James 1:27

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself polluted from the world." James 1:27

How many times I have heard this verse quoted. How many times I've thought about it, but let it pass through me with the wind.

God is doing a work in our family. We do not know quite what it is yet, nor are we able to share much about it yet. But, one thing is for sure, God's heart is burdened for those who have no one, no family, those who are all alone. The Old Testament is full of examples of widows who were cared for by others and in fact it was part of the law to leave a portion of the harvest for the widows and orphans to gather (see Ruth for one example).

If we truly want God to abide in our hearts, and therefore have our heart become His heart, do we not want our hearts to be broken for the same things that break His heart?

I was introduced to a woman (in a way only God can orchestrate) about a year ago whose heart has been broken for orphans. We had several email conversations about her passion for orphans and an organization called Children's HopeChest. Many months ago, God began burdening our hearts for orphans and recently He has opened the door for us to be able to help in a tangible way.

Children's HopeChest is an organization committed to serving orphans in Southern Africa and Eastern Europe through centers called carepoints. Not only are they committed to serving orphans by meeting their very real physical needs, they are committed to seeing to it that each one knows about their Hope in Jesus Christ, their Savior and then seeing them grow in their relationship with Him. How do they do this? They've partnered with an organization called Adventures in Missions www.adventures.org/ and a guy named Seth Barnes . Matt and I share one key passion with Seth Barnes- discipleship. I encourage you to read some of his blogs on it- but be ready to be challenged! So, he leads the discipleship part of the Children's HopeChest vision. Each child served at the carepoint receives physical nourishment through the meal program, education, and the care of those that love the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Each child is also discipled- taught of their worth in God, His love for them, about who Jesus is and just how very much He loves each one of them. The carepoint workers are also being trained to develop industry and infrastructure. The desire of the founders of Children's HopeChest is that one day the carepoints will be run by one of the orphans whose life was changed by the saving power of the gospel through one of the carepoints.

Those children who are blessed to have sponsors also have the special understanding that there are members of the body of Christ praying specifically for them, writing letters to them and sacrificing for them.

Unfortunetly, not all children have sponsors. Although no child is ever turned away from a carepoint. Sponsored children are receiving specific prayers and letters and encouragement.

Our family has prayerfully committed to sponsoring children from a carepoint in Swaziland, Africa. Sixty-percent of the population of Swaziland live on less than $1.25 a day. Swaziland has the highest population of AIDS cases in the world, despite its small size as a nation. Twenty-six percent of adults are infected with AIDS and 50% of adults in their twenty's are infected. This means that parents are dying. leaving their children orphaned. Children are infected at birth - and dying of AIDS. The carepoint we are sponsoring is called Beveni.

Currently, there are 29 unsponsored children at this carepoint. The woman I told you about in the beginning of this email is named Deb Gangemi. She heads up the search for sponsors for children at the Beveni carepoint. From the moment God wove our lives together, our friendship began developing. Although we have not yet met face-to-face, I believe God has truly broken her heart for orphans and I am thankful to be able to journey together with her.

This is a recent email from her that I would like to share with you:

What a Thanksgiving we just celebrated: over the last few weeks, 5 of the newly identified children receiving care at the Beveni Carepoint have become sponsored! These kids now have hope that sponsorship represents to them.

At the same time, I received the updated spreadsheet of all the children, and learned that several formerly sponsored kids are no longer sponsored for various reasons.

And so today, we still have 29 children unsponsored and in desperate need of the care a sponsor represents to them.

I am writing to each of you today to ask for your help. Some of you receiving this email already sponsor kids, others are incredible Prayer warriors for the children. What joins all of us is the fact that all of us care about these children!

Would you please prayerfully consider sharing my email address, blog site, Flickr account and the stories of the 29 unsponsored children with people you know? Of course we are actively praying for more sponsors, but truthfully, we covet prayer support and people who are willing to raise awareness of these children and more like them receiving care at other carepoints.

My Flickr account is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bevenicarepoint/
My blog is: www.threadsofhopewovenbygod.blogspot.com

I am on Facebook, as is the Beveni Carepoint FB group.

I appreciate your efforts in networking on behalf of the children of Beveni. I so look forward to the day I can write to you to say:

"They are all sponsored!"

If you have any questions, please contact me via email or Facebook. Remember that we have travel dates of September 18-29, 2010; all are welcome to join our team as we plan on being with the children and caregivers of Beveni!

I pray that our Father richly blesses each of you with His joy and peace. I know He is delighted when we care for His little kids!

In Him, with faith in His plan!
Deb Gangemi

Today, I simply ask you to plant the seed of scripture from James in your hearts, let it be watered and grown by God himself through His Holy Spirit and let Him guide you today.