08.04.2013 Hopkins Family Ministry to Sierra Leone

We grew up here – Will used to pick on the little girls in the nursery – before I move forward – I’d like my family to come up – Will, Jack, Luke and Mikey –
Will – This was my second time – and I realize – for most there, God is the only thing they have. Too often, I feel like I do it on my own and don’t rely on God. I want to apply that (they only have God) in my own life
Jack – Second time as well – every time I have been there, I was encouraged to step out of my comfort zone. Those who have less or not clean water and everyone says that they are unusual. 40% of the world lives on less than $2 per day – so I think we are the unusual ones…
Luke – 12 – They serve God with all their hearts no matter what. Even if they are shunned by their Muslim family for following Christ or if their relatives were killed in the civil war there ten years ago, they still follow Christ.
Mikey – 10 – The people are there are so thankful for su much. Sometimes I pray for things I don’t need but they only paray for things to survive –
Kristen – this was my first time overseas – so I have to say – the first week-10 days, I was a mess – I was loving it, enjoying it, but at night I couldn’t sleep – so burdened by all that I was seeing, smelling, feeling for the first time. Usually sleep is not a problem. You know when God puts scripture on your heart from every angle – for me, it was the Good Samaritan. I looked it up in Luke 10, burdened by it – what does it mean to me. The story of Martha and Mary is right after that – really the story of Kristen and Mary – Kristen, Kristen, you are worried about so many things, but only one thing is needed.
That was a turning point day for me – changing my focus. My heart was breaking – one morning I had five girls trying to crawl on my lap. I tried to keep my focus on the Lord. I went from overwhelmed and consumed to seeing things how God sees things. When I came back, I found this in a blog – that – another ministry in Sierra Leone – I can’t say it any better – But what if we changed course, set foot in a new direction … (From http://savetheorphan.blogspot.com/2013/07/shine-on.html)
BUT.WHAT.IF.
what if we changed course... set foot in a new direction and rather than focusing on everything that has been taken from these children.... everything that has stolen their light... everything that has broken their spirit...
WHAT. IF.
what if we focused on the glimmer of hope that has set a fire in their hearts... and what if we began talking about the SHINING example they've been to us... teaching the world around us the many lessons their light has taught us. Lessons like their fight for survival, their strength to begin a new life, their hope for a future, their devotion to God... their papa. What if we expressed in words what it feels like to be trampled on by dozens of children and to feel their fingers intertwine with ours. How the sound of 100 voices singing "Papa God we tank ye" results in tiny goosebumps all over your body you can’t shake... how the grimy fingers and sweaty hugs and kisses really feel like glitter or magic dust... and you wanna wear it everywhere you go because washing it off would feel sacrilegious.
Mike – The Hole in Our Gospel – by Richard Stearns. Was a CEO of Parker Brothers, then Lennox Fine china and now, CEO of World Vision – a good kick off ot our month in Africa…:
Lord, thank You for bringing us into Your presence. May our hearts break for what breaks Yours. Every life is precious. Speak now – as You already have – do the talking – I don’t have anything Good to say… Speak now, in Jesus’ Name.
Imagine waking up to the following headline: “One Hundred Jetliners Crash, Killing 26,500.” Think of the pandemonium this would create across the world as heads of state, parliaments, and congresses convened to grapple with the nature and causes of this tragedy. Think about the avalanche of media coverage…sharing the shocking news and its implications. The NTSB, FBI, CIA, and others would investigate and mobilize whatever manpower was required to understand what happened and to prevent it from happening again. Now imagine it happening the very next day, one hundred more planes crash—and one hundred more the next, and the next, and the next. It is unimaginable that something this terrible could ever happen. But it did—and it does.
It happened today, and it happened yesterday. It will happen again tomorrow. But there was no media coverage. No heads of states or congresses convened; no investigations launched. Yet more than 26,500 children died yesterday of preventable causes related to their poverty, and it will happen again today and tomorrow and the day after that.
Almost 10 million will be dead in the course of a year, so why does a crash of a single plane dominate the front pages of the newspapers while the tragedy that takes place daily goes by with no concern.
