From “I am no missionary” to “All In!”

When I was young, growing up in the church, missionaries living in South America, Africa, and parts of Asia would often come to my church, telling us amazing stories about remote villages they were living in and about people being introduced to the Gospel. For years, I saw this as what a missionary was, and for that reason I determined that “I am no missionary!” With that as my definition, it never even dawned on me that I could be a part of Global Missions. In fact, for most of my twenties I was the guy happy to write the check that enabled others to go, but was never really open to going myself. Then, in late 2009 a colleague and friend approached my wife and I about going to Kenya and Tanzania in the summer of 2010 with New Hope Initiative. She had been to multiple developing countries on similar trips and was very enthusiastic about missions. I took the information in and tried to get past the idea of giving up my vacation time and the thought of getting sick in country. I considered going, just this once, so that I could check the box and move on. That was my intention, even as I stepped on that plane for that first trip.

In retrospect, the process leading up to the trip, the trip itself, and surprisingly, the time of reflection after the trip, all worked together to change my marriage and my life. Since that first trip three years ago, we’ve been in a process of getting more and more involved with the works there, from leading a trip the next year, to sending trips, to raising money, to working with NHI’s leadership to set the direction for the organization. As cliché as it sounds, it all started with one step. Going on that first trip was my first step to “All In”.

This October I completed my third trip to New Hope Center in Nairobi, Kenya. The purpose of the trip was to take my leadership experiences in Corporate America, University, and my local church to train and equip New Hope Leaders to have the right strategies and tactics to take on their current leadership challenges. The trip was an amazing experience, where I took the things I have learned over the years, built interactive training modules and delivered them just as if I were in the States. And from that experience, I already have several ideas of other things my wife and I can do to strengthen and support our partners in Africa.

Maybe you’re reading this having never gone on a trip, but always had interest in doing so. Or maybe you sponsor a Penda student and sometimes think you’d like to visit them. Or maybe you joined us on a trip and can’t help but occasionally think that maybe you should get more involved. There is so much good work going on through New Hope Initiative, but there’s always so much more that could be done. After all, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” Usually the first step to getting involved is to go and see the works. I needed to do that in order to see how I could fit in. So I’d like to encourage you by saying that God has a plan and you can be part of it. He’s looking for people who are available and open. I’d encourage you today to take your next step toward “All In”.

Meeting Wisdom in Sierra Leone

As I look back on my recent trip to Sierra Leone I must go back to my first trip in 2009. It was on that trip that I first encountered a young girl with the saddest eyes I had ever seen. We had split up into groups to share the gospel with the children and this young girl was in my group. Like the other children in the group she spoke little English so I needed an interpreter to communicate with her. That night as I lay in my bed reflecting on the day I could not get her out of my mind. So I asked God to show me how to reach out to her. The next time I saw her, I taught her how to say I love you in American Sign Language. From that time on whenever I saw her I would sign “I love you” and each time the hint of a smile would appear on her face. After returning home I emailed Pastor Rogers and shared my experience with him. He wrote back and told me her story which explained the sadness I saw. Over the course of the year I corresponded with “my girl” through Pastor Rogers. Then when I returned in 2010 for the dedication of the Karen Baird Children’s Home I was excited to find a different little girl. The sad eyes I saw the previous year now reflected joy. Flash forward to January 2013 when I returned to Sierra Leone for the first time in three years. How she has grown! My heart filled with such joy when Pastor Rogers told me he has given her the name “Wisdom” because she works hard in school and is very smart. Sometimes I wonder why I have remained single with no children of my own but then I think of my kids in Sierra Leone and I realize that God had other plans for me. He saw a woman with no children and two kids needing a mum and brought them together. He is amazing!

God is doing wonderful things through the Sierra Leone project. It was exciting to see the addition of a second building and with that the increased number of children whose lives are being changed. The children are healthy and happy. They know they are loved by people they may never meet and they are very thankful for them. Children who once had no hope for the future now think about where God will take them.

