ReligionPure&Faultless

10,000 Hills and 1,000,000's of Smiles

Every time I correspond with my Rwandan friend and brother, Bishop Enoch Dusingizimana, I am reminded of his signature slogan for Rwanda. “Welcome to Rwanda….the land of 10,000 hills and millions of smiles.” Rwanda has not always been a place of millions of smiles. Just 15 years ago Rwanda endured one of the world’s worst genocide occurrences in history. Over a period of 100 days more than 900,000 Rwandans were slain in the name of ethnic cleansing. The horror of those 100 days is vividly on display in numerous genocide memorial sites dotted around the country including the National Genocide Memorial in the capital city, Kigali. It is a story that many of you are familiar with as a result of the Hollywood movie, “Hotel Rwanda”. I have seen the movie and in my opinion it falls far short in depicting how demonic and horrific those 100 days were in 1994. There has been great healing in Rwanda since 1994 and hope has returned but the scars remain. “We will never forget” is also a signature Rwandan slogan.

In a few days I will be leaving for my third trip to Rwanda and I am looking forward to seeing Enoch’s smiling face. Enoch survived the genocide as a young pastor. His personal story includes a number of near death experiences and always ends with his big smile saying “God was not finished with me”.  Since 1994 Enoch has planted over 150 churches in his country and he sheperds a continually increasing number of pastors and church members. Enoch has a heart for orphans and has personally raised 4 adopted children. World Orphans has partnered with one of his churches in southern Rwanda in the town of Cyegera. Two homes have been built adjacent to the church to provide housing and care for 20 orphans……10 boys and 10 girls. The children will be moving into their new homes later this week.

The team of 10 that I will be leading on this trip are all leaders and supporters of HOPE 2.2.1 (http://www.hope221.org/ ) from the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee…..another place of many hills and many smiles…J!  HOPE 2.2.1 is a group of individuals from a community of churches in the Tri-Cities area that are committed as a church to church partner for this World Orphans Rwandan project. They provide monthly sustainability support for the operation of the home which covers the cost of food, clothing, school uniforms, tuition, and medical provision for the children. While in country, the team will be participating in the opening ceremony and dedication for the Cyegera Homes, doing a medical out reach for the community surrounding the church, and presenting the gospel to hundreds of children as we do sports outreach in local and surrounding communities. The team is excited to worship, praise, and build deep relationships with our Rwandan brothers and sisters.

Please pray for this team and their families as they seek to bring honor and glory to God as they respond in obedience to care for the orphan and the widow. The team departs July 20^th and will return July 31^st.

Until they all have homes,

Alan Hunt

Vice President Advocacy (ec)3

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Cell (214) 636-3887

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Rubber Gloves

There are three large slums in Nairobi, Kenya. The living conditions and poverty in these slums are some of the most extreme I have ever seen. There are close to a half million people living in each of these three slums. Many are barely surviving and most all are trapped in a cycle of poverty that is complex and difficult to break. Their dire situation is fueled by HIV-AIDS, drugs, prostitution, violence, malaria, typhoid, dysentery, illiteracy, alcoholism, malnutrition and more.

Now, imagine being a child born into this environment. Your parents, if they are around, always seem to be sick, there never seems to be enough food, and you have been sent home from school because your family cannot pay the required tuition. You share a bed in a one room tin shed that has no running water, may or may not have electricity, and likely has raw open sewage flowing a few feet from your front door. You worry that your parents will die and wonder what will happen to you and your siblings if they do. Your only hope comes from a few people from a small church that visits your home every week.

Pastor Gideon leads the Home Based Care ministry for Fountain Of Life Church in Nairobi, Kenya. Week after week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays he leads a small group of college students and church members into each of these three large Nairobi slums. Each week they visit over 60 families with over 150 children. They make sure the parents are getting their HIV medication with enough food in order to keep the medication down. If the parents are too sick to work they often provide them with food, maybe rent money, and if needed, school tuition fees for their children. In addition they pray, encourage, and develop trusting relationships with these fragile families. Should the day arrive that the parents die, the church stands ready and prepared to soften the trauma for the children left behind as they are lovingly received into their church based group care home. FOL’s work prevents and delays the orphaning event by keeping these fragile families together for as long as possible. It is work that is meaningful and impactful. Fountain of Life’s Home Based Care model has become a model for other World Orphan’s project partners. 

