Orphan Sunday

Peter and I were privileged to hear Gary Schneider, founder and president of Every Orphan's Hope, speak on Orphan Sunday in 2009. From that moment, our journey with God to serve orphans and widows in Zambia began.

God has been amazing on this journey as we have had many ups and downs but our faith has grown in a way never imagined.

As today is Orphan Sunday 2013, I can't help but be thankful for the calling God has placed upon us. Even in the difficulties, we serve a great God who loved us first and calls us to love others. As we have learned over time, many orphans in the world are viewed as the least of these. I don't know about you, but every time I hug one of my girls, I can't help but also think of a child who doesn't receive that type of love because there isn't anyone there to share it.

To be called to be the hands and feet of Christ by showing love to the orphans in this world is priceless. To have the opportunity to give love but also receive their love in return, it's inexpressible. I pray each of you can connect with this movement as the number of orphans grows daily.

Today my words are overshadowed by those who can express this love of Jesus better than I, so I am sharing these videos with you.

Enjoy

http://vimeo.com/48047907
http://vimeo.com/72235614

New Creation

It's funny how when one looks back over their lives they can see change within themselves and others. Sometimes this transformation is good, other times not so much.

Over these last few weeks, Peter and I have had many conversations as to who we used to be and how we have been transformed by God. It's not that we were awful; we lived as "good" people and tried to do the best we could. All that trying was for ourselves though, for appearance' sake or to show how we compared to others. Looking at ourselves through God's eyes and seeing the new creation He has made  in us, we are thankful for who He is and how we have developed servant hearts for Him.

When Peter prepared to leave for Zambia two weeks ago, we found ourselves in another one of these conversations. We are embarking upon a new chapter in our lives that has little to do with us and everything to do with showing God the glory. I found myself sharing with Peter my feelings toward him and by the end of the conversation knew I also needed to share it with you.

Peter and I have been together for 20 years and met in college so we've seen many changes in each other's lives. We have had our rocky moments in our marriage and also wonderful ones. We have experienced monetary wealth and the lack of it, death of family members, divorce of friends and loved ones, and those arguments that you would never share with another. Each of these experiences has brought us closer together and created a bond between us that could not be replaced with another. We thought we couldn't get any better than what we had.

We had no idea that when we both accepted to walk together with God as our Lord and to commit our lives to Him that we could actually have a different marriage. We always trusted each other in our marriage and never have given the other a reason not to; but the trust that God created between us is unexplainable. I know that I can trust Peter with anything–and I mean absolutely anything–not because he's my husband or my friend, and not because he did anything to gain that trust, because I'm sure there are times he's disappointed me as I have him. Undoubtedly, we will also disappoint each other in the future, too. But over these last few years, I have seen a man grow to love the Lord more than he loves me and it's that aspect that allows me to completely give myself to him. 

Some of you reading this may have found that last comment quite odd, but knowing he loves God more than me lets me know that Peter will never lead me where God doesn't want me to go. If he is putting God first in his life before my desires, then whatever my course, it will always be with God. It may not always be the path of least resistance but through circumstances, my faith in God and my love for Peter have grown.

When I first met Peter, I just thought he was cute. He made me laugh which is something that is sometimes difficult to do; he still makes me laugh. There are times in our relationship that I have loved him and other times that I thought I might smack him upside the head! (I'm sure he feels the same about me even though he may not say it.) 

Now when I look at him, there is something completely different. I see a man that I respect, a man I trust and one I completely love no matter his faults. Not because he is perfect, far from it. It's because when I see him, he is striving to continually look straight at God. Even when he falls down, he is there with God asking for guidance and forgiveness. That's really all I need.

A few friends have said that they admire our leap of faith; it's not to be admired. If we took our focus off God for even a moment, we would probably fall to pieces. Some think it's nuts that we are doing this  as we have always been planners; sometimes we agree with them that it does appear crazy. 

But when we look to God's word and His promises, it's absolutely logical what we are doing. When we look back on our lives and no longer say, "I achieved this on my own doing" and actually see the places where God has led us on the path that we are now, we can see that we never had a plan but have been working straight toward His. The only difference is now we say, "Yes, Lord. We trust you." 

We pray that each of you will grow in your faith to say, "Yes, Lord. I trust you" in whatever path He is leading you. Whether it is for you to serve a neighbor across the street, serve the homeless or even move overseas to serve orphans and widows or preach the gospel.

Has God transformed your life? Can you look back and see His prints all over your path? 

