Do you BELIEVE?

I bloggy interviewed singer songwriter, Jennafer White and asked simply what inspired her to write the beautiful song, Believe.  Here’s what she had to share:

Brady and I traveled to the Dominican Republic seven months into our marriage.  We were SO excited to head back to the same island that we celebrated our honeymoon on and couldn’t wait to pass out bags of rice to the people we met along the way.  What the Lord did to our hearts during those five short days there is incredibly hard to put into words.  I had seen all the commercials,  read the blogs,  and sponsored the kid from Compassion— all the while knowing that “poverty” was someone else’s job to take care of.  Some other Christian will step up to the plate to fix what is going on in our world.  Little did I know

that the Lord was going to place such a heavy burden on my heart to help these precious and joy-filled people I met on this trip.

What we saw will forever be embedded in my mind.  Their homes were made of aluminum coffee cans.  Their floor was dirt.  NONE of them wore shoes. Their water was brown and there was NO food.  Upon arriving home I filled the picture frames in our home with photos from our trip.  I didn’t want to wake up another morning and take the roof over our head, the food on our plates, the warm sheets and the carpet tickling our toes for granite!

Brady and I were leaving the last village when “Believe” first started to hum in our minds.  It was then that we decided that we needed to do WHATEVER we could to help these amazing and godly people.  We decided to make an album and donate 50% of everything we made to Cross International and other ministries fighting poverty and bringing children to their forever homes.  Five months into our ministry (wrent) we went full time relying on God whole-heartedly that He would provide for us while providing funds that we could send to those stricken with poverty.

For two years we traveled the country, raising money and awareness to what the Bible calls us to do as Christians.  We are asked to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, adopt the orphans, visit the widows and to LOVE the least of these.   It isn’t some other Christian’s job to take care of— IT’S OURS!!!!!  Through adoption YOU are loving on the least of these.  YOU are living out Matthew 6!!!!!!!!!!!

Brady and I have been able to watch the power of adoption first hand as Brady’s sister, Jamie has traveled to Rwanda twice to bring home our niece and nephew. Holding Gabby and Tiki in my arms makes me realize the Love the Father has for us.  He has adopted each of us into His family!  Praise His name!  The fact that He can love me more than I love those two precious kiddos is BEYOND my comprehension!  Gabby and Tiki were my niece and nephew from the very beginning.  It was always His plan to bring them into our family and they fit PERFECTLY!  I often tell people that I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jesus like I do when I look into the heart of my Sister-in-law and what her and their family has gone through to complete their family.

Please feel free to post video on your blogs.

Believe

Chuck Burge with Cross International:

Throw-away babies

It is unthinkable how many thousands of diseased, starving orphans and vulnerable babies in Africa die because there is no one who can care for them. The situations can be horrific:  Many have parents that have died due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, others come from families ground down by poverty and simply unable to afford to feed them.
You will find abandoned babies – often in plastic bags – along the roadside, in garbage areas, or in ditches, discarded by desperate, sometimes dying mothers.

The fortunate ones, however, find themselves at the doorstep of churches or faith-based ministries, like the Kondanani Children’s Village in Malawi.

Making a difference in Africa

Annie Chikhwaza, founder of Kondanani Children’s Village in Malawi, Africa, shares about one infant recently admitted to the orphanage:

“We named him Wilson,” says Annie. “The little man was not in very good condition when we received him – he must have been fed with dirty bottles or utensils.  His little mouth was full of thrush (an oral infection known as oral candidiasis).”

“His grandmother really tried very hard to care for him,” says Annie, “But the old dear had to give up. Poverty made it impossible for her to care for her grandchild.”  Then Annie smiles and says, “We are so privileged to take care of Wilson.”

However, without a plentiful supply of milk and nutrient-dense food, babies like Wilson will suffer from a wide array of malnutrition-related disorders.  Some are irreversible and can keep a youngster from ever developing into a normal, healthy adult.

How much is enough?

Corners can be cut and funds stretched in some areas, but definitely not in the quantity or quality of the food these growing children need.

How much is enough? The goal is not to feed the children just enough to barely get by, but to give them what they need in order to thrive.

• “Enough” is when a baby falls peacefully asleep after a full bottle of nourishing milk… week after week.
• “Enough” is when an active toddler’s energy lasts all day long.
• “Enough” is when a growing child is able to concentrate and learn, and her happy demeanor is evidence of vibrant health.

Physical and spiritual food

Milk is not the only food necessary for life at Kondanani:  The children also receive spiritual food.  Each one is being taught the Word of God and having the Gospel shared with them each and every day.

Annie aims to provide a genuine home and family life to the children who grow up at Kondanani. It is her prayer that, when they are old enough to graduate from the school, they not only leave as well-educated young adults, but “feeling they have had a wonderful childhood… and knowing Jesus Christ as Lord.”

Can you help Annie and Cross International assure that these children are well fed…physically and spiritually?

Can you give $10 to feed one orphan for a month?

Click here to donate on-line safely and securely.  If 221 people give $10 apiece, that will feed every orphan at Kondanani for one month.

Click here to make a difference by providing food for an African orphan today.

Thank you for serving ‘the least of these’ in Jesus’ name.

Chuck Burge

Cross International.org

P.S.  If your church worship team would like free music & video to present a song about caring for orphans, please go to my blog for details: www.HarmonyBlog.org