I asked Pastor Gideon how I could pray for him and his family. He said, “Pray that God would enable us to expand this ministry. There are many more families with children that need our help.” And then he asked me if it would be possible for us to furnish his team with elbow length, commercial grade rubber gloves and hand sanitizer. He told me that sometimes he needs them when tending to the severely ill who have been bed ridden for several days and have soiled themselves. I put my arms around this humble Godly man and hugged him as I promised him we would do so. Please join me in prayer for the work God is doing through churches with brothers and sisters like Pastor Gideon.

Until they all have homes,

Alan Hunt

Vice President Advocacy (ec)3

mailto:alanh@worldorphans.org

World Orphans :: ec3 :: each church, each child, each community

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The Power to Change Lives

Martin

We squatted together in the shade on a sunny afternoon next to the soccer field at Fountain of Life Church/Home in Nairobi, Kenya. Martin is one of 48 former street boys cared for at FOL.  I asked Martin about school and his favorite subject. Without hesitation he said math and that he wanted to be an engineer and build airplanes. I taught him the word “aeronautical” so he could tell others of his aspiration. I don’t know all of Martin’s story but I do know his life has been changed. As an orphan he lived without hope or a future. Today he has both as he grows in mind, body, and spirit cared for in a loving church family home believing in Christ, the life changer.

Joseph

As we entered the market for souvenir shopping Joseph was introduced to me. He invited me to his shop and as we walked he told me that he was rescued off the street and taken into the Fountain of Life home when he was 12 years old. He is now 20 and owns a small but growing shoe manufacturing business. He has four employees and tithes weekly to FOL from the income the business is producing. He plans to grow his business and told me he is fair and honest in all business dealings. Joseph is living testimony that Jesus has the power to change lives.

Francis

 

Throughout the morning we accompanied the FOL Home Based Care team as they made their home visits in the Matare slums to fragile families with HIV-AIDS positive parents and at risk children. Jacinda and Francis’s small metal home was to be our last stop. Jacinda greeted us with such joy and happiness that the entire team was immediately encouraged. We learned that her husband, Francis, is an alcoholic and at times abusive to Jacinda and their children. She asked us to pray for him. Our prayers completed we rose to depart and the doorway was suddenly darkened by the presence of a very large inebriated man……Francis was home. Speaking in slurred English and Swahili he wobbled into the small hut and was quickly given a seat. After awkward silence fueled by hesitancy to engage someone in his condition, the Holy Spirit prompted me to be bold. With Pastor Gideon translating Francis cried out in a loud voice that he was in bondage to alcohol and he was angry that God did not help him. I asked him if he wanted to place his trust in the one who had the power to change his life and he said, yes. After leading Francis in prayer to receive Christ as his Savior we said our goodbyes. Francis has a difficult road ahead, probably filled with starts and stops, but now he has hope in the life changing capability of a Lord and Savior.

Please join me in praise and prayer for Martin, Joseph, and Francis that Christ will continue the work he has begun in them……..and in all of us.

Until they all have homes,

Alan Hunt

Vice President Advocacy (ec)3

mailto:alanh@worldorphans.org

World Orphans :: ec3 :: each church, each child, each community

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Loving/Teaching New Disciples

One of my favorite examples of Jesus teaching his disciples about the depth of his love and servant leadership is when he washed their feet.

