We Need Your Help! This Mountain is Ready to MOVE!

Friends we need your help!!  

 If you need to catch up with our GO Team projects simply look back at the last post! 
After publishing the last post a very unexpected thing happened which was incredible!

What seemed like a mountain of needs, seemingly impossible in the physical world,
 is suddenly 

- and might I add really close to starting time..... 

READY TO BE MOVED!

Those eyes pierce my soul - yes, honey you're home is coming!

WE will build the home for you precious one!

A friend of aplacecalledsimplicity and IVO sent me us a fb message 

asking if I could talk with her husband.  They had been praying about 

what ministry they should bless with a gift. 

They kept coming back to IVO.   

I had no expectation of what came next!   

The husband shared with me that as they prayed they felt the Lord was leading them 

to make a matching gift donation to IVO.  

A very, very generous gift I might add! 

This has never happened before -
(I thought it only happened on the radio pledge drives)!  

Their generosity has blown me away. 
They've offered a total  gift of $12,500 as a matching gift.  

It breaks down as follows:

The Home for the orphans at "The Home of Praise":   $9000

The Rabbit House: $1,000

Amos is always a hard worker and you can bet he'll be working next to me again!

The Special Project: $1,000 

The Legacy Conference:  $1,000

Isn't that amazing?  

This isn't a scheme - it's a gift by someone who has been blessed to be a blessing.  

If you've been thinking about donating to any of the above projects, 

then now is the time! 

Everyone In!  

Everyone doing something and this mountain is history!

Together, this summer, let's do the IVO version of an Extreme Home Makeover!   

No amount is too small!

Just think, each donation will be matched.

So if you donate $5.00 to the Projects,
actually $10.00 will be donated.

How cool is that??  

Let's do this together!

You can donate at our website:

  

International Voice of the Orphan.com 

or 

there is even a donation button on our Facebook page here! 

As always, 100% of each donation go directly 

to serve the orphans.

  

God Bless you,  Together this Mountain can be removed! 

 Dwight & Linny

Jiggers

My African Daughter, Praise, came to see me and we talked and talked.  

We discussed so many things as she wanted advice from here Dad.  

We decided what we should accomplish when we visited her home - 

build an addition to the school house.  

She also, mentioned that all the children had been infected  with Jiggers.

Jiggers?  I wasn't sure that I'd ever seen them. I had not idea how bad they could be.

She said they were in the dust on their floors.  

They are actually small and worm-like flee.  

They bore into the skin and then the foot becomes infected.  

Some children begin to lose their ability to walk. 

But knowing all this did not even begin to prepare me for what we saw when the team arrived.

One of the jiggers removed from a child's foot.

 Every child's foot was infected.  Not with just one, but with many jiggers.  

Oh, how our hearts broke for these children.  

They had run to the car to meet us.  

They had smiled and danced for us in a presentation of tradition African dance.  

They never once complained! 

Yet the pain would have had everyone of us on the floor writhing in pain.

So Alicia Halpenny, our team nurse this time, went to work with a part of the team!

Emma and I met Alicia when I was home for my mom's funeral. My mom always wanted to go to Africa!

 

Alicia teaching Praise how to help the children.

Praise cutting away some of the jiggers with a razor blade.

Slowly they cleaned each foot, then soaked them in a cleansing solution.  

Then they began the digging process... sore after sore, foot after foot.  But it was only the beginning... so much more to do - we barely were able to scratch the service of this very serious situation.

Ruby's Friends of International Voice of the Orphan is going to pay for these children

 to be taken to the doctor to finish the necessary work.

Today the team from Old Paths Church in Perry, NY  

and Rome Baptist will be buying sneakers and shoes at a local market. 

We are seeking to learn how we can kill these things in the home and spraying the land. 

These kids deserve better. 

They deserve the care that we can provide - TOGETHER!   

His Name is Kevin

It had already been a great day at the Legacy Conference.

God was moving and the Holy Spirit was doing a great work among the over 600 in attendance.  I closed a teaching on the Holy Spirit with a challenge to ask for prayer.   The response was overwhelming and powerful as almost everyone lifted their hands for prayer and
began to cry out for God. 

I personally prayed for  over 100 people and went outside to pray for those who could not fit in the church.  Many had stood all day outside, some in the sun, and some in make shift shelters.

Then it happened.

A number of children surrounded me as I show them the picture of our  family.  I pointed out each child.   They came running from all directions and within seconds they were crowding around me pushing to get a little closer look.  Then a woman motioned for me to come to a little group of women on a blanket.   As I walked toward the group another woman sitting on the ground pulled back something like a small blanket.