2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old is gone, the new is here!"

Special Update

Dear Family, Friends and Followers!!!

We are excited to begin to announce our next phase in this journey our Lord is leading us on. As we have sold our home and placed our items into storage, God has blessed us with a family that has graciously taken us in "indefinitely." We love that they have no limits on their willingness to serve God through providing a home for our family, but ultimately we are being called to serve as full-time missionaries in Zambia.

So our next step is to actually begin the process of moving to Zambia. We have currently put together an anticipated budget, but as you know with all budgets, we really won't know until we arrive.

Currently, we have raised through monthly partners $1,620 which will cover our rent. Although we would like to be fully funded, we also know that this has been a journey of faith and our Lord will provide.

If you find that God has been leading you to become a monthly partner or even make a one-time donation, please click on the DONATE button to contribute toward our daily bread for Every Orphan's Hope.

Blessings,
Peter & Cheryl Greif

This Isn't Easy

It's been awhile since we've last blogged; it's almost impossible to find even a moment to sit down and write. Packing up our home was an adventure in itself. How many times have you pulled out that random item from a drawer and said, "What does that go to?" If you're like me, the immediate answer would be, "I'll figure it out later," and then you throw it back in. Well, later finally came and our choices were to figure it out, give it away or determine if it was useless and throw it away. Sadly, some items didn't make it into storage.

On our last day in the house, Peter had to go fly a trip and I had to do a walk-through with the new owner. Our friend and realtor came to help me and upon realizing I had a few last minute items to get out of the garage and attic, he offered to lend a hand. As I'm up in the attic, I called down, "Hey Derrek! Grab this bumper will you!" Yes, we actually had a Mazda Miata bumper in our attic. I still don't know why, that's only a question Peter can answer. We had a few odd items to say the least.

But our house sold, we moved all the items we were keeping into storage for the shipping container and took just the basics to our new home, the Bell's house. What a blessing they have been! Offering to take us in as we weren't even sure where we were going to go while we tried to wrap up fundraising. Living now in a house of 8 can seem a bit hectic, but their willingness to accept us into their home has made the first of many transitions into the life of missionaries quite easy to tell the truth.

Whoa!!! Isn't the title to this blog "This Isn't Easy"? You are probably thinking that selling your home, moving in with friends and trying to morph into this missionary family is anything but easy. You're right, but you're wrong.

We've actually been finding out that those were the easy parts. It wasn't fun selling our house, but compared to now, that was a cake walk. We have this giant gorilla in the room every time we talk to dearly loved ones in our family. It's becoming difficult. We all know we are on the cusp of departing and the final step is attaining just "enough" funds to have our basic needs met in Zambia.

It's so hard to even begin to express this gorilla that likes to sit at our table. Some of us in the family are able to talk about it better than others, but for the most part it's that unbearable silence where no one knows what to say.

These last few weeks, I have been reminded in either the girl's Bible curriculum or in my own devotionals about Abraham and Moses. I don't know about you, but when I look at our patriarchs, they enter onto a pedestal so high that I forget they were human. Thankfully, the Lord has reminded me over the last few weeks that they are not superhuman after all.

I've found myself wondering what it must have felt like when Abraham was asked to leave his home and extended family and go to a land that he didn't know. How did he say goodbye to his parents or any siblings he had? Did they think he was crazy for following God in such a way that they couldn't comprehend?

Or Moses, he sees the burning bush that doesn't burn and then it talks to him. Once he hears that God is asking him to go back to Egypt, he doesn't jump up and down and say "awesome!" but he argues with God. Now that's me! I'm thankful to know that there are people in the Bible that have to be told multiple times to do something and still they wrestle with the way God wants them to do it. It gives me peace to know that I'm not the only stubborn person in this world.

We saw our oldest daughter, Danielle, this past weekend. When we drove up to Missouri for our visit, there was already a stress in the car. It was not going to be a fun visit; the gorilla was there the whole time. If you have older children that have moved out of the house, you may still have a few of their items in your home. We definitely did and it was time to hand them over. It was fun for her to see many of her old items again and watch her walk out in her monkey slippers; but the reason she had to receive them was not the highlight of our weekend.

Some days we just want to shout, "This wasn't our plans!" Ours were very different and as we are watching tears flow from not only their eyes but our own, all we can say is this isn't easy.... part of you just wants to find a way to make it stop; but then...I am reminded of Moses. (Didn't see that coming, did you?)

