First, the quiz. In Ezekiel (don’t cheat and search it), God cites a handful of specific sins of the residents of Sodom that caused Him to destroy the city. Can you name one or more? Barbra and Don, you are prohibited from participating (since you pointed this verse out to me).
On to the goal… Our community has already made a huge difference in the lives of our neighbor kids in Swaziland. Our sponsorship level is near 50%, which is (barely) enough to provide basic nutritional needs. Funds are set aside for a fence, kitchen, and well. We can’t even imagine in our setting how impotant those things will be. Clean water alone can prevent many early deaths, and frees hours every day for schooling, parenting, and other productive activity that would have otherwise been spent walking miles for (typically unsafe) water. I can thank you for that, but my thanks mean nothing. What you have is a deposit to your treasure in heaven, and the pleasure of our Father. I think it is very important to note that Jesus did not tell us not to build up treasure. On the contrary, He commanded us to build up treasure - treasue in heaven.
My goal is this: we have over 40 neighbor kids with no personal connection to us - that is, “unsponsored”. But that is a cold, statistical-type word. It does not express their loneliness and need to know that the community behind their support cares personally about them. Our financial support is also at the minimum level at which meaningful assistance can be provided to our kids as a group. “Minimum level” is not where I think we can or should be. We have a trip scheduled to our Swaziland community in September. You are a big part of this. We need funds to get there, and funds to get there with shoes for the kids, and news of sponsorship for more of our kids than we now have. Links for helping with this effort and with sponsorship are all over our home page. Please, don’t just read on past this post. Think, work through it, make it a personal goal. If you can’t help, tell the story to someone who can. Find a way, make a way with neighbors, a Sunday school group, friends, co-workers… be creative… maybe a “cyber” shoe drive for an office or Sunday school, a sponsorship for an extended family… I am confident God will provide the way, this is simply an opportunity to be a part of the joy.
