Meddy!!!!

After I signed up to sponsor Ruth last fall I was going through some of the pictures of kids that needed sponsors on Rebecca's Facebook page and I fell in love with a little boy named Meddy. If I could have sponsored two kids I would have signed up to sponsor him in a heart beat. 

When I got to Royal Hope Academy in May I kept looking for him. When I couldn't find him Rebecca told me that some kids don't start coming to school until a few days after classes start. They just all start to trickle in. I was really worried that I would not see him in person. Each day that we went to Royal Hope I looked and looked for him and finally I saw him on the last day. I knew he didn't speak English but I just said his name and he just turned around and smiled his great big beautiful smile.

A few people asked about sponsorship when I returned to the states and I told two of them about Meddy. No one signed up to sponsor him so I quit telling people about him when people asked about sponsorship. Even though my dad wanted me to pick two boys for him to sponsor I didn't even give him Meddy. 

Finally in August God started to tell me that Meddy was mine. I knew financially I just couldn't sponsor two kids so I asked God to give me more money so that I could sponsor him and that prayer has been answered! So after one year of wanting to be his sponsor I now can say that I am! 

What is holding you back from sponsoring a child? If you are already sponsoring one, can you sponsor another one? Trust me $70 a month on top of my other giving hurts and I definitely have to make sacrifices like not shopping and eating out or having cable tv but I believe that we aren't supposed to give out of our excess, we are supposed to give when it hurts so that is what I want to do! It's very rewarding to believe God's Word and apply it in your life! Storing up treasures in heaven is my aim! 

Wanted: Sponsor Prayer Team

Several months ago I got an email from someone in my church that I had never met. She said she and another lady get together every Tuesday morning at my church to pray for the families in our church that are involved with the foster program. She asked me if there was anything specific they could pray for for me personally. Several months later I met this lady and discovered that she has no children of her own, was never a foster child or foster parent she was simply called to pray for the people involved in this ministry. Wow!

I have a vision of creating a small team of people who will pray for the My Father’s House sponsors and sponsored children. I will develop a calendar and for each day I will list the first name of each sponsor and their sponsored child. I will gladly share this calendar with anyone that is willing to be a committed prayer warrior for these individuals and for their relationships. I will update the calendar as new sponsors are added and send it out to those committed to praying.

My prayer is that this will be a group of people who aren’t currently sponsoring children with My Father’s House but simply want to serve as intercessors for the ministry and program. If you are interested in being a part of this prayer team shoot me an email (manda2839@aol.com).

Sponsor Program Director??? What’s That?

The My Father’s House web site was recently updated a little bit. I was checking out the updates and noticed my name on the “Meet the Team” page and saw “Sponsor Program Coordinator” with a brief bio about me. I thought, wow, ok this is official, huh, I’m not just helping get the word out about child sponsorship I’m like officially a part of the My Father’s House team. Then just this week I went back to the web site and it says, “Sponsor Program Director” by my name, I thought, ok, I didn’t know you get promotions for volunteer positions, ha!

When I look back at all God has done in the past year I’m just blown away. A year ago I read about a 20 something year old girl who started a school and children’s home in Uganda. I read about three African princesses that were raped and infected with HIV at age 4 and 6. I started sponsoring the youngest one, Ruth. I asked if I could visit and learn more about Ruth, Rebecca and My Father’s House. I fell in love with Ruth and her country. I came back home and started sharing with people about My Father’s House. My friends and family started sponsoring children. Right now, Rebecca, the 20 something year old who started this school and home I read about a year ago is in my home in Alabama. WOW! What an wonderful year!

The other night we were at a jewelry party and a friend wanted me to help her pick out a child for her mom to sponsor. I asked a few questions and then I said a name without even really thinking, it just came out. We didn’t have this particular child’s file with us but I pulled up the girl’s picture on my phone and my friend said, “I love her. She’s perfect.” I look over files often so the names are a little fresh on my mind, but God had given me this girl’s name.

But here’s the deal….I don’t know what “Sponsor Program Directors” do. I work a completely unrelated full time job and have never held a position for any non-profit organization. What I can tell you is this; sponsoring Ruth has changed my life. I love that girl. There are over 400 children at Royal Hope Academy, the primary school that My Father’s House runs, and only a small percentage of these children have the blessing of a sponsor that Ruth has. Ruth has someone praying for her, providing for her basic physical and spiritual needs. She has someone in her life that is being used by Christ to love her. Everyone that visits My Father’s House knows Ruth. You can’t help but feel joyful when you around her. I believe a big part of Ruth’s joyful presence comes from the fact that she knows God gave her a sponsor.

When I think about going back to Uganda in May 2012 I dream about holding Ruth’s hands as we walk from her home, My Father’s House, to Royal Hope Academy. I dream about the sea of beautiful brown skinned children’s faces playing on the school yard. The closer we get to the school I begin recognizing children’s faces, recalling who their sponsors are, maybe even remembering their favorite color or what they want to be when they grow up. As I am standing before these children I recall standing at a jewelry party thousands of miles away with a friend matching her with a child and now that child is in front of me. I think about the amazing opportunity I have to share with these children a little something about their sponsor, probably give them a letter from them, and maybe even schedule a phone call with them while I’m visiting. I get the privilege of serving as a liaison between a child in need and a person meeting that need. This is simply amazing. What a huge blessing and honor.

So while I have no idea what being a sponsor program director means, God does. He has given me a glimpse of His vision and His heart. I cannot thank Him enough for allowing me to serve Him in this small way.