Learning from Hope

Today's story is from one of my favorite people in Africa - my dear, young friend Hope. She is Remmy Hamapande's niece. Remmy is our Zambia Director, who some of you were able to meet in Oct/Nov 2010. One of my favorite things in all the world is to sit and learn from children. Hope's eternal joy and quiet smile always warms my heart. It is no exaggeration to say that she has helped me get through dark times. When I come to Zambia, I stay with Remmy's family, including Hope.

After spending a long day with children who have recently lost their parents or assessing a difficult situation, it is common for me to return home exhausted and out of steam. But, Hope - like God's gift of hope - always invigorates me with her request to play games outside or UNO. Her endless joy refreshes me and helps me refocus on God's hope for all who I've seen that day. She is always concerned to make sure I'm doing well and always enjoys a laugh. From Hope, I've learned to come home to my daughter ready to play, laugh, and love despite a tough day. For all the kids we serve, I long to create a family environment of laughter and hope - a lesson Hope has helped me learn again and again.

I'm thankful Hope offered to write this. Though she is shy, her heart is full of love for all of us. I hope that her reflection, offered with love, offers you hope.

Ryan Keith - President, Forgotten Voices

(Click to enlarge)

Hope Shanungu, 12 year old from Ndola, Zambia

Christmas in Zambia

Typical Zambian child’s Christmas: Celebrating Christ’s birth, a gift of life to mankind!

It is Christmas time again! This period always reminds me of the days when, as a young boy in my father’s home in Livingstone, Zambia, my siblings and I would be so excited and expectant of what our father had for us. We would be playing with friends in the mud, but eagerly waiting for that moment when he would stand on our house veranda and call us inside so that we would try on the clothes and/or shoes that he had bought us sometime back, but kept from us for this special day of Christmas. This would be one of those days when being told to take a bath was a joy instead of a hassle. Bathing would be done from a huge basin placed in the shower room; and together we would scoop the waters and splash them on our soiled bodies with zeal knowing what is motivating us. Thereafter, each one would try on their new pants and/or shoes to see if they fit. Then we would all go to church for the usual Christmas service even though only mom would take us there. In the afternoon back home, as we wait for a meal that consisted of rice and chicken for the first time in many months, we would wander around so that friends would see the new clothes our parents bought us. This tradition showed how much our parents loved and cared for us.

Unfortunately, though this may still be a typical child’s way of celebrating Christmas across some families in our country, it is no longer like this in many homes. HIV/AIDS has decimated many families leaving children with no parents from whom they would expect new clothes; expect a heavy meal of rice, chicken, bread and sweets; and above all, expect this sincere love and care from a parent. Orphans have no one to look to for a gift of love like this. Christmas at church was normally celebrated as a service early in the morning, and later in the day families would gather in their homes and enjoy meal fellowships. As years went by, it was observed that many children being orphaned had nowhere to go for a feast after church. It was then when my church began to have not only a service, but also a meal fellowship together with the orphans at church.

Thank God, for through Jesus Christ, he has showed how much he loved and cared for us. As a child, I am sure Jesus grew to desire children’s play just like my siblings and I did; he yearned for His father, Joseph, to give special treats during special days for him and his siblings and therefore he knew what childhood life is like. Christ once said “I will not leave you orphans…” John 14: 18; meaning he understood how tough a life an orphan underwent. He now dwells in the Church, and through it he has championed the love and care for the many orphaned children. They find refuge; they find compassion, care and love in the church. This is why the ministry of Forgotten Voices International has identified partnership with local churches as the ultimate solution to the plight of the orphan. The Bible continues to remind us that; “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” James 1:27. These things are closest to the Father’s heart as He commands us to respond with love, John 15: 12.

Therefore, as we celebrate Christ’s birth, a gift of life to mankind, let’s remember the many orphans that have nothing or little to eat. We can do this by donating to the ministry of Forgotten Voices in its partnership with local churches in Southern Africa; we will make one more child’s Christmas life forever blessed and meaningful.

Remmy Hamapande - Zambian Program Director

Why Local?

What is so great about working through the local church? Why local partners? Why local projects?

These are some of the questions I’ve been asked about the mission of Forgotten Voices International. The answer that I try best to give is that change, change which is self-sustaining and the community that is called to bring about that change is the global Christian Church. We, the global Christian church are a community called together to embody, exemplify, represent, personify, characterize, bring to life (ok you get the point) God’s redemptive relationship with creation. The church communities, both locally in the United States and in Sub-Saharan Africa are the primary social structures through which the Gospel works to change the lives of communities and individuals alike. How do we, as the church in America best fight against the seemingly entrenched causes and effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in southern Sahara Africa? We stand alongside our brother and sister churches in the region, affirming that our roles are one and the same; we are the visible expression of God’s redemptive work.