My favorite part of the argument as to whether Moses should go to Egypt and confront Pharaoh or not is when he says, "Who am I that I should go?" and God's response is simple, "But I will be with you." That hits me each time I've read it this week. In the moments that my heart has hurt over talking to family and feeling their pain, to hugging my oldest daughter this weekend and not wanting to let go, there has been a peace of the Lord throughout. We have ultimately relied on him to carry us through this. We couldn't have done this any other way.

As we all have this gorilla in our room right now, we are falling upon our Lord and calling out to him for peace. He is such a gracious God for he has provided that gentle whisper each time: "I am with you." And that will be what continues to bring us through these next few months as it will continue to not be easy.

Danielle (center) with Alyson (left) and Brittan (right)

Mother and Daughter

The Glory to Him

About a week ago, I finished a biography about George Muller, an 1800's missionary who provided for orphans in Bristol, England. I was completely inspired by his faith in the Lord's provision. If you don't know his story, during his adult life he cared for thousands of orphans. To sum up how he did this, one simple word: "Prayer." Quoted in the Liverpool Mercury upon his death: "How was this wonder accomplished? Mr. Muller has told the world that it was the result of 'Prayer.' The rationalism of the day (which is still here today) will sneer at this declaration; but the facts remain."

I won't be a complete spoiler if you want to read his story, but his prayer life inspired me. God's provision was always there for him no matter the circumstance. I'm sure there were times that it wasn't as apparent as others but he showed a steadfast faith that caught my admiration.

My prayers changed as soon as I read his story. Instead of saying, "God, IF you want this please send supporters"; I changed to "God, you have lead us on this path and I trust you completely. We know you will provide. Please grow my faith in your promised provisions. Help me be steadfast just as George Muller."

This has become my constant prayer and it is one that will only show glory and not anything that I did. This is what I long to see. In my rational mind, I don't know how He provides, but I know He does and I know He will.

So fast forward to yesterday. (Does that even make sense?)

God is SO GOOD! That sums it up. He placed someone in my path yesterday that I had never met before and vice versa. We just started talking about our girls in their gymnastics classes. I was content to have that conversation and leave it at that, but God had other plans. It started simple; I shared how He led us to home school the girls. No big deal.

Then, He just laid it on my heart, so simple: "Tell her what I have called your family to do."

My response might surprise you: "REALLY! Can't I just be a 'normal' person for once?" When I say "normal," what I really mean is to be worldly minded and not heavenly minded at that moment. Those of you that know me; well, you know what I did. I started my internal arguing with God. It went something like this:

Can't I just sit here and watch Brittan do her gymnastics?
I mean really, this lady doesn't want to know about this.
To tell the truth, God, I just don't feel like it today. I'm tired of telling the story; I just want to be.

And so on and so forth I go; but I always lose these arguments and all I can say is, "Thank you God for always winning."

So, it starts with the simplest comment of whenever we look back at our lives, we can see God's fingerprints all over it from why He led us down the path of homeschooling the girls. And it begins...

But here is the amazing thing. It's what she told me in the end. This dear woman looked at me and said:

"I have been praying to God to give me an opportunity to be a good steward with my money. I have a generous heart and want to give for His kingdom." She said she was so glad she sat down and started talking to me because God led her to me. As she and I parted ways, she said "I will be giving to your family to help you serve Him in Zambia. I don't know what it will be, but God will let me know just as He has led me here today."

So can I just say WHOA!

When I told Peter about this, he said, "Both of your prayers collided, can you see it?" I didn't see it that way but he was right. Both of us were praying to God to be obedient in some form. In my case to trust in His provision and in hers to find a way to provide.

So often I have sat there and prayed for things but in the end I would say: "Well, I did this; I put together that; I sent out this; I talked to them...." Do you see a pattern? 

I like to sing it in scale: "me, me, me, me, me, me, me." LOOK AT ME!!! 

We forget so often that we have done very little. God gives us each a path and we choose which one we would like. He's on each path, but some lead us along rockier ground than others. But whatever that path is, we will continue "Choosing His Path."

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6 (ESV)

I did originally want to give you all an update to where we are with the house sale and fundraising; but I'm thankful to share God moving.

The quick update is that we are at $790 monthly which is just a bit shy of 10% funded. Our house is under contract and has a closing date of Sept. 19. We will move in with friends as we complete the fundraising process and all that's left is for Peter to give notice to his job. What does that mean? We could be on Zambian ground within 45-60 days.