My life has changed tremendously since that first trip in 2009. I thank God for taking me out of my comfort zone and blessing me in ways I could never imagine.

Written by Lorraine Wood

A New Water Well

You probably have never considered water usage as a critical part of medical care. In western culture such an issue would never cross our minds. However, in developing countries water and water-related needs are a part of every facet of life. Due to the expansion of our medical facility in Arusha, Tanzania, the number of patients treated daily continues to grow and we have developed a very acute water shortage. Clean water is critical to hygiene and quality care at a medical facility and a lack of adequate municipal water was threatening our ability to handle the daily patient load. The need was so critical that the government had considered limiting the number of patients we could see, despite the pressing medical needs that abound in that community. This summer one of our visiting team members heard of this plight and immediately offered to pay the entire cost of having a well dug for the clinic. Wells are expensive and this was a very generous ands totally unexpected offer. We are happy to report that on the very first day of drilling we found an ample supply of clean safe water! Our visiting team members often provide the catalyst for future growth. We are thankful for the success of this project and for the donors who made it happen.

Blessing Baby Bren This Christmas

Three years ago a precious baby girl was left at the gate of our New Hope Initiative Center in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. We knew literally nothing about her. In the 36 months that have passed, there have been many challenges, however little Bren with her radiant smile and charming personality is a favorite among our local friends as well as our visiting teams members. Every year we have a special New Hope Initiative Christmas Project that blesses amazing little children like Bren in Kenya and around the world. Would you consider blessing little Bren this Christmas by hosting one of our Christmas parties in your home? This is a proven model for New Hope. We will equip you with all the information and ideas you need in order to host a simple fundraising gathering at your home that will make the difference in a child’s life, like Bren, this Christmas and into 2014. Every dollar given, that’s right, 100% of what you raise through this party will go directly to the children we serve. If you would like more information about blessing baby Bren this Christmas please begin a dialogue with Karen Baird at k.baird@newhopeinitiative.org.

Esther's Miracle

This story begins with the incredible life of a young Masai man by the name of Luka. Luka moved to Arusha, Tanzania and came under the influence of our partners Vernon and Mary Smith. It was here where Luka became a passionate follower of Jesus Christ. A few years ago, his new found faith was severely challenged when he found out his traditional Masai father was going to sell his 12-year old sister to a 40-year old chief with four wives. In an incredible act of grace, Luka and his wife decided to buy his baby sister from his own father and allow her to live with them. What an incredible act of selfless love! Luka and his wife also have a six-year old daughter named Esther. She was terribly burned on her legs in a fire five weeks ago. Our medical director Dr. Byemba has been skillfully and consistently treating her since she was burned, but the condition was getting more complicated. Noticed that she was developing scar tissue that would impair her ability to walk naturally. Doctor Byemba was willing to try a skin graft on Esther, however he has never done this particular procedure before and was a bit uncertain of his ability.

The story now takes an amazing turn. We had a team join us this week from Campbell St. UMC in Springfield, Mo. We did not know anything very specific about this team of young people and their four adult leaders. On the second day after their arrival I casually asked one of the ladies what she did for a living and found out that Carla was a veteran doctor. Upon further conversation we learned that Carla was an experienced plastic surgeon. Esther and her serious need immediately came to my mind. I think you can anticipate the beautiful climax of this story.

Upon arrival in Arusha, Carla and Dr Byemba conferred and after examining Esther they agreed that a skin graft was needed. On Saturday, July 13 Dr Carla performed the three-hour operation with Dr Byemba assisting. I am happy to report that Esther is doing great and that Dr. Byemba feels confident that he could perform the procedure on his own for future needs. What are the odds of a random traveler also being a skilled plastic surgeon just in our hour of need? This is an amazing story of a miracle for Luka, Esther, and his family. Thank you Dr. Carla for being the answer to our prayers and for an amazing story of God's incredible providence and faithfulness to Luka and his family.