We will as one, embody the hope of Christ by providing the children of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa a chance to no longer be defined by the disease that took the lives of their loved ones, but instead be empowered by schooling, health care, counseling, income generating projects and access to clean water.

We will as one, exemplify the call of Christ by empowering the pastors of sub-Saharan Africa to stand up and lead their congregations in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

We will as one, build long-lasting relationships with orphans, pastors, theological colleges, caretakers, and churches in order to unify that visible expression of God’s redemptive work.

We will as one, make mistakes, learn from them and humbly ask for God to continue his Great work of redemption in our individual lives, communities, government structures, culture, and all of creation.

Will you, join us, as we become one global Christian Church seeking to share the love of God through physical assistance and spiritual restoration in Zimbabwe, Zambia, the United States and around the World?

Lindsay Reilly - Forgotten Voices Board Member and Research Analyst at Global Scripture Impact

A Different Way to Think About the Holidays

It is great to be a part of the Forgotten Voices team. I am just at the very very beginning of really getting involved.

It's amazing to read about what this organization is doing and what it means. We're approaching the holiday season and I'm thinking about the CRAZE that we all so easily become a part of- stressing out about what we have or don't have...but it makes me think about the real issues. There are children who have nothing that the Forgotten Voices team is helping.

It would be great to shift our thinking from what WE NEED to what we CAN give. I'm joining the 10 together campaign to do what I can to help a child. A little goes a long way in the countries that Forgotten Voices is reaching out to.

I want to be more involved in this work because I think it will keep me focused on others who are in need and it's neat to think about what I can do to help someone else, rather than thinking about my own needs! For me, it is a way that I can touch a life even though I am not physically out there- I can still be a part of it.

Amma Johnson - Singer, Songwriter and Entrepreneur

No Greater Joy

The mission of Forgotten voices is to equip churches in Southern Africa to empower AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children. In so doing we directly help widows and the downtrodden of the world. I love this because it allows us to directly fulfill a biblical mandate; Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (KJV). Wow. It doesn’t get too much plainer than that. My son Stephen got me involved with Forgotten Voices International several years ago. Stephen went on his first trip to Africa in 2007 and I had the opportunity to go in 2009 and then again in 2010. While these trips are always a bit depressing because you experience first hand the horrors of the AIDS epidemic and other assorted atrocities it is also an unbelievable opportunity to serve. In my opinion there is no greater joy.

Forgotten Voices is making an immediate and direct impact on peoples lives in a very positive way. This is what I love so much about the ministry. The funds raised go to the people in need and they see immediate benefit. Period. I’ve seen this first hand and it melts my heart every time I see the results whether it be with an orphan feeding program, a farming program, school fees or whatever.

My work at Forgotten Voices has been the single most rewarding thing I have ever done. It makes me feel that I am playing a small role in not only helping people who are desperately in need help but I am also helping to build the Kingdom of God. What cold be a more noble purpose or fulfilling activity? If you are considering helping out in some way – there are so many ways that you can – I highly encourage it. I can personally assure you that you will not regret it.

Steve Bozzo - Forgotten Voices Board Member and Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, 1-800-Flowers.com

Together We Can Love the World

When Forgotten Voices asked me to be director of student relations, I was surprised and elated and experienced a plethora more thoughts and emotions. To join an organization that is on the forefront of protracting change in southern Africa, one can’t help but jump in with both feet. I don’t know how else to do something except to jump in with all that I am and have. To be able to use my gifts and talents to save lives [bring hope to] and communities in southern Africa is something that I feel honored to do. The AIDS epidemic is so much bigger than me, but as Remmy reminded us, it starts with saving [helping] one child at a time.

The fact that Forgotten Voices isn’t going into a hurting area and telling them how to fix their problems is one of my favorite things about the organization. We don’t know everything and southern African communities are a completely different culture. Those on the ground in Zambia and Zimbabwe understand much better how to support those forgotten voices in their communities whom have lost their parents.

The fact that I get to tell stories and connect communities excites me. Forgotten Voices is a personal organization with stories of personal lives: the fourteen year old girl who takes care of her family, the teen in New York who gives up a car so that an orphan can go to school. It is through personal relationships that we will be able to not only change these lives right now, but also for eternity.