Is God moving your heart just as He did with the woman that I met this week? We are in need of your partnership and are officially free to leave when we are funded. Were you waiting for precisely this moment before you wanted to give?

Please click on the DONATE button on this blog to give toward our Daily Bread if you would also like to show God's provision to us.

Our True North

Often, we get the question as to why we are willing to serve in Zambia. Is it because of Every Orphan's Hope or the relations we've built with the kids in the My Father's House homes? Or maybe it's just that we're going through some sort of mid-life crisis. (I'm actually saying that politely. I think most people look at us like we are nuts!) And that could be the case. When we had our next set of kids (Alyson and Brittan), everyone thought we were nuts too because as they said, "Danielle is 16 and you're almost free!" But our response was that we didn't have anything else to do and we were too young to have an empty nest; so why not?

So why are we doing this? Our dear friend and founder of Every Orphan's Hope, Gary Schneider, visited us a few days ago as he had returned from Zambia and he asked the same question. It was a simple question, why are you going to Zambia? Now, we could have come up with a whole array of different responses: We love the organization; we can see ourselves doing this; we love the kids; we get to further the kingdom, et cetera and so forth. But in the end as we sat there for a moment and tried to come up with one reason, Peter and I found the one that was at its core: We're being obedient. God has asked us to serve there so we are going. It's that simple. Gary calls that our true north, what we always need to point to when we get off center with the storms that will come as we transition to become full-time missionaries.

Obedience is an interesting process; it's like peeling layers. As Shrek said, "Ogres are like onions, they have layers." The peeling of each layer brings a new sting, some sweet and others sharp. Our newest layer of obedience is the sale of our house. Whoa!

Sorry, I couldn't resist putting him in here explaining how Ogres are like onions to Donkey!

One would think that this was a huge layer, but we actually found that this was one layer of many that has been occurring over the last few years. Ever since we had our first mission trip to Zambia we've simplified each year, not realizing how easy it would make things precisely for this moment.

Now, the actual putting the house on the market was a huge step because it is truly the first step of faith and what a step it has been. It comes with a sweet and sharp sting. The sharp one is obvious, there are memories in each room.

Alyson with Grandma just a few weeks old

I walked through Alyson's room today and remembered the hours Peter and I spent at Barnes and Nobles looking through room décor. I remembered sitting in the rocker in her room after it was complete admiring his handiwork. Then the picture of his mom holding Alyson in the same room rocking her to sleep. It was also in that same rocker that I watched her sleeping peacefully in my arms and realized Peter was right and we needed to have siblings. Hence Brittan came along.

We had to go in to touch up paint in Brittan's room the other day. She's our spirited one! God really has a sense of humor; I think He loves to laugh because she is comedic. If we had stayed in this house much longer, we would have had to repaint the whole room as she may have colored on all the walls or hit something up against them as she is known as "rough and tumble."

Danielle, our oldest, is quick to remind everyone that outside of the master bedroom, she was the first to occupy each room as her own in the house before we had the other two girls. We just kept moving her into the bigger ones. It was a good trade off.

What's interesting though is that it's sweet, too. We were placed in that house through a blessing. When we found the empty lot, the builders didn't even know they owned it. They had already moved out of the neighborhood and we wanted that particular builder. This home happened to be just down the street from our church, Preston Ridge Baptist Church, which is where we started our true obedience to the Lord. His fingerprints are all over that house. It reflects how He has grown throughout our lives for precisely this moment.

The sweetness of selling the house is how freeing it feels. We are able to serve the Lord with complete abandonment. Whether He says right, left or straight ahead, now we can say, "Yes, Lord." We don't have anything holding us down. We are truly portable to be His hands and feet. So Amazing!

Each step in obedience has actually not held us back but opened up a whole new world of opportunities. We are both finding that as we say "yes" there has been something on the other side of that response that is sweeter than ever imagined.

Is there anything you are holding back from saying, "Yes, Lord! Whatever you ask, it's yours"? It may sting a little or a lot, but ultimately it's freeing to give it all to Him. After all, it was all His to begin with and in the end it will be His again.

Please pray for us that we are able to continue to say YES each day as He continues to lead us to serve in Zambia and follow our true north of being obedient to Him.

In addition, please pray for how you can see yourself along with us in this journey. Our house received 4 offers in less than 24 hours, so we will officially be ready to leave in less than 2 months. As our layers continue to peel, do you have a layer in this too? We are still in need of committed partners like you to send us for God's work in Zambia. Can you see yourself peeling a layer and saying, "Yes, Lord, I will send."