Then I met him.... his name is Kevin

Isn't he beautiful??

As the tears rolled down my face I showed them Ruby's picture and told them a bit of Ruby's story.

Kevin quite obviously has what Ruby has.

There is no option, he must get medical attention immediately.

 I told them about medical care at CURE hospital where Ruby was treated.

 His life is at risk.  The comments of those around quickly told me the rest of the story.

Each said it costs too much to go to CURE Hospital {where Ruby had her first brain surgery while Linny and Emma were in Uganda to bring her home}.

It's true, 500,000 shillings for the initial surgery is an exorbitant amount for this poor Ugandan couple from a rural village.

Translated to $250 - and it would possibly save his life - yet,  it is beyond their means.

Parents give up hope...little children die... all because of a lack of money.

If you are like me, you want to SHOUT ---- NOT ON MY SHIFT!

I let them quickly know that we could and would quickly raise the money.   Her husband came over and was told through an interpreter that we would pay the medical.  He sobbed as I grabbed him and held him.  My emotions were off the hook.  Ruby's life was and has been saved.

Kevin's life can, and Lord willing, will be saved.

I encouraged the Dad that his son is wonderful... he is handsome... and to be proud of him.  {It was apparent that he had been struggling with his son's medical condition.}

I longed for this dad to understand what a treasure his son is.

Admittedly, earlier I had questioned our remote location.  A small village, located off some of the worst roads in Uganda.  Now it was clear why we had this conference in a remote village far from the heart of Jjinja.

We were there so I could meet Kevin - so you, too, could meet Kevin!

We needed to help save his life - it is unacceptable to do otherwise.

There will be more needs for Kevin... but the Lord used this moment further in my life.  Would you pray for him and his family?

If parents give up and children die for lack of money, then we must begin a ministry to save more children.   Ruby would shout, you did it for me... do it for my brothers and sisters!

God was revealing to me in that moment that with Emma on the ground, along with Shawn and Sarah, we will see medical needs on, perhaps, a daily basis.   Crisis medical intervention.

So let's begin!

First, let's help with Kevin... then whoever God brings next.

In a way, it's Ruby's way of  giving back.  Ruby wants Kevin to know the relief that she has experienced.   I would assume it will cost several thousand by the time it is done.

Who's in?

(Anything amount that exceeds the care needed to Kevin will be used in our new Emergency Medical Care ministry.}

But wait!  What would we call this arm of International Voice of the Orphan?

And then the Lord whispered:

Ruby's Friends

And yes, Ruby thought it was perfect!

Donate to help save Kevin's life by clicking here.

Welcome To The Rest of the World

Today was an initiation of sorts.

 It was a time of seeing life through a different lens - perhaps even a new set of eyes.

It was a time for our new "Go Team" to begin to understand that we don't live like the rest of the world in America,  nor do we resemble the rest of the world.  Today was a day to have the scales removed from our eyes.   Today we had surgery on our hearts to remove presuppositions, prejudices, and false conclusions.   

Today we went to the slums in the heart of Kampala.  Our "Frontlines Feed+" program actually got it's start in the slums.  In the slums we typically feed 60 street boys three times a week.  Today 80 showed up.  They had been told "Big JaJa" (grandpa - that would be me) was showing up!  And they showed up in mass!

Many of you help support our feeding program with our partners;  "API".  Because of your generosity we have taken responsibility for all costs associated with the feeding program:  including food 3 times per week, basic training, medical and hospitalization costs, and costs of resettling runaways.  (The church where they are fed only allows us use it 3 times per week.)

But when you really go into the slums and see with your own eyes, smell the rotting garbage and touch the children's tender faces your life will be forever changed.

At our Team meeting tonight the tears flowed as person after person shared their hearts.  Almost everyone was in tears.   Moms, wept at the "big brown eyes" that stared into their eyes without hope.  Young ladies cried as they recalled the pain of the sights and experiences.  Big men had tears fill their eyes as they recounted the children.

The smells, oh the smells.  As you walk across a small bridge into the heart of the slums you look over a water shed area of mud and human waste.  This is where they bathe and wash their clothes.   "Welcome to the rest of the World"!

 Then walking up a small set of stairs we encountered the garbage pile, soaked from heavy rains and filling our every footstep with a constant shoe sucking reminder, "you are sloshing through garbage."  (Welcome to the rest of the world.)

 There are areas you smell human waste and actually see it on the ground inside the church building project.  "Welcome to the rest of the world!"

  Then you see the kids... they cheer.... we have arrived!

"Welcome to the rest of the World!"