Even though we now have the awareness, the access, and the ability to stop it, why have we chosen not to? I think because they are others’ children, and not our own. (Excerpted from The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns.)

With the deepest amount of compassion in my heart, I can tell you – the hearts of our family, lives, worship, devotion experience, are different because of this experience. We were blessed to be part of Hope is Rising Children’s Home. Kristen did tutoring and Will and Jack led worship. Let Them Laugh Out Loud - ministry - we were able to share about Jesus and connect with the local community – a predominantly Muslim community – and we saw amazing fruit there. You saw a picture of me praying over a group – those were ones who accepted Christ. We saw God do lots of things. I have been praying – God, what do I do with this? What does our family do with this?
I think God has broken it down to a couple of key components – The Great Commission and the Greatest Commandment – you know it –
Matt. 22: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
And the Great Commission – Matthew 28. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
What do we do with it? Worship Him – love our neighbors and make disciples who will do the same. As a family – we have more clarity in our hearts - when we think about the Great Commission – we have a new vision for what that means.
We look at the global economy and how small the world is, you can click a button and order something from China, or get on a plane and be around to the other side of the world in less than a day – but it is so different in Sierra Leone – hope to recover from a war, no educational system, no health care – no hope. 1 in 4 dies before the age of 5. It is different now. I have names of these orphan children who struggle to not be on that list of 4000 who die every day because of no fresh water in their midst. There is no social service organization. Fewer than 300 doctors in the entire country. People ask how we are recovering from our trip to Africa – I hope we never recover.
We see things on TV – but my compassion for others is directly correlated to how I know them. I am compassionate to those I know, but not to a statistic. When they report that 26,500 children died yesterday, I am sad, but it doesn’t make sense and they are someone else’s kids. Now I know names. Now the statistics look back into our eyes and ask for help. What do we do? God still wants us to worship Him, love our neighbors, and to make disciples. Yes, it is a personal thing – not in a general way, but a personal way. To have a heart that breaks for people. We pray, Let our hearts break for what breaks Yours and may we only rejoice in that which You rejoice We have a unique opportunity to share His love, regardless of their demographics or the life they experience today.
How can we love Jesus and not tell our friends about Him. I believe that every man, woman, and child should hear about the love of Christ, not only in word, but in tangible demonstration of the Gospel. The message of hope and truth that we have is the one the world needs. I wonder what would happen if we did that. What would happen if the Great Commandment and Great Commission were lived out in our lives? Jesus is alive and well there, and He weeps. Jack told an interesting statistic – we took two days’ wages to drive down here today. They need food, clean water, and health care – coupled with the Gospel.
I’ve read that there are 2000 references in the Bible that talk about how to care for the poor. This book tells the story of a guy who took all the things out of the Bible that he didn’t like. That is how the name came about. Take your worship of God and love your neighbors with it – and tell the world about Jesus and get involved. I highly recommend this book. John Hopler just had a post on the Morale Booster of a guy who read the book Peace Child – who would read a book like this.
Cathy – I am going to give you this book – finish it in a month and give it to someone else to read with the same caveat.
It is amazing how far a dollar goes. Those $35 a month really do support a child for a month.
There are ways we can help. Sponsoring a child gives them all the food, clothing, and education they need and a roof over their heads.
If every American gave $93, Jack figured out (need to do some checking) – we could eliminate world poverty.
People ask if we would go back – in a minute. I pray it wasn’t a trip of a lifetime, but it changed ours. I hope that our kids worship God and tell the world about Jesus.
In The Hole in the Gospel – there are some next step opprotuities – we are on this journey with you – first pray – and then get educated about what the Bible says about our poverty and how we need to respond.
Pray the dangerous prayer – As I read Your word, show me what I need to know and what I need to do with it. It could be giving – it could be going – it could be being there –
Short term mission trips – sometimes it feels ‘it is all about me’ – I said, no, only if you keep it to yourself.
We were there a month – we didn’t change Sierra Leone – well, we did impact a few lives – for eternity – that is something…