a missionary in East and Southern Africa for over a decade before joining the political scene in Washington said something profound to us: 'If you follow Jesus very far… he will lead you to the poor.'

If you follow Jesus very far, he will lead you to care for orphaned children in oppressive institutions and rural scorched-earth regions.

If you follow Jesus very far, he will lead you to poverty.  I know that for many of us poverty can be a dirty word!  But remember that Jesus himself was poor.  He was a homeless, wandering teacher and miracle worker.  The King of the Universe with only one change of clothes.  But if we look at the Beatitudes and ask the question, 'who are the happy ones?  who are the blessed ones?'  The answer is obvious: the poor.

Blessed are the widow, orphan, and stranger.

But that is not all… The beauty of the Trinity that we worship, is that Jesus will also lead us to prosperity.  I know.  Prosperity can also be a dirty word!  Remember that it is not us, but God in heaven owns the cattle on a thousand hills and gives good and perfect gifts.  God is prosperous.

If you look at the second half of each line in the Beatitudes, you see that God offers the prosperity of the kingdom, comfort, an inheritance, mercy, seeing God, and being called children of God to the poorest of the poor.

So we are invited, in the Holy Trinity, to participate in the life of God, the love between Father and Son, the power between Son and Spirit.  We are invited to participate in the poverty and the prosperity of God and our world!  Not to spectate, but to participate.  This participation in poverty and prosperity adds texture and authenticity to our lives and our Christian experience.

When you turn with hope and help to the poor and orphaned of the world, you bring to them the prosperity of God – through your financial investment, through prayer and encouraging letters, through visits.  But don't forget that they will bring to you something very beautiful as well.  When you meet the compassion of Christ in their eyes, when you meet childlike faith in their smiles, when you meet total dependence on God in their need, they will fill the canyons of your poverty (and we all have it – we all have some scorched earth and boarded-up buildings in our own lives - in our experiences – in our pain – in our loved ones).  They will fill these empty places with good and perfect gifts as well.

This is the beauty of our life here in response to the Triune God.  A loving community loving the whole world! – That is a simple definition of the Trinity. 

If you follow Jesus very far, he will lead you to the poor.

Jesus says, Come, follow me…

back after 11 days away

I am back at the HopeChest office today for the first time since a very busy day on Thursday, May 15.  Since then...

I traveled to St. Joseph, MI to launch First Congregational Church's sponsorship of Urzhum, an orphanage of about 40 children in Kirov, Russia.  It was an encouraging weekend.  I was able to stay with Dr. Bob and his wife.  Dr. Bob traveled to Russia with me in the Fall and I have through that experience and since then grown to admire and respect him a great deal.  He is a pastor and a theologian and a genuinely good guy.

Then I spent a week in class as part of my continuing education and ministry development at Fuller Theological Seminary.  I attended a class with Howard Baker called Principles and Practice of Spiritual Formation.  We looked at practices of spiritual disciplines throughout the centuries and worked to develop our own personal askesis, a plan for spiritual training.  It was a refreshing and informative time.  I recommend if you ever have a chance to read any of Baker's work or attend a class with him, do it.  He is a humble and devoted Christian scholar.

Then we enjoyed a great holiday weekend.  Sunday was also Judah's second birthday.  In anticipation of that, I spent all day on Saturday assembling a backyard playset.  I started at 6am and ended at 9pm - raising against the sunset and cooling temperatures and fielding multiple 'interruptions,' including my son sitting on my lap for most of the afternoon while I worked to complete his 'fort.'  He loves it!  Then we went to the zoo and he can tell you all about the giraffes and monkeys and elephants (phenenants in his language) and hippos and penguins and lions and zebras.  We definitely enjoyed a rich and restful holiday weekend.

And now I'm back at the HopeChest office.  I no doubt have a lot of catching up to do and am excited to work hard to connect faith communities here in the US with the needs or orphaned children in Eastern Europe and Africa.  So, thanks for reading and I promise to be more consistent in the coming days and weeks after 11 days away.

instruments of peace

We should not be surprised.  After all, we have been warned that life would be difficult and painful.  But in light of the recent tragedies and disasters in Myanmar, China, an LA high school, a lake in Vladimir, and the countless setbacks, disappointments, challenges, and trials that every one of us encounter... I have been praying a prayer attributed to St. Francis.  Pray with me.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

mourning another tragic death

You may remember that we grieved together the death of Sergei Adveev, an orphaned young man who was murdered in February.  Again we are grieving.  This is the email we received...

Dear friends,

Unfortunately, we have more sad news to share with you.  This last weekend on May 10, Sergei Ilyichev drowned in a lake just outside of Vladimir.  This was a holiday weekend, and he was at the lake with several friends.  Sergei and two others were in a boat on the lake, and the boat tipped over.  He had never learned how to swim, and the water was very cold.  Everything happened so quickly that those on the shore were able to save the other two, but not Sergei.

Today several of our staff attended his funeral at the cemetery.  Sergei lived in our Vladimir Grace Home for about 6 months during the 2006-7 academic year.  The Grace Home mother, Nadezhda, and two of the young men were also at the funeral as were many, many friends and staff from Karabanova orphanage (from which Sergei graduated) and Vladimir Tech 3 where he was currently a student.

Sergei recently turned 19, and all who knew him would describe him as an energetic, fun, kind young man who loved life.

Many here are grieving and in shock, and we would appreciate your prayers for all affected.