G shared incredulously, "One boy came and offered me his muffin.  He wasn't going to eat for 2 more days!  And he offers me his muffin!  Another boy came up to me and offered me a little bit of change - all he had.... all he had, unbelievable!  These boys were giving me everything they had!   (Who is the picture of Christ here?)"

As G shook his head in disbelief you could feel the room grow silent.  We all knew  -- these boys were willing to give up everything they had.... could we say the same?

"Welcome to the rest of the World."

What the team experienced today is how most of the rest of the world lives every.single.day.

 It is the reality for millions and millions of children each day.

Five thousand children around the world die each day due to starvation.

The rest of the world is clawing and fighting to get their next meal.

The rest of the world fights to survive.

But because of partners around the globe, we at International Voice of the Orphan have said, "No more! Not on my watch!"

The rest of the world has been praying that someone would care... that God would answer....

The rest of the world waits.....................................

Will you help?

Feed One - Frontlines+ Feeding Program

Your Gift: "Happy Birthday Boys"

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday!  We all love it when it's our day.  I'm certainly guilty as charged!

For many of us we take this day for granted, we've had our birthdays, some good, some not so good. But there is always next year... or is there??

What if in the first few years of your life you struggled to survive on the streets?

What if you were neglected?

Abandoned?

Abused?

Thrown out of the home and left for dead?

How much sweeter would be the words "Happy Birthday" and that celebration if you now knew you were safe and a bunch of people came and threw you a party?

(stay tuned I have an idea for you at the end)

It's not all work and no fun when you go on a "Go Team" to the children of Africa!  

We love to play & party with the kids!!

There are many times of laughter, celebration and fun with the children!  

We love to laugh!  

The Bible teaches us that laughter is medicine to the soul.  And no place is this more evident than to these children!  Noone seems to laugh like children who have come from the most difficult lives!!

The medicine of laughter replaces some of these children's horrific mental pictures

with healthy pictures of life.  

There is always something to celebrate!  Right!   

 Linny accuses me of making up things to celebrate, and she is probably right... 

and when it comes to children laughing and playing we pour it on.

One of the ways we celebrate it to throw a party for the orphanages we visit.  And their is nothing quite so exciting as being part of a Birthday party for children that haven't had many to celebrate.

This last trip we threw the monthly birthday party for the boys of "A Perfect Injustice".

We bought many chickens, the boys "prepared the chickens" for the mommas.  (I'm glad that's not part of my job.)   The ladies worked hard all day getting ready.

Then, we placed a couple hundred or so balloons on the floor while the boys waited outside.  

Then they came rushing in.... 

stepping

popping

giggling 

&

shouting for joy into the party.

Then we danced little bit... dancing might be stretching it for us!! :)

All too quickly, it was time to say goodbye....

We will never forget --- They will never forget!

 Many ask, "what can I do?" 

 Enjoy your birthday - but what if one gift you requested this year was to help the children of Africa.

Then you could give a present like food, or water, or training to the children.

The June team will be throwing a few parties as well... if you'd like to give a gift to these same children.. they desperately want a basketball court!

Total cost - $2500... 


The June 2012 GO Team we will dig it, pour it and erect the goals!


We are even bringing some basketballs.  

Would you be willing to designate  a Birthday Gift to the boys of API this year so these 30 plus once-orphaned-street-boys will have a great way to expend some of that youthful energy?  They would love it if you did!! 

By the way,

Happy Birthday!  dw

Hunger Games - Front Lines Wins!

"Hunger Games" is the movie everyone is talking about! 


Before it ever hit the big screen it was being promoted everywhere as a block buster movie. The media was going crazy highlighting the actors and actresses on Good Morning America and other news/talk shows. 


Quite commonly you hear, "Have you seen Hunger Games?"    The marketing was superb and the results are pushing attendance records.  While I have not yet attended the movie, the name itself intrigues me,  "Hunger Games".... hmmmm.


Hunger Games?   Really?  Hunger and games connected together just doesn't work for me...  the two words simply don't seem to fit together.  

If hunger is a game than it is a game of life and death for the children involved. 

I ate well today... very well.  And probably so did you - we are blessed. 


But our prosperity in America and at our dinner tables tends to obscure the fact of a much larger crisis knocking at our backdoor.  


For instance - are you aware that:

• 1 in 7 people will go to bed hungry tonight.   The total number of hungry people in the world is greater than the combined populations of the US, Canada and the European Union.

• 925 million people do not have enough to eat  and 98 percent of them live in developing countries.
  

• 10.9 million children under five die in developing countries each year. Malnutrition and hunger-related diseases cause 60 percent of the deaths;

•  Iodine deficiency is the greatest single cause of mental retardation and brain damage, affecting 1.9 billion people worldwide. It can easily be prevented by adding iodine to salt.