John 13

 ¹It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.^[a]

 ²The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

 ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

 ⁷Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

 ⁸"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
      Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

 ⁹"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

 ¹⁰Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." ¹¹For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

 ¹²When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. ¹³"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. ¹⁵I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

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Coincidence or Miracle...you decide

In East Africa Father’s Devine Love Ministries provides school tuition and supplies for over 60 orphans living in a fishing village of 1000 on Lingira Island which is a 1/1/2 hour boat ride from Jinja, Uganda on Lake Victoria. The island population has close to a 50% positive HIV-AIDs rate and this has resulted in many children becoming single and double orphans. FDLM has helped facilitate care for the children by “Mommas” living in the village who, in addition to caring for their own children, take in as many as 10 or more orphans. The term extreme poverty does not adequately describe the condition of these fragile foster and extended families. FDLM is doing what they can to break the cycle of poverty by providing support for the children’s continued education.

FDLM is a long time church/home partner with World Orphans and they were our host as our short term team accompanied them to the Island two weeks ago. On our small boat we carried gift boxes furnished by Samaritans’ Purse to distribute to the children along with Bibles, pencils, school work books, and socks. As you can see from the photos the children were very excited to receive them.

As much as FDLM would like to provide for more of the at risk island children they can only do so much. In short time we began to run out of the boxes and school supplies and yet more children waited expectantly. As we watched the excitement of the children who received the boxes our hearts broke for the children who did not………but we serve a faithful and loving God who is always working his plan despite our limitations. Much to our surprise a second short term team from Australia arrives on the island on this very same day and, you guessed it……..they brought with them a large quantity of the exact same Samaritans’ Purse gift boxes and many more children were provided for! Coincidence or miracle…..you decide.

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Alan Hunt

Vice President Advocacy (ec)3

mailto:alanh@worldorphans.org

World Orphans :: ec3 :: each church, each child, each community

ReligionPure&Faultless

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Cell (214) 636-3887

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Back to Africa

This will be my 6th trip to Africa and as always I am excited and looking forward to what God has in store.  My team includes three pastors and a mission leader from Siloam Springs Baptist Church in Arkansas. We will be serving with Father's Divine Love Ministries in Jinja, Uganda. The purpose of this trip is to solidify and plan strategically for their ongoing church to church partnership.

Father's Divine Love Ministries (FDLM) is currently home to 58 orphaned children. In addition to providing care for the children living in Rapha Children's Haven, FDLM provides educational and medical support to various foster families and seeks to establish more foster care centers in their community. FDLM also provides feeding, medical, and educational assistance for 66 orphans living on Lingira Island on Lake Victoria and they are in the planning stages for 8 additional family style homes for orphans and foster parents in the form of a village. World Orphans has been a partner with FDLM since 2003.

Please pray for our team as we journey to Uganda to serve with this wonderful church and engage in the incredible work that God is doing through them. 

• Prayer Requests for the team May 5th-15th:

• Safety for all our families at home

• Safe travel and timely connections for the team

• Spiritual energy and stamina upon arrival in Uganda

• Spiritual protection as we do ministry on Lingira Island

• Christ's love and care as we minister to children, widows, and new believers

• Inspiration for Pastor Steve as he preaches at FDLM on Sunday

• Compassion as we do home based care ministry in the Matare slums

• Clarity and wisdom for C2C partnership for Siloam Springs Baptist Church and Father's Divine Love Ministries

• Unity in spirit and in brotherhood for the team and with FDLM

• Clear direction from the Lord on what to share and how to lead the church family at home upon return

Thank you so much for your prayers. If you would like to know more about World Orphans and how you or your church might become engaged with our ministry, please email me at alanh@worldorphans.org. You can also visit our web site at www.worldorphans.org.

Until they all have homes,

Alan

Ethiopia/Kenya Bound

As you read this I will be in the air on my way to Africa as leader of a team of 14 folks representing 9 different U.S. churches in 6 different states. Regardless of the different hometowns, denominations, backgrounds, experiences and ages represented on this team, we are united in purpose. Everyone of these team members has a deep desire to care for the orphan and to be used by God in a way that will give him honor and praise. What a privilege to lead such a group of people!

We will be visiting 2 World Orphans projects in Ethiopia and 3 projects in Kenya where the team will get to see how new projects are developed and how existing projects are functioning. The team will serve alongside the local African churches as we do medical outreach (HIV/Aids testing), sports outreach (presenting the gospel to children through sports), and home care ministry (part of the continuum of orphan prevention or delay).

