And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (King James Version) I like the way the KJV team translated this one — and I really like the original English intent of the word. Charity does not mean a give-away. Rather, it is activity based on intimacy, on love. The word really captures what the church must be about. I like it, but it’s a real challenge for me. I am a fixer. When I see a problem, I don’t want to talk about it, I don’t want to be empathetic. …
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Beyond Redemption
We want the easy cases. The beautiful, innocent little girl who has been exploited. The teenage boy with the winsome smile who just needs a chance. The family of four siblings who long to stay together. Let’s save the kids that look most like us — or at least who try to act like we do. The ones that make us feel good about ourselves, and, perhaps more important, don’t push us beyond our comfort zone. We do not want the kids who are beyond redemption. The hard-as-nails kid from the streets. The gang-member with the tattoos and the scars. …
Flag waving, but not forgetting…
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Fourth of July. Maybe my favorite holiday. Flags, parades, fireworks, a little baseball, and brats on the grill. What’s not to like? I do like it, especially the flag part. I’m a waver. I am proud to be a citizen of this country, proud that we are the most generous country in the world. And it all goes back to those words: Life, Liberty, and …
Risk
A few years ago, while facing some significant challenges in my professional life, I called my brother, trying to get a bit of perspective. His words to me: “Looks like you just got thrown overboard; I guess we’ll find out if you can walk on water.” I was actually hoping for something a bit more sympathetic. He had been reading John Ortberg’s book, If You Want to Walk On Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. My wife recently gave me a copy, and I’ve started working my way through it. Good writer, that Ortberg. Ortberg notes that, …
Significance
A couple of years ago, I joined friends from Menlo Park Presbyterian Church for their Sunday morning Café service. Like many large churches, MPPC meets in several venues with varying worship styles, and Pastor John Ortberg appears on the big screen in each locale. I don’t remember the specific text for the day, or the title of the sermon. But one line is etched in my memory. Too many people live for the feature story when they should be living for the obituary. Think about it. Our society makes it clear that “significant” people drive really nice cars, have good …
Neil
Everyone should have a friend like Neil. I first met Neil almost three years ago when Hope Unlimited received a significant unsolicited gift with a note that he and his wife Kay would be visiting Orlando (they’re from the UK). The note was nice, but, honestly, the check had gotten my attention, so we made plans to meet for lunch that August. Over lunch, Neil and Kay began to tell me their story—especially their journey to Hope. During a time of prayer at their church, Neil and Kay (with encouragement from some of the church’s elders) felt a call to …
Context
“It’s too hard here; why don’t we go someplace where people actually care about the kids?” Easy answer. If they care about the kids, they probably don’t need us. But there’s another reason to stay and minister in a place that’s “too hard.” Sometimes we can actually change the context, providing a point of focus for those who DO a have heart for the least of these, and teaching others in the culture to care. In almost any place, there are those who truly do care about the children. But they are often overwhelmed by a cultural context that rejects …
A Victimless Crime?
Amidst the national uproar over the conduct of those entrusted with protecting our President, I have heard a lot of talk about prostitution being a “victimless” crime. Colombian prostitute Dania Londono Suarez has made the rounds of interviews. She comes across really well — attractive, sense of humor, intelligent. Enjoying the spotlight. An adult who made a lifestyle choice. The poster girl for legalized prostitution. Let’s look closer. She is 24 years old. She talks about providing for her nine-year-old son. He was born when she was 15; likely pregnant at 14. If her story is like that of most …
Fewer Churches, More Church…
I’m serious here. There is an apocryphal story, almost certainly not factual, but a good story nonetheless. Let’s call it a parable. In the thirteenth century, Pope Innocent IV was in the papal coffers surveying the vast collection of coinage in the church’s treasury. St. Thomas Aquinas, out for an afternoon stroll, stopped by for a visit. Standing amidst all the wealth, Innocent called out, “Ahh, Thomas, no longer can we say, “Silver and gold have I none.” Thomas replied, “But neither can we say, “In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk.” I live in a small, southern …
Failure
The interviewer sat in a chair a few feet away from Philip: “What is the most difficult thing you face in this work?” The question hung in the air several seconds; a cloud passing over Philip’s face. He composed himself and began, “For me, the most difficult thing,” he paused, struggling for control again, but tears wetting his eyes. “The most difficult thing is when we invest our lives in a child, and we see the transformation; we see the change. We think this one is going to make it, and then a few months later he runs away to …
Exodus
As I write this, it is almost-to-the-minute exactly one year since the we first met with the vice-governor of the state of Espirito Santo. On April 15, 2011, he not only promised support for our Hope Mountain program, but also asked us to engage with his staff in developing a new paradigm for caring for the children in the juvenile justice system. In other words, to help them “find a solution for the children’s prisons.” The answer. Case closed. Our struggles to keep Hope Mountain open resolved. But it hasn’t worked out that way. I remember turning to the story …
Who is really blessed by mission?
