Friday, February 24, 2012

Don't Stop At Pity

Don't Stop At Pity
"God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him."
Hudson Taylor

Moving - Beyond Pity

He sat motionless on the bare concrete floor at the far end of the room, back against the wall, head between his knees and no clothes to cover him. Ten other children sat, lay or played in the same room but nobody went near him. The shame this 8-year old boy experienced crawled over me as I gazed at him.

What had he done to deserve this? I didn't understand and it frustrated me. I wanted to pick him up and hold him, tell him everything was going to be okay and then DO something about it - but the circumstances wouldn't allow it.

The plight of the orphan- their struggle for life - feels weighty and naturally stirs feelings of sorrow and pity.  Unless we act - unless we move from pity to compassion we leave the needy just as we found them.  Even if we just sit down next to them, laugh with them, or even cry with them - we offer them some comfort (2 Cor 1:3-4)… but we must move.

Experiences like this moved our family - not to feelings of guilt but to a sense of responsibility. Our hearts hurt for children just like this one. But how do we MOVE beyond the experience of pity? We can start by asking, "Lord, what will I do?" Then we must use the talents entrusted to us as He directs.

Our oldest son, Mason has done just that. Being given a heart to move to and live in Ghana and help the helpless, he has also used his God-given musical abilities to write a song for these hopeless ones to raise awareness. At the request of our friends and partners,  Feeding The Orphans (FTO), Mason wrote and recorded "The Cry," and FTO developed the video. You can check it out on You tube by following the link.



Praying - The Need

We will continue to pray for you - for your heart to beat in resonance with the Father's, for your life to manifest His glory, for you to rejoice with Him in His great joy and for you to be broken where His heart breaks.

How can you pray? I'm glad you asked!
 

  1. Justice for these children and the fatherless like them all around the world (Psa 82:3).
  2. For the gospel of Jesus to reach and redeem those who have never heard (Rom 15:20-21; Isa 55:11).
  3. Peace in our family, especially for the boys in the midst of and on the verge of many changes and transitions.
  4. Robin's maternal grandmother had a stroke 2-days ago and is not doing well. Please pray for her and the family.
  5. For us to be full of the Holy Spirit - we need to serve with His wisdom and strength, not our own.
  6. For the remaining financial partners needed to reach our goal.
Departing

Providing we have all of our support, we anticipate moving to Ghana around the middle of May - giving our boys a chance to finish out the school year before we go.

Ghana Info

Population: 23.8 Million
Orphans: 1.1 Million
(UNICEF Data)

Ministry Partners

We are so grateful for those who have chosen to partner with us! You have helped us reach 87% of our need to move to Ghana. We have also received pledges totaling 75% of our monthly costs.

We are so close and need just a few more pieces of the puzzle to come together. How would you like to be the last piece placed in the puzzle? Please pray about joining us with a monthly pledge.

If you want to partner with our family, you can donate online at World Outreach. Select our name from the drop-down list and donate. Recurring monthly gifts can be setup with online giving. Or you can mail your gift to:

World Outreach Ministries
PO Box B
Marietta, GA 30061

(memo line:  "Fund Code 130")
Copyright © 2012 Reid & Robin Beebe, All rights reserved.
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Friday, February 17, 2012

Helping Orphans in Africa - Perspective from Sixth Grader


Every Thursday, I have the privilege of teaching several classes at a local homeschool co-op.  English is one of my favorite classes to teach.  Occasionally, I try to weave writing assignments around forcing the students to think about challenges we face in this world.  Last November, I received this paper from Timothy Lumsdaine, a 12 year old sixth grader.  He's given me permission to post this on our blog.  I hope you are as challenged by his words as I am...

Timothy Lumsdaine         Shurley English                 Writing Assignment  
11/3/2011
What to do to Help Orphans in Africa              
            I am writing today about the place for which Mrs. Beebe has a calling. What can I do to help feed Orphans in Africa?  I could work at pulling weed’s in my neighbor’s yard to earn some money to send for this purpose.  Or, maybe I could ask others to donate and get a jar to put in the center of our family table so the family could see each other giving, and then give more. Last, I could pray every night, not just for God to give them physical food, but to give them spiritual food that could bring them to Christ.
            First, I would work really hard in my neighbor’s yard to earn some money to send to the needy in Africa. I can do this because my brothers I and have a lawn care business, And even though it is very small, the three of us get ten to fifteen dollars per hour.  There is a neighbor woman with whom the Lord has just blessed us, and we are very glad that we started this business and can grow in the Lord while talking with her.
            Next, I would put a jar in the center of the family table for our family to donate.  We have done this in the past for other things and my mother has been surprised at how generous our family is.  As we see others give, we give ourselves, and I know that my family would still be generous and share what we have.  My mother would also double the money after we were finished.
            Last and most important I would look to my King for assistance. I would ask God for help feeding those who are in need, physically and spiritually. I would ask my heavenly father for help, because a little money from working at a neighbor’s won’t feed four-point- seven million people. And one hundred dollars will not either, but the Lord who made the universe can, and I know that.  He can take breath whenever he needs.  And I know that he can feed four-point- seven million people, he does that many times per day.  I believe that God is the only one who can do this.
            I think that there are definitely many ways to help feed orphans in Africa. We as a class could do much for them, but I believe working in the neighbor’s yard, asking my family for help and asking my heavenly father for help are the three best waits we can help feed orphans in Africa, and that it is a good thing for us to do.      

Don't you love his heart?       

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Godwin's First Birthday (With Us)

It started with homemade chocolate chip pancakes!  And singing Happy Birthday - over and over!  he received a birthday phone call from his cousins at 7:00 am, and I've never seen him smile so big!

Franklin made Godwin a homemade car!  His first birthday gift.  He loved it!

All of the boys enjoyed the Valentines waiting at the table!  Happy Valentines Day!  You are loved!

Godwin loved receiving Lightning McQueen and Mater from his brothers!

Where should we go for Godwin's birthday?  McDonalds playground fits the budget!

A barbershop quartet delivering singing Valentines sang "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" to Godwin for his birthday.  It was a gift from God, because they had just stopped at McDonalds for dinner.  Thank you for the birthday surprise!

A birthday milkshake hits the spot!

Weston goofing off!

A little brother time... Franklin the tickle monster!

Mason who holds him tight!

Braden introducing Godwin to the "spaceship" up high!

Coming down the slide...

Our evening ended with a special Valentine Birthday dinner.  Mom blessed us all with a red and white dinner - spaghetti, strawberry salad, and cherry-o cream pie.  Yum!  There are so many memories around our table of nine...

Godwin's first birthday candle!  You are four sweet boy!  We love you!

Godwin loves his Papaw!

And his Grandmama!

A shirt from Grandmama that says it all...

"I like my birthday!"  proclaims Godwin several times throughout the day!

It's a blessing to end the day snuggled with Franklin watching a movie.  Love it!

Godwin loves being FOUR!

As I tucked him in bed, he asked, "Mom will it be my birthday again tomorrow?  I like my birthday!"

"No, sweet son.  You have to wait another year, but we will celebrate you many times again between now and then."

Though not the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Godwin's birthday represents so much of God's goodness to our family.  We look at this day as a permanent reminder of what the Lord has done through the miracle of adding Godwin as a son to our family.

‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.
Exodus 12:14

Thank you, Lord for this day.