So what is my story? There have been many things that have brought me here. I spent my most recent time in Germany ministering to high school students whose parents were impacting communities all over the world. The gift to mentor students that had such a heart for their fellow man was a very special thing. They have had a special opportunity by growing up in places far from their home.

Students here have the same passions and abilities to change the world. They want to use their gifts now. They don’t need to wait for more schooling or a steady job to start changing their world. They want to help now. And they are. If I can help them to channel their excitement into helping their world, then I will jump at the chance.

So what can we do together? We can spread the word. We can raise awareness about the things going on in southern Africa. This Christmas season we can pray for those whose voice gets so easily lost in the hustle and bustle of American life. We can remember that Jesus came to earth to save the lost and hurting; that when we serve the least of these, we are serving him.

So after you finish reading this please do a couple of things for me. Look us up on Facebook and ‘like’ our page. Follow us on Twitter. And finally, pray about how to serve those who need your help, whether they are down your street or across the world.
And one final question. How are you demonstrating God’s love to your world?

Matt Kirkley - Volunteer Director of Student Relations

Mighty Mouse: Cartoons, Courage, and Christianity

Source: Paul Terry Productions, "Mighty Mouse"

Mighty Mouse always amazed me when I was a kid. He was just a mouse, but seemingly knew no bounds for what he could do to solve adult problems all around him. No matter how hard they got, Mighty Mouse solved the problem with courage.

As you may have noticed today (Dec 6), cartoons have invaded Facebook in an attempt to raise awareness of child abuse. The simple idea that a cartoon seen would trigger memories of a simpler, care-free time where we remember just how vulnerable we were as kids... then realize that kids all over the world are being abused right around us. My prayer is that it causes all of us to take some action to empower and protect a child today.

When I learned of this Facebook movement yesterday, I was struck instantly by the story of a 6 year old child in Zimbabwe that I do not know and haven't figured out how to help YET. He dominated my mind throughout this last trip to Africa. Early in the trip, a dear friend of mine in Zimbabwe asked me for some advice about child abuse case law in Zimbabwe knowing I have studied under one of the most respected child rights advocates in the world during my time at Harvard (You can read some of my research on widow & child rights here). Yet, nothing prepares you for the story my friend told us. I don't want to trouble you with the same images that trouble me.

But the big picture is this --- A 6 year old child orphaned by AIDS was being abused by his own grandfather, yet no one in the family was willing to file a complaint to the police fearing reprisal and violating the sacred trust of family.  Like in any society, families experience great shame in sharing family secrets of this horror and in a male driven culture this was especially true.

I didn't know what to tell my friend then, but I promised to ask everyone I saw who may be able to help her as she begins trying to intervene. This child needed a church champion. Pray with me for his liberation.

Over and over, as I asked pastors in Zimbabwe and Zambia, I was saddened to hear that abuse among children orphaned is VERY common. Every pastor had first-hand experience with my question and almost all of them had personally intervened where culture and lack of laws protected the abuser. Though I was struck by the horrors of abuse I heard, I was also struck by how amazing Christians can be by the courage that God provides. Pastors shared stories of their interventions, how sermons and time with families began changing cultural habits to value kids, and how Christ's love trumps pride we fear will be tarnished. Kids were being saved by these champions. Kids were being protected by churches that were taking kids in instead of leaving them alone and vulnerable.

Without their own "mighty mouse" in the local church, even more abuse would happen.  These theologically sound, vetted pastors are checking in on the kids, taking many of them into their own homes or finding quality caregivers within the church community. They are doing what they can.

Daily, I hear stories of vulnerable kids our church partners in Africa know about but can't help because they lack funding. This trip, more than any before, I connected our actions to equip churches with stopping abuse of children orphaned by AIDS. We are not just sending kids to school, but getting them out of being home alone. We are not just providing them seed & fertilizer, but giving them their own food source so they don't have to beg or barter themselves.

You and I are like simple mice, presented with giant problems. How will we respond? Will we harness the courage of our childhood cartoon inspirations or let this suffering slip away into the busyness of our adult lives?

Our local partnering churches in Africa are working in very adult scenarios, full of bleak conditions, where hope should not win by all logic. But, the story of Jesus coming in a manger reminds us that hope springs out of the poor. The faith, love, sacrifice, and joy in the midst of fear for Joseph and Mary shows us that God can equip us to be champions and shepherds for His desired work in the world.

Jesus came to redeem the world. He came, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. As He left us to return to heaven, He left the church behind to demonstrate the love of Christ. To bring hope to the hopeless. To defend the fatherless. To take our mouse like bodies, inept by the world's standards, and offer ourselves up as living sacrifices to bring God's hope to our still hurting world.

