A Dream Fulfilled

I am writing this overlooking a pool, which overlooks the ocean in Cabo San Lucas. It might be one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. But as I sit here writing, another far more beautiful scene is being relived in my mind. The place, my living room. The time, four days ago. You would not think that a living room in Oklahoma could beat the view I am currently looking at, but you do not yet know the story, so here it goes. In May of this year, God placed a group of children on my heart, other than my own. While reading a blog of a woman who was travelling through Uganda on a vision trip for Children's HopeChest, I read her post about a village called Ngariam. The Holy Spirit and the blog post changed my life and I got in contact with the woman who wrote the post and a friendship was born, as was a seed planted. I wanted to know if our church could help sponsor this village. I put together all the details of how HopeChest worked and arranged a meeting with my associate pastor (Kevin). Kevin said yes but to be patient as to when the sponsorship program would begin. I did not know how to be patient when 600 orphans in a village in Africa were further and further on the brink of starvation, while I waited. Summer crept by with no movement from my church and I began hitting my knees harder and harder in prayer, while hounding my church leadership to remember their promise.
In September, HopeChest sent another vision team to Uganda, headed by some of my favorite people, HopeChest was hopeful that someone on the trip would feel moved to step up and sponsor Ngariam so that starvation would not continue, but at the end of the trip, every other team chose a different carepoint for their churches. I knew why, God was sending a church in OKC to Ngariam, my church. But why wasn't He giving me an answer. Two members from HopeChest, Vince and Brandi made arrangements to come to OKC for a weekend the end of October, to meet with other churches and to introduce themselves to my church and possibly meet my church leadership. In the meantime, I arranged a lunch with my church leadership and begged that God would chose someone else to lead this adventure. To put me back in my comfort zone and let me just be the person who introduced my church and HopeChest. But He said no. During lunch with me, my church leadership opened their hearts and stepped out in faith and not only chose to sponsor Ngariam, but we are going to make Ngariam our Christmas project this year, so that a majority of our fundraising efforts goes to help these precious children, but I still did not have a specific date for a launching of the project. This past Sunday, that changed. Vince and Brandi flew into OKC and we had a great weekend planning parties and talking with people about what HopeChest does and how it changes lives. But on Sunday afternoon, sitting in my dining room, eating a homemade lunch, God reaffirmed why I had been praying for so long. Our church leadership set a date for our launch, December 13th. I watched as four men, driven by God's calling for their lives, had their hearts opened and moved by orphans a world away. And I saw the Holy Spirit's work come full circle and that seed that was planted back in May and what grew from that seed spells HOPE for a group of individuals who may otherwise never known that hope existed. I ask all of you if there is something that you have been praying for, keep it up! He is faithful and just and He rewards obedience because while today's landscape is breathtaking, the view from my kitchen table was so much better!
If you are looking for a different way of sharing Christ's love for Christmas this year, I encourage you to check out Children's HopeChest, send me an email, or contact Vince Giordano to see how your church, book club, or business organization may change the life of an orphan. Are you ready to be obedient to what the Holy Spirit is calling you to do?