In my years of involvement with international orphan work, one of the facts that has become most evident to me is that those who come to bless end up being the ones most blessed. The last week, members of Princeton Alliance Church traveled to our campus in Vitoria to minister to our kids there, and perhaps complete a work project or two. The real questions for me are “Who ministered?” and “Who was blessed?” Hear from a couple of the PAC members and judge for yourself: They Don’t Call it Hope Mountain for Nothing Yesterday we arrived in Vitoria to …
What will $60,000 get you?
If we’re talking about a home, you may have to look pretty hard, even in this market, to find a nice one. But if it’s a car you want, that kind of cash can set you up really nicely. Or maybe all you want is a week for the family at Disney World – and that wouldn’t put too much of a dent in $60,000. You could have dinner for two at Morton’s Steakhouse in NYC for two hundred consecutive nights. Or (more my speed), 20,000 Whataburgers—extra jalapenos, please. But what kind of Kingdom impact does $60,000 have? According to …
A Difficult Call
I have told you her story before, but I come back to her today to ask a really hard question. Prostituted by her mother at age nine, Natalie herself became a mother by the time she turned 11. I remember seeing her stand before the graduate church, confidently telling her story. It was hard to believe that Natalie was the same scared, horribly abused child the juvenile authorities had brought to Hope seven years earlier. In a very real sense, she wasn’t the same; she was transformed during her time at Hope. A few minutes later when she introduced her young …
Because every child is a story yet to be told
We use that phrase a lot. And we believe it, because we have seen the stories unfold before our eyes. Two weeks ago, I saw the story of Patricia, one of the girls in our graduate transition home, begin to be written. Patricia came to us, like virtually all of our kids, a victim of abuse, exploitation, and abandonment. When Patricia arrived at Hope, she quickly showed herself to be a good student, with a special drive and focus. In a rare occurrence, she completed high school by the time she was ready to leave for the graduate house. But …
Tiago
It was the first time I had ever seen him on a basketball court. He ran with a limping, broken, uncoordinated gait. It was obvious he did not understand the game; he chased the ball no matter which team had it, slapping at it as he had seen the other boys dribble. Occasionally, someone would toss the ball to him, and he would run toward a basket and clumsily throw the ball in the general direction of the goal. The boys, all younger than him, knew that any really competitive game was impossible with him on the court. But they …
Recharging (or charging for the first time . . .)
I’m writing this while sitting in an airport 5,000 miles from the kids in Brazil. Though there are ample reasons to be home—plenty of chores, a grandson on the way in the next few weeks, taxes (although, to be honest, I tend to be more of the spectator as my wife crunches numbers), and always, always, so much that needs to be done for Hope. But I need to be in Brazil. I find my passions for changing the lives of these kids not growing cold, but at least ebbing. I need to see the need. I need …
Sending it ahead
What is a meaningful life? What does it mean to have an impact? The way the world usually measures it, the answer typically includes wealth, recognition, prestige, and perhaps power. Only on rare occasions does the answer immediately include service, especially service to those the world has forgotten. By most standards, Paul Husby met the definitions of meaningful and impacting. He was the CEO of 3M Corporation for the nation of Brazil; he was at the top of the ladder. A few years ago he returned to the U.S. from Brazil to retire, having already led that meaningful life. But …
But with God…
I listened with horror as the social worker, Adriana, told us Fran’s life story. With her mother dying of AIDS, custody of Fran was given to her older sister. That was when her nightmare really began. Instead of caring for her, the older sister prostituted her 12-year-old little sister, selling her on a nightly basis. Her story only got worse from there. I interrupted Adriana’s recitation by asking, “What will happen to her? In the U.S., she would be so scarred that she would probably be institutionalized for life.” Now it was Adrianna’s turn to look at me …
Breaking the Cycle
Transforming the lives of children at mortal risk, providing them and their future generations a productive future and eternal hope. Mission Statement (emphasis added) One of the most disturbing realities of the abandoned or exploited child crisis is that it is almost always multi-generational. As such, it is self-propagating and constantly growing. Virtually every child who comes to us from the streets or from a situation of abuse is “simply” the most recent in a family lineage of lost children. A prostitute mother has six or eight children for whom street life, abuse, and exploitation is the norm …