This Christmas, I'm reminded of our need to not fear what we cannot solve in our world. Instead, may we offer our best before God and do what we can. Thanks for helping local churches be courageous to protect children from abuse. Their mighty efforts are made possible in part because of your mighty efforts. For that and for the kids we all get to serve, I'm forever grateful.

Have courage today,
Ryan Keith
President of Forgotten Voices International

Be a champion for a church looking to be a Mighty Mouse for a child orphaned by AIDS in their community.  Give today at www.ForgottenVoices.org/donate.

Here I Am

Two weeks ago today, I stepped off an 18.5 hour return flight from South Africa. I'd taken a group of pastors from Central Pennsylvania to see the work that Forgotten Voices is doing in southern Africa. In a two week whirlwind tour we visited Zimbabwe, Zambia and spent one night in South Africa. We visited with roughly 15+ families and met with only a handful of the 150 churches that partner with Forgotten Voices. We experienced humorous moments - see picture of baby monkey chewing on Julie’s ear - and heartbreaking moments - like the visits with families who had no food and no seed to plant. We prayed, we laughed, we cried, but most importantly we had the opportunity to meet true heroes of the faith. We spent time with devoted pastors, listening to what their church is doing to help their communities, praying with and for them, encouraging them and rejoicing with them over the work that is being accomplished.

Every single day these men and women arise from their beds and say, “Here I am Lord, use me.” Throughout the day they change their hats - one second they are a pastor, the next they are counselor, a social worker, a business man or woman working on income-generating projects to benefit their communities. They put on each hat with a spirit of humility and a reliance on God and the Spirit to lead, guide, and direct them. When you sit with these men and women you can begin to see what it means to be the Church in the community. Each of our project partners adds a unique approach to addressing the AIDS crises. They develop locally-relevant action plans for meeting the needs of children who have been orphaned by AIDS and other vulnerable children in their network.

I love volunteering for Forgotten Voices to help equip our church partners to fulfill their action plans for their communities. I have witnessed firsthand the value these action plans bring to a community and have seen our partners transforming communities one child at a time.

I serve by leading our volunteers here in the United States and helping run the day-to-day operations of our ministry. Forgotten Voices has roughly 30+ volunteers in the USA who help us equip our brothers and sisters in southern Africa. We are looking to grow our volunteer network throughout 2011. If you are interested in volunteering please visit this link for volunteer opportunities.

In closing, my challenge to you is to arise each day with the spirit of “Here I am Lord, use me.” Learn from our partners, grow along with us as God continues to reveal new things about Himself, and participate with us in making a permanent change in the life of children.

Nate Shaffer - Volunteer Executive Director

True Sacrifice

As a “missionary family”, people are often saying thank you to us for the “sacrifice” we make in our work with Forgotten Voices. I am always a little taken back and never know quite what to say in response to this. I do not often think of what we are doing as a sacrifice on our part. Sure, Ryan travels quite a bit and Avery and I are not always able to join him. Sure, he works a lot of nights and weekends, since calling Africa and working with volunteers requires odd hours. Sure, we might be able make a little more money doing something else with our time. But sacrifice? After spending time in Zimbabwe and Zambia and hearing the stories from our partners in Africa, I certainly do not feel like we are sacrificing much.

I have seen first-hand what I would consider true sacrifice. Sacrifice is the grandmother taking in her twelve grandchildren after their parents have passed away due to AIDS related illnesses. Sacrifice is the twelve-year-old who stops going to school so he can work and care for his younger brother and sister. Sacrifice is the home-based care worker who volunteers her time to visit with widows and children who are orphaned. Sacrifice is the pastor who conducts many funerals in one week – week after week. Sacrifice is the pastor who works tirelessly to support his congregants as they work to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the hurting families in their communities. Sacrifice is giving when it would be easier not to – when it would be easier to focus on themselves, but instead focus on the needs of others.

Sacrifice was Jesus coming to Earth as a man and dying on the cross so that our sins would be forgiven. Christ’s love for us resulted in the ultimate sacrifice, so that we may have life. This leaves us with an incredible responsibility and blessing to honor Christ with our lives. I have learned so much from the pastors, volunteers and families in Zimbabwe and Zambia about what it means to honor Christ with my life through service to others. This Christmas, join our family in praying about how God may be calling us to serve those in our community and in Southern Africa. May we know what it means to truly sacrifice for the sake of others, and as we do, may we learn more about the love of Christ for us and for people all around the world.

Merry Christmas!

Katie Keith