The statistics become are so large they numb us to what can be done.  

The vastness of the need paralyzes and sometimes causes us to feel we can't make a difference.

But I beg to differ.   

We must keep it about the one! 

We can make a difference in the life of one child,


 one orphan, 


one hungry little boy or girl and...

YOU DID!!!

IVO with your support fed 5 children our first month
{January}.

IVO with your suppport fed 15 children our second month
{February}.

Presenting David and Abby of API with their check after they came and had dinner in our home when they were in the states for a short visit. 

IVO with your support fed 25 children our third month
{March}.

IVO with your support fed 40 children our fourth month ....
{April}. 

AND

Next month {May} International Voice of the Orphan {IVO}, with your support, will be feeding, clothing, providing medical care and teaching the love of Jesus to the entire program of street boys of A Perfect Injustice - 60 strong.


We may not be able to provide for all the chidren... YET...  but for 5 children, then 15 boys, then 25 street children, then 40 kids,  then 60 boys.... YOU made the difference!


THOSE BOYS WON THE HUNGER GAMES  --- BECAUSE OF YOU!  

And the ripple affect continues....

• Because of you - 16 more boys are going home to their new family at A Perfect Injustice.

• 16 more children will be disciples... loved.... fed every day.... go to school.... 

• Together; You + IVO + A Perfect Injustice = A GOLD MEDAL at the Hunger Games for these boys.  

Today we celebrate...


Tomorrow back to work to feed more children!


With tears in my eyes  I write these last few sentences....


Thank you for not turning your backs... thank you for caring.... thank you for loving with your resources & thank you for trusting us to steward these resources for the boys and vulnerable street children.    We can,  we did and we are making a difference --- Together!


 These boys would hug your necks if they could and say... thank you for saving my life! 


I will give them that hug for you in June.... promise!  Dw 

Dream Fulfilled - Just a Bit Differently

One of the ministries of International Voice of the Orphan is 

Elijah's Hope

{adopting an orphan in prayer}

Elijah's Hope was birthed because of the magnitude of mountains that were moved by Almighty God when a single woman, living in Chicago, at the prompting of her college-age daughter {who had moved for a season to volunteer in the orphanages of Uganda} began to pray for one little boy named Elijah 

living in an orphanage on the opposite side of the world.

This single mom, named Peggi prayed three specific things:

1.  God please heal Elijah. 

2. Bring Elijah a family 

{and as long as she was asking she decided to be specific}:

3.  Please let the family be a pastor's family.

And there is no doubt in our minds that it was the prayers of Peggi that God used to bring our Elijah into our forever family. 

Here is an email we received recently from a woman 

who adopted an orphan in prayer through

Elijah's Hope.

Her letter speaks volumes:

*****

Elijah's Hope is so good......and quick!
It is all done and I have my little guy.....so beautiful!

Wow, I typed that last sentence and the tears are flowing. For so long I have dreamed of adopting. Childhood was so hard, my escape was to dream of my big log home 

in a valley with the mountains standing guard behind it 

a bountiful garden 

and a yard full of happy healthy kids, 


many kids of all colors.

 That was my symbol of happiness and hope 
and my safe place to go when 

life was too hard.

My first marriage (24 years) wasn't easy, it became abusive. He could barely love his own kids and even admitted he wouldn't be able to love someone else's child. After being single for 6 years I met my husband and I was sure we'd adopt! It seems that maybe he only told me what I wanted to hear. I love my husband don't get me wrong, but the disappointment of not adopting is great. I'm trying to accept it and not be bitter, but that is difficult. It is really hard to be 53 and let go of a dream you've protected and carried inside for so long.

But......now I have my boy to pray for....his name is __omitted_ (if only I knew how to pronounce it, I'm certain he would laugh at my attempts) :) ...thank you! I may never be able to watch him play in my back yard, but I can pray for him where he is and be a part of his life through prayer.

Thank you so much, my heart is so full at this moment, sad and joyful at the same time.
You have truly given me a gift!
Praise God!


People often say, 'I can't adopt a child"...but everyone can pray!  Adopting an orphan in prayer is simple....
Please visit the site and spread the word -
Elijah's Hope

The Dirt Will Praise Him!

 African soil around Kampala is very red & dusty.   

You kinda take it with you wherever you go!   

It ends up on your pants, on your shirts, in your shoes.. and of course in your lungs!  Don't get me wrong, there is no dirt I love better, but it does require a few changes of wardrobe when I come home!


