We are 7 days into the 31 Days of Goodwill and I have a biggie for you all!
Christie posted the four steps that she is following this month for her challenge:
- Your Neighbors
- Your Church Family (or local charity)
- Your Community
- Your World
Honestly, when I read this list I thought 1-3 would be easy. No problem. I can do that. Number 4…eh…don’t know how I would go about that one. I kinda dismissed it…until today.
I was looking through Facebook this morning when a post from friends, the Brown Family, stopped my scrolling. This past summer, these friends made a life-changing decision to become missionaries. I knew about this change. I have prayed for them and have seen their updates, but today I actually stopped and read their blog entry.
Here is a little background. My husband and John knew each other in high school. They both volunteered their summers to work at a church camp in the Upper Peninsula, Michigan. John was in our wedding and his then future wife, Wendi, caught the bouquet.
A few years later we reconnected with them and our families became close even though we lived in different states. Due to circumstances, we lost touch again {except for the yearly Christmas card exchange}. We moved, they moved, children were born and growing. You get the idea. Life took over.
In the spring, John called my husband out of the blue. It had been a few years so my husband was very surprised and excited to talk to him. John told him that they were asked to visit Africa and potentially partner with a group called Africa’s Child Missions. He called and asked us to pray for them and their family and a huge decision they were facing.
After their visit, they realized that God called them to take a leap of faith and help this organization build a Pediatric Hospital in Zambia. With that call, they and their 3 children will be leaving at the beginning of 2012.
In the last few months, the Brown Family have been raising money to fund their ability to go and do what God has asked them to do. In November, they had a fundraising concert and they have sold most of their belongings. They still need support for the next 3 years. That is what stopped me in my tracks this morning. I realized that I could impact the world by supporting this family any way I can. I can give them my fish and loaves and pray that God blesses and multiplies it. {If you have a puzzled expression from that last sentence, take a look at this previous post.}
In this 31 Days of Goodwill, if you are looking for a way to Impact the World, consider supporting this wonderful family. You can read ways to help them on their partnership page or go through Africa’s Child donation page and click on John &Wendi Brown.
And if you are wondering what their kids, Zach, Harmony, and Gabe think, take a look:
