March 1st - Compassion Sunday

March 1st was my first Compassion Sunday event at my church. I went over on Saturday and set up our display. We had an 8' tall banner and an 8' table full of child packets ready for sponsorship.

I spent a great deal of time in prayer on Sunday morning. It is so incredibly hard to draw a line to distinguish how much work/effort that I must do and how much is really all up to God. Ultimately, it's not all about ME and how much I do. It's about matching these children with the sponsors that God intended for them.

A fabulous young lady, Erica, volunteered to help me man the table through both services. She really has a heart for the ministry of Compassion and plans on becoming an advocate.

One of our pastors made a very nice video announcement that announces our table in the foyer and my presentation on March 15th. Time is very limited on those video announcements and there was not very much information in the announcement, so most people did not have any idea of what the ministry of Compassion was all about when they stopped by.

We got two sponsorships yesterday and many more people took some informational materials and I pray that will be drawn back to our table and information meeting in the upcoming weeks.

And yes, I took pictures but haven't gotten them off of my camera yet.

Are you looking for something to pray for?

Hello Friends!!

Things have moved slowly around here but just recently, I have a positive new development.

I received a phone call last Friday solidifying my dates for my Compassion Sunday event(s) at my church. I will be setting up a Compassion table at my church every Sunday throughout Lent!!! I'm still in a little bit of shock over it.

On March 1, 8 and 15th, I will have a Compassion table set up at our church's main campus. I'll have one 8' table, flanked with narrow side banners and covered with a Compassion tablecloth and of course the table will be loaded with children waiting to be sponsored. I will have some extra help nearby to assist me in answered people's questions. On March 15th, I will have a 30 minute meet-and-greet where I can present my story about Azalech and get a little bit more in depth about how the ministry of Compassion works.

On March 22nd and April 5th, I will be at our church's other campus to share the ministry with them. This will be a smaller congregation and I am looking forward to it because it will be quite a bit easier to get more in depth with people to explain the ministry.

I need to get in touch with a few people associated with each congregation to pin down some specifics.

I first approached my senior pastor about this in October of 2007. I have prayed for one Sunday with 1 2x4 table. I am thrilled to see the doors that God has opened up here. It's so exciting!

The church youth sponsors

Last week, I shared that I had gone to our church's other campus to share the ministry of Compassion with the youth there. My presentation went well, I think. I didn't get the impression that the kids were into it. But their leadership certainly was, in a big way. I guess after a year of struggling to get people to hear what I am saying, to see people go from being completely un-familiar with Compassion to being just absolutely on fire for the ministry is still taking me aback.

I had taken 5 packets with me for the youth to prayer-fully consider and pick 1 or 2 for them to sponsor. When I was done with my presentation, the adult leader of the youth was very excited and he said he was going to en-courage the youth to sponsor 2 children. But before we could discuss which ones they might sponsor, another mom came up to me and said she wanted to sponsor one of the children. You really have to understand that I have had a very, very difficult time getting people to sponsor children. I've tried my bible studies, twice! And I never had someone choose a packet I had on hand. So, I was pleasantly surprised. On Dec. 14th, I went and saw those same youth leaders again and learned that one other child packet was taken by another family. When I asked about the other packet, the leader said "Don't worry! I'll get that child sponsored too!"

I feel a heavy weight of responsibility when I get child packets. I feel that I am the one who should be carrying them to find them sponsors. I need to let that go and remind myself that these children are all in God's care and God will find them the sponsors they are meant to have. I'm just the "middle man". God has gone on ahead as I have gotten out of his way.

I do want to have their pictures here on my blog though. I'll have to see if when this all shakes out, I can get their pictures to share with you here.

Why Ethiopia - Wess Stafford

I found this at the blog of Shaun Groves. You might need tissues.

When you get out of God's Way

Galations 6: 7-10
7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

For the last 13 months, I have been approaching my church about holding a Compassion Event. There have been many, many setbacks but at the same time, I have been encouraged by the leadership that something would come together some time. I almost had the opportunity in September, but then Hurricane Ike made his presence known. I was recently greatly discouraged again, but spoke up once again to open the door for the ministry of Compassion. I spoke up and then stood back to see what God would do with it. I got out of God's way.

Do you want to hear what God did?

I got a phone call today from the Exec. Pastor at my church. Pastor Karl. He called to invite me and open up the opportunity for me to present the ministry of Compassion International at our church for.... Are you ready for this?....

5 WEEKS OF LENT.

Our church has 2 campuses. I will be presenting the ministry to the main campus for 3 weeks in a row. Then, I will go to the other campus and present the ministry for 2 weeks there. The main campus averages 1000 worshipers through Lent and the other campus will average about 200.

THIS is what happens when you speak up and then get out of God's way. This is a GOD SIZED miracle. I am so excited and in such awe that I can not even contain myself.

And I can not wait to tell Azalech what we have done together.