But have you ever been in a place where you fail to see the real potential of a situation?  I sure have!  You wonder later, "How could I have missed this?"  There it is in front of you, and you miss it!

In fact it's all around you!

It's on you!

It's under you!

It's right in front of your nose - or in this case under your feet!

Then you see it!

Potential!!!

Emma & Grace find it takes a lot of strength to make one brick!

Such it the case of the African soil!   

What I saw as simply red dirt my sons at African Hearts saw as potential!  

Filled with potential!

Potential for a business!

Ignore my face, I'm still in pain... hoping Greg can't do it better than me!

Potential for a school!

Where's Emma?

Potential to educate and care for up to 400 children!

Deb is in love with every child she meets! 

So we made a few bricks!

We painted the school!

The Go Team left their imprint!

And in amazement watched the children come and come and come to get their lunch.
We watched their faces light up because they were given hope through an education.

Seventeen of the children come from African Hearts, but the rest --  over 350 - from the community.
 A few of the children are sponsored -- some have family support --- some still have need.

African Hearts, our African sons ministry, is a ministry to the orphans & vulnerable children in and around Kampala.  They have built a home for 17 children and have positively impacted a whole village.

The children are taught every day about the love of God.  

They are raising a whole village to love Jesus Christ.

International Voice of the Orphan partners with African Hearts and works on projects to further their work.
By the way,  the Director of the school, is Moreen our Ugandan daughter.

What I saw as simply dirt,  they saw as an opportunity
 to bring praise! 

Stop and praise the Lord with me that Lutuyaa, Junior, George and Kenny, former street boys, found the hope in Jesus Christ and now run a school that gives hope to almost 400 children! 


They have hope to succeed in this world! They have hope in Jesus Christ for eternity!

Also, why not stop your busy life, take a few minutes and see the potential that God has placed in your life.  

Potential that you may have taken for granted!

Potential that God has given you as a gift to be used for others.  

After all... There is no better life than a life given away!

Dw from the African Soil!

Sunday Evening

It is Sunday night as I sit outside overlooking the city of Kampala.  The lights twinkle below creating a a beautiful atmosphere as the cool breeze gives needed relief to the days journey.

We went to church today in the village where much of the work is done, Ssenge Village.  Each time we visit Uganda, they request me to preach and share what God has laid on my heart for them.  I shared on the life of Joseph and that one who has God sized dreams will also have to take God sized risks.

It struck me that our African Ministry had begun in this little church.  This was our "Bethlehem".  This small village was a  place of new beginnings for our ministry.  Now we are more than ever learning about taking great risks for God.

We have seen God's clear direction as 'we get to' advocate on behalf of the orphans and vulnerable children.

We understand that we must break the silence 

of the global orphan crisis!  

We must advocate their cause.  

We must speak for them.

We must be their voice!

It's Time To Celebrate - Ugandan Style

The Bible teaches us that there is a time for 

everything under the sun. 

One of those things is.... 

A Time To Celebrate! 

And celebrate is what we did!

  

Today we went to the other end of the spectrum of the feeding program.  We traveled about an hour away into the countryside to the API home to serve the boys and their leaders who live there.  

This land and the homes built {and the ones to come} are the homes where those brought from the feeding program can find a permanent home of love and hope.  Some have called this place home for several years, others for just a few months.  Their stories are worth celebrating.  

They are being loved and they now have hope.

We painted!  

And celebrated with them that a bakery has been built!  

They will bake bread to feed themselves

 and the excess will be sold to help supplement the ministry!

The bakery

We leveled land!  

It's Time to Celebrate 

a place for their workers to stay.

We laughed with the boys!

  

 It's Time to celebrate their lives in their new homes!

We endured a rainey season rain storm.   

It's Time To Celebrate their new banana trees being watered.

We ate.....  It's Time to Celebrate - there is hope!

It was "Time to Celebrate" three of the boy's birthdays - yet there is so much more!  Three lives that have been forever changed.  Three lives that do not sleep on the dirt in the slums.  Three boys who do not fear for their lives night after night.  Three boys once part of the feeding program who now 

have a family to celebrate their birthdays with!

Three former street boys who now can safely laugh, who are now loved, who now have hope! 

And then if that wasn't enough we heard about two of the boys going with one of the uncles to the Congo on a mission trip.  They went and shared Christ and led eight others to Christ.  Yes, It's Time to Celebrate!  These young boys who came from the streets are now sharing their story of redemption.  

Uncle Peter, the boys and I

 It's Time To Celebrate!

{Go ahead!  Have a hot fudge sundae for us, ok?}

Goodnight from Uganda,

Dwight and the February 2012 GO team....

Doing what we love - lovin the kids!