My Heart Was Broken....

This little girl was brought to our orphanage by our Senior Pastor in the Congo. She was found wandering the street; she was estimated to be about two and one half years old. Pastor Didier advertised for relatives, but found none. When she was taken to the doctor, it was found that she had malaria, typhoid, worms and was mal-nourished. (Note the distended stomach in the picture). Ladies in one of our churches took care of her with tender love and good food and look at the changes over a period of about six months

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When I received the first picture my heart was broken over the reality that a little girl could be found in such dire straits. It made my heart ache to the point that I could not say, "orphan" without my voice breaking. Soon we received the good news that she tested negative for HIV. This meant that she was adoptable. Her adoptive father is in the Congo now and will be bringing this beautiful little girl into a home where there is plenty of love, laughter and good food. May I add that when she comes to the greater Sacramento area there will be another little girl coming with her but that is another story.

How Did It Start?

People who know me well and feel free to ask deeper questions want to know how I developed such a passion for a people so far away. Or they ask "How do you know that God is leading you to the Congo?"

It started with personal study and research. I became intrigued with the attention orphans were being given by the Christian community. In just a few years a national movement has swept across the United States. I found web sites about the number of orphans in the world and there were people gathering across the country in conferences discussing what the church could and should do about this problem.

I knew that the Bible had much to say about the care of the fatherless, but I did not see it as my ministry. It was statistical problem.

Once while discussing the problem of orphan care in Africa with our daughter, she said, "Dad you need to go to Africa." Immediately my heart was stirred. Shortly afterwards, a pastor friend, Paul Anthes contacted me regarding a ministry in the Congo. Thus a vision was born!

My ticket has been purchased. I will fly from Washington, D. C. on the 13th of September; arrive in Lubumbashi, Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo on the 14th. I will return to the USA on October 3rd. While I am in the Congo I am anticipating holding a Pastors' Conference for sixteen to twenty Pastors. I will also be surveying our ministry there, but that is another story.