Please pray for:

• Timely and safe travel
• Team unity as new relationships are formed
• Protection for team health
• Protection against spiritual warfare! (Read Paul's blog this past week!)
• That the challenges of cross culture communication will not hinder new relationships with the children and all our African brothers and sisters
• That each team member will gain inspiration, clarity, and wisdom for their next ministry steps 
• That effective church to church partnerships will be formed as a result of this trip
• That God will be given honor and praise in everything we say and do

• Protection for our families at home

Until they all have homes,

Alan

Praying for our leaders.

The following is a great reminder of what we should all be doing from Dr. Charles Stanley.

In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, the apostle Paul says, “I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

Most of us realize that we should be interceding for our country’s leaders. But sometime we have difficulty knowing what to ask. Below are a few suggestions.

Pray that our elected officials would:

1.     Recognize their personal sinfulness and need for the cleansing power of Jesus Christ.

2.     Understand their inadequacy for the task before them and their need to pray for God’s wisdom, knowledge and courage.

3.     Reject all counsel that violates the spiritual principles of God’s Word and be willing to trust God to lead them in the right direction.

4.     Resist the pressures of those who would lead them astray or tempt them to disobey the Lord and His will for their lives.

5.     Work to reverse the trend towards ungodliness in our land and to restore America’s Christ-centered values.

6.     Be prepared to make godly choices in the best interest of America , regardless of the cost.

7.     Rely on the Word of God and prayer for strength and success.

8.     Maintain dignity, honor, trustworthiness, and righteousness in office.

9.     Strive to be a godly example to the men, women, and children of this land.

10.   Remember that while in office, they are accountable to God for their attitudes, actions, and motives.

If God’s people pray consistently and passionately for those in authority, the entire nation will be affected. “The effective prayer of a righteous man [or woman] can accomplish much” (James 5:16).

In Christ,

Alan

Merry Christmas

Dear Friends and Family,

Cindy and I are so thankful we are part of your family of friends. Wow, what a year 2008 has been! It seems to have flown by so fast. Compared to 2007 when I lost my mom, left my corporate job of 32 years, entered into full time ministry, sold the house, moved to The Colony, and began traveling internationally, by comparison, 2008 was relatively quiet. Looking back we can see God’s hand on our lives every step of the way and we are thankful for the blessings he gives as well as the challenges he leads us through.

When we made the decision for me to leave my corporate job and go into full time ministry I was fortunate to have several ministry opportunities to choose from. One of the reasons I chose World Orphans came from the clear command of the following scripture.

            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 from being polluted by the world.

That scripture is so clear in language and command that it gave me a deep sense of purpose in what I was being called to engage in. That clear command along with a deep desire to serve God in a global ministry prompted me to join the staff of World Orphans. Cindy and I both agreed that the position offered was the best fit for my experience and abilities. This same spiritual prompting and thinking has led Cindy to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse so we can serve together on the mission field. A nursing degree will enable her to participate on teams doing medical outreach in third world countries in partnership with World Orphan’s church/homes. We are excited about her entry into nursing school and we ask for your prayers for her health, protection and stamina over the next two years as she continues to work full time and attend school at night and on Saturdays.

In return for your prayers I would like to send you a gift. It's a DVD about the ministry of World Orphans. I hope you will watch it together as a family and then show it to your friends, your neighbors, and your church to help raise awareness about the 143,000,000 orphans worldwide. We think if more people know more people will be inclined to want to do something. We believe that everyone can do something. Some are called to go and serve such as us. Some are called to send, to support, to pray, to encourage and to help communicate to others. We hope you will pray about how God might be calling you to do something! Just let me hear from you if you want the DVD.

In closing, we pray that 2009 will be a year of blessings for each of you. We pray that you will be drawn into a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We pray that he will become the center of your life in every aspect including family, relationships, jobs, friends, hopes and dreams. He is truly the reason for this season and the only one worthy of praise and glory.

Merry Christmas and all our love in the powerful name of Jesus,

 

Alan & Cindy