This is our chance to share inspiring experiences, stories, news and needs from the non profit community.

A Girl Named Neatness
11-19-09
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This summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Zimbabwe with Ryan Keith of Forgotten Voices.  The experience was overwhelming in so many ways, both good and bad - the total economic desolation, the desperate need of the people, a temptation to feel hopeless in the face of so many problems, but also the amazing beauty of the country, the wonderfully unhurried pace of interactions and conversations, and the tremendous generosity and hospitality of everyone we met.

The most memorable part of the trip by far, though, was the two days we spent with a 14 year old girl named Neatness and her family.  She lives in Mtshabezi, a rural area where the needs are among the greatest in the country.  She and seventeen relatives live together in a small collection of huts, near a Brethren in Christ Church mission which Forgotten Voices supports.  The mission provides schooling, medical care, and food assistance to thousands of people in the surrounding area, including Neatness and her family.

Three years ago, Neatness lost her father to AIDS.  Today, there are four others in her family who are infected - her mother, her grandfather, her uncle, and her eight year old brother.  Neatness has taken on many of the household responsibilities as a result, and takes care of her siblings, nephews and nieces, in addition to attending school at the mission.  If not for the help of Forgotten Voices, her family would not have been able to pay for school fees and supplies after her father’s death.  She would have been forced to drop out, effectively erasing any possibility of a better life.  Without an education, Neatness and children like her have few options other than scraping by on what food they can grow and any assistance they can find.

Thanks to the graciousness of the family in opening their home and their lives to us (and to Ryan’s very talented photographer friend Darren), we filmed a day in the life of Neatness, which starts before dawn and ends not long after sundown.  We also interviewed her, and she also told us her story.  You can see the video by clicking here.  As you will see, her cheerfulness, poise, and maturity in the face of so many difficulties are incredible.  I think what struck me most about Neatness, and the many other children we met, is that she is not looking for anyone to fly to her rescue and make everything better for her and her family, she just wants the opportunity to go to school, study hard, and find a job.  It broke my heart that these simple wishes feel like an impossible dream to countless Zimbabwean kids.

We all fell in love with Neatness, but we also know that she is one of thousands of equally remarkable children in the same situation or worse.  Right now, the Mtshabezi Mission is struggling to raise funds to keep 5,000 children in school for the coming term (starting in January) because fees have just been increased.  To make this possible, Forgotten Voices will need to raise $50,000 by December 15 - more than they’ve ever raised in such a short time.  We believe that God will provide, and that these kids will not have to drop out and lose sight of the better life they’ve been working so hard to attain.  If you’d like to help, you can do so at www.forgottenvoices.org, but in the meantime please get to know Neatness by watching her story, and please join us in praying for her, and a better future for Zimbabwe.

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Ryan Keith and Forgotten Voices
01-12-09
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The director of Forgotten Voices International is a friend of mine. He became a friend after I was introduced to his ministry. His name is Ryan Keith and right now he’s in southern Africa to deal with some of the headlines that we only read about: the astronomical number of children orphaned by AIDS, poverty, chronic malnutrition, disease and starvation. The reason I write this is because I want you to know that my family knows Ryan. He and his wife Katie have stayed in our home, gone to church with us, played with our dogs and our kids. We eagerly awaited the results of Katie’s first marathon (she finished in under four hours!) And now he is working his way through Zambia and Zimbabwe to help the children there.

Part of his trip to Zimbabwe is personal for me. Two years ago, my in-laws went on a missions trip to a small village there. We learned of the suffering there as they tearfully showed us their pictures. They befriended a local man and we had the privilege of having lunch with him when he visited the US. He appears to be the only source of support for this impoverished village due to his connection with US relief organizations. He has promised the villagers there that he will not leave them, even as conditions continue to deteriorate. Ryan is going to that village to see if Forgotten Voices can help them. With God leading, I know they will. You see, Forgotten Voices is one of the most effective non profits I have come upon in 10 years of foundation work. Their Board member list looks like a who’s who list of committed, highly educated experts in a wide array of disciplines. Ryan and the Forgotten Voices staff have worked hard to equip the Zimbabwean church (many, many of them, actually) to meet the needs of the people of Zimbabwe. The programs they support educate and feed thousands of orphans, provide employment and to hundreds, and bring hope to the African pastors desperately trying to shepherd and rescue their flock. I know he’ll be able to help those villagers. It’s funny to think of a guy who’s capable of all this playing soccer with my husband and kids in the back yard (and doing monkey impersonations!)