Vladimir staff

PS – We’d like to be able to place a permanent marker on Sergei’s grave, but that can only take place in about 6 months after the ground settles.  We would like to ask if there would be an opportunity to find a donor or donors who’d be willing to donate to this need.  We don’t know exactly how much this would cost and can let you know closer to that time.  In the meantime, please let us know if you think this is a possibility.  We would be grateful.

where the fruit trees are

I had the privilege last week to meet Dave McPherson of The Children of the Nile Foundation.  They are doing amazing work with HIV/AIDS widows through conferences, hospice, and agricultural projects in Uganda, a nation torn apart by HIV/AIDS, poverty, war, and corruption.  He was describing the way that they set widows up for success and self-sufficiency by providing them with groundnuts, maize, sorghum, pineapple suckers, and cassava stems (I've had cassava in Ghana in a food called fufu.  Good stuff.  Packed with carbs!). 

He said one phrase that struck me and has been ringing in my ears ever since.  He said, 'When you're driving through the districts where we work, you know where the widows are by the fruit trees.'  When you see fruit trees, you find widows!  How remarkable!  What would you expect to find surrounding HIV/AIDS widows in Uganda?  Predators, poverty, despair, and lives scraped out of dirt.  But instead you find fruit!  I can't get over it. 

In Ezekiel 47, the prophet has a vision.  A man leads him along a river flowing east from the Temple.  The river gets wider and wider and wider.  It finally dumps into the Dead Sea, a lifeless, salty, uninhabitable place.  Verse 8 says, 'when it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh.'  Fisherman line the shores pulling out great numbers of many kinds of fish.  Verse 12 closes the story by telling us that 'fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river.  Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail.  Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them.  Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.'

What if we could travel through the poorest places on the planet and identify widows by their fruit trees? What if we could identify orphaned children by their smiles, their literacy, their hope for the future?  What if we could identify Christians by their love and compassion?  This is, after all, the life to which Jesus calls us.  I believe it is possible.  With God all things are possible.

Give hope.  Give help.  Be part of the Possibilities of God.

   

caring for orphans in ethiopia

Ethiopia is a beautiful country with a rich history.  It's the land of the Queen of Sheba.  It is also a place filled with need.  Nearly half of Ethiopia's 78 million people live in absolute poverty.  The life expectancy is only 50 years and half of the people are illiterate.  HIV/AIDS is wreaking havoc on this nation.  In 2001, UNAID said there were 1 million AIDS orphans.  Something must be done.   Children's HopeChest has seen lives transformed in Russia and Swaziland when American Christians enter holistic, long-term, and redemptive relationships with orphaned and abandoned children.  In the next 12 months, we will be focusing on expanding this effort into Ethiopia.  Check out a video of Tom Davis introducing our new efforts in Ethiopia.  On Thursday, May 15th, at 9AM MDT, Tom and I will be hosting a conference call for dozens of people across the country who are mobilized to join us in caring for the orphaned children of Ethiopia.  If you are interested, please reply to this post or email me, and call us at (712) 432-1620.  The participant access code is 1083603#.  We hope to hear from you then.

transformational travel - best practices for visiting the poor

My life was changed on a trip to Kiev in 2002.  It was actually one of several events that moved me more and more toward giving my time and energy to caring for orphaned children.  Three months after we were married, Julie and I went to Kiev with Great Commission Ministries to teach English to college students.  We supported the work of two local churches, Almaz and City on a Hill.  We also visited Father's House, an orphanage outside the city that we were sponsoring through CRY.  On the flight home, I looked at my wife somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean and said, 'I don't know when or how, but I know that everything changes now.'

Short Term Mission trips do change lives - my life was changed and I know that others have been served, encouraged, and empowered.  However, there is great possibility for harm when rich Westerners come into poor setting in the East or South without the proper posture.

The Chalmers Center published an article last month that is honest and helpful.  If you are involved in short term missions, this article is a must read.  It's called 'Doing Short Term Missions Without Doing Long-Term Harm.'  For another great resource on this topic, read Serving With Eyes Wide Open by David Livermore.

A few points that really stood out to me...

*be aware of principles, culture, need, and context
*focus on the gifts, abilities, and assets of the people you are serving
*avoid perspectives and activities that highlight the inferiority of the poor and the superiority of short term mission teams
*be less on the front stage and more supportive of indigenous leadership
*understand the difference between monochronic (time) and polychronic (event) cultures
*focus less on doing and more on being

At Children's HopeChest, we seek to connect communities of faith here in the States with orphan communitites overseas.  Short term mission trips are part of this equation, but we find that it becomes part of holistic, long-term relationship when people from the same church visit children at the same orphanage year after year.  I visited Furmanov orphanage in Ivanovo, Russia in May 2004.  When I came back in March 2005, an energetic little boy named Andrey ran up to me and said, 'Daniel, you came back!.'  Those words spoke volumes to me about the need for me and for Andrey to have a long-term relationship.

adoptive parents connect in long-term orphan care

Matt and Carla Morgan are anxiously waiting to bring baby Nicholas into their home.  In the meantime they've connected with Children's HopeChest.  Check out a blog Carla wrote in February about their commitment through HopeChest.  And just a few days ago, she posted again.  She tells a brief, but moving story.  She and Andrey, the orphaned boy they sponsor in Kirov, Russia are building a healthy relationship and Carla speaks of God's timing and overwhelming joy.  There is joy in compassionate living.