Friday, October 23, 2009

What to do?

140 Million…What does that number represent? It represents a little less than half the population of the US, or 2 % of the world’s population, also about 7% of the kids under the age of 17 years old on the Earth today. Stunningly, 140 million also represents the approximate number of children in the world that have lost their mother or father, are parentless, or have been abandoned. Think about that for a minute…………… For every 100 children in the world, 7 of them are orphans. To make matters worse, 13 million of these kids have no one, they have lost both parents and have no family to speak of to take them in.

So the question is “What can you and I do about it?”
It is easy to become overwhelmed by these numbers and believe there is nothing you can do to make a difference.

HOWEVER

You can take action, and believe that together we can make a difference 1 child at a time. How, you ask?
  1. Visit the LOI website- www.lostorphans.com.- There you can read about the crisis in Vietnam and see the Hope that is being provided to abandoned children and expectant mothers. This Hope is soon to be expanded into Kenya and other parts of the world. To be part of this Hope:a. Click on the Rescue a Child tabb. Click on the “Click Here to Donate” line towards the bottom of the pagec. Click on the Give Now buttond. Select Lost Orphans in the pull down menue. Select “ Support a Child” (if you want to support a specific child I can get you a code to enter, otherwise your money will help support all the children at LOI)**Your donation will cost you less than a cup of Starbucks (or Texas Roast) a day, but will make the difference in 1 child’s life!
  2. You can “GO”….. a. What that means is that you can physically go. Our trip this December is full, but in 2010 we will have a summer trip to Vietnam, and we are planning some trips to Kenya to start our new partnership with Naomi’s Village. b. Or you can go financially with me. I am on the advisory board for LOI and will be traveling to Vietnam the day after Christmas to help expand the ministry in country. I will be working with the founders of LOI to try and gain favor with the local government, help set up better health care and water conditions for the community, as well as identifying future opportunities to serve the least and lost in Vietnam.
  3. You can pray! Pray for the 140 million orphans, that their plight will not go unheeded in our world today. Pray for the team and their families as they prepare to go and serve. Pray for the ministry of LOI that we would be wise in the decisions that are made and to gain favor where ever we go to make what ever difference we can make! (with your help)

So I am asking that you consider this request. This time last year I was sitting in your shoes and being challenged by someone I respect to answer the call. This will be my second trip to Vietnam and I look forward to serving with 23 others as well seek to live James 1:27 “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you”

If you would like to donate, I would first ask that you consider sponsoring a child. Their plight is far greater than my need to raise funds for a trip.

If after that, you feel lead and want to help offset, part of the $3000 cost of this trip, please follow the same instructions above for sponsoring a child. But after step “d.”, select TEAM MEMBER DONATIONS and put my name in the comments section so the funds will be properly applied.

Another option is to send a check made payable to Lost Orphans International.

Lost Orphans International P.O. Box 1388 McKinney,TX 75070

Please put my name and “Winter Trip” in the memo line. I covet your prayers for the team, the ones we serve and the ones yet to be served.

In Him

Michael Henry Mshenry20@yahoo.com

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