GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NO LONGER ENOUGH

A friend and colleague of mine lived three years in Rwanda. There he became friends with a young man named Jano. Jano was vibrant and innovative and recognized there was an opportunity for him to start a business selling eggs in his community. So he bought chickens and began selling eggs. His business was successful and began growing rapidly. Jano also was growing in prominence and sought positive change in his community.

At the same time, a church in Georgia was in the midst of exploring helping the poor globally. They recognized they had a tremendous abundance of resources and wanted to help those in need. They knew of the hardships the country of Rwanda had endured in the late ‘90s, so they sent a church team to visit an orphanage there. While there, the church members got an up-close look at some devastating poverty. Their hearts broke for the children who were dying in the orphanage. They recognized there was a huge protein shortage in the orphanage, so they brought the stories of the children back to the church and asked the church to support a plan to help the country of Rwanda. Continue Reading…

A few months ago, HOPE staff member Chris Horst had the opportunity to preach a sermon to his Lancaster City church. The following excerpt is Part 1 of a three-part series on The Challenge of Helping.

The word of God from Matthew 25:
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Continue Reading…