In America, I think most of us have no idea just how bad the situation is in Zimbabwe and how many hurting children live there. My extended family has been there, seen it, and we are so grateful that Forgotten Voices is courageous enough to make a very dangerous trip to one of the most desperate places in the world on behalf of hungry, lonely children. Our family is praying that God will bless him while he travels.

Please consider learning more about FVI and following Ryan’s travel at www.forgottenvoices.org

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Why Does America Have Orphans If It Has Christian Churches?
10-29-08
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In honor of National Adoption Month and the millions of kids waiting for forever families, I want to draw your attention to this excerpt from an article by Anthony Bradley. It’s quite convicting I think.

Why Does America Have Orphans If It Has Christian Churches?

America has nearly 115,000 orphaned kids in foster care waiting to be adopted. Some wonder how this is possible in a country with Christian families. Surely, there are 115,000 missional families in America, right? Missional families, for example, embrace the redemptive mission of God and practice “true religion” in their local communities (James 1:27). Missional Christians in America could eliminate the foster care system tomorrow if we would stop “shootin’ up” with the American Dream in order to get high on a lame life lived for the sake of comfort and ease.

“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,” writes James (1:27). As a matter of fact, the Bible has over 40 verses mandating God’s people to look after orphans and the fatherless for various reasons.

According to the American Religious Identity Survey, conducted by the City University of New York, there are over 224 million Christians in the United States. So, why are there 115,000 orphans in a country that has over 224 million Christians?

[…]Let’s break this down further. The Washington Times reports that there are about 65 million evangelicals in America. So, again, why are there 115,000 orphans in America’s foster care system? Does this mean that there are 65 million people missing huge sections of their Bibles?

[…]If your church is not cultivating an ethos that practices “true religion” it may not be missional at all. It may be dying or sinking into a consumeristic, entertainment quicksand where people come to have their “felt needs” stroked. Your pastor might wear “cool” clothes, have a “cool” blog, or be in the process of trying to make God and Jesus androgynous but God seems to care that his people are being led by capable men who lead the rest of God’s people in bringing the Kingdom to their local neighborhood in all its forms.

While not all Christians are gifted or equipped for taking in orphans it’s pretty convicting that 65 million American evangelicals can’t rescue 115,000 kids from an unstable hell. If the pagans in our neighborhoods aren’t struck by how our churches are applying the Word of God to the needy it’s possible that we aren’t the real deal yet. May we all pray that our churches are soon as mature as James commends. The revolution continues…

Anthony recommends: Bethany Christian Services (a Christian adoption agency operating in the US and abroad; www.bethany.org) and Adopted by God: From Wayward Sinners to Cherished Children by Dr. Robert A. Peterson.



Feeding the Hungry
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“We need your help.

We are seeing more and more people coming to our food cupboard for help.  We need to be there for them.  Our financial cupboard is almost bare.  Your gift in any amount will help us keep our lights on and refrigerators running.  Please donate now so we can continue helping the people of Chester County who need us the most.  Thank you.”

I saw this plea on the local food pantry website this morning. I have never seen needs at this organization like I do now. As our economic crisis deepens, the hardest hit will be that segment of our community that was already struggling. The poor will be poorer.  Food pantries will experience a significant decrease in giving. As their donor base gets more protective of their pocketbooks, the needy will be increasing in number. In other words, they will have less resources to serve more people.

This doesn’t seem like a flashy and upbeat way to launch a website but it is my goal to present real needs to the community so that we can work together to meet those needs. I desire to “Speak up for those who can not speak for themselves, for those who are destitute” (Proverbs 31:8).  You’ll see a lot of God’s word on these pages. I want it to be clear that God cares tremendously for the vulnerable and needy among us and desires to show His heart to the world in the way we serve and love each other. We can be the hands and feet of Christ in this hurting world. Please join us in “Loving our neighbor as we love ourselves” (Matthew 22:39) I look forward to working with you.

Serving together,
Suzanne