Joining God in Zambia

Part of our extended Zambian family

Over the last few weeks, Peter and I have had multiple conversations about what we will be doing with Every Orphan's Hope and how someone can come in as a committed partner to support us on our daily bread. I'm amazed at all the opportunities that God has given us to speak about the work He is doing in Zambia to provide for the orphans and widows.

I am reminded of a conversation with a dear friend at church as to how depending upon God for our daily bread is possible and what his family's part is in this journey along with us. He was also concerned with the big picture and couldn't see how his small part could make a difference.

The answer was much simpler than one would have expected, which is always the case when you look at it from a different perspective.

So I posed this question to my friend. How often do you go out to eat? It was a rhetorical question, but it's a starting point. Now based on where you go, how much do you spend as a family? Well, that can range, whether you go to like McDonald's or to a sit down restaurant. So what, you're looking at anywhere from $25-$75 or more based on what you order and how big your family is; if you have teenage boys that makes a difference, too.

Many of you are already seeing where I'm going with this. Do you go to a restaurant once a week, some of us more than that based on our schedules? So I asked him, could you give up one of those outings to support a missionary family each month? And then as a family, could that just be your spaghetti night for the month and also in that time, could you pray for our family? What a blessing that would be to us to be remembered once a month by your whole family through your own sacrificial giving and your prayers.

Can you see a small picture of how you can be a part of this, no matter how small the amount?

By no means are we asking others to sacrifice their whole livelihood to support us. You have families and desires just as we do, but as with any path that God leads each of us on, a small sacrifice is what allows us to reflect the light of Jesus. Over the last few years God has grown us to this point to be His instruments and we have been exactly where some of you are now in regards to sacrificial giving. We have had the struggles to give wholeheartedly with tithing, sponsoring orphans through Every Orphan's Hope and sponsoring short-term missionaries from our church. As we take this big step of faith, will you also take a big step by joining us?

We know many of you are praying about this and God has been laying it on your heart to help us. Others of you are still not sure how this works so we thought maybe breaking this down a bit more would be helpful.

In order to raise what we need, not only for our daily living expenses but also the part we are taking to raise for the work of the ministry in Zambia, here is how you could fit in.

In regards to sponsors for our daily bread we need:

20 partners at $100 per month (already committed 1)

20 partners at $50 per month (already committed 4)

50 partners at $40 per month (already committed 3)

50 partners at $30 per month (already committed 1)

40 partners at $25 per month (already committed 1)

30 partners at $20 per month (already committed 2)

Can you see somewhere that you could fit into here?

As you are looking at your own way to sacrificially give, here is an update as to where we are in the process of serving in Zambia. Our house will officially go on the market next Thursday, August 15 and we anticipate a quick sale based on the market here in Frisco, TX. Once we move out, probably around September, we have been blessed by a family in our church to let us come live with them for an indefinite amount of time until we are funded. While we are waiting, we will be in the process of sending our household items to Zambia, whatever can fit in a 20-foot container. Since it will take about 3 months for it to arrive, our hope is that we will arrive around the same time as our furniture does. But we cannot even start that next step without a commitment from you towards our daily bread. Will you join us as a committed partner?

Please click on the "Donate" button on the side of this blog if you will join us as partners in Zambia.

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 (ESV)

Saying goodbye to our girls

Peter with one of our boys in Zambia sharing gifts from his sponsors

Choosing His Path

Occasionally, I get small glimpses of God's character when I'm not looking for them. Traveling home from a trip to speak truth to a loved on, I had one of these moments as I recollect the conversation we had.

I have found myself upon my knees thanking God for His endless grace and mercy and in awe of how much He truly loves us. Before each of us a path is laid for us to choose. We can choose the one of least resistance, although it may require sacrifice, or we can opt for the path that is an endless loop of ups and downs, moments when it appears we have peace until another storm comes to pass.

Personally, I have found myself on each of these paths at various times in my life. When I’ve chosen the loop, it’s almost like a hamster on its exercise wheel, going in circles that end in the same place. God has always had another way for me, for each of us. The way is easy and His load is light, but it always requires something for us to stop the hamster wheel and follow His path.

Based on my season, it has been my pride or my perception of control. Thinking that I can do it myself and don't need the help God has provided me through Himself or others in my path. Other seasons have revealed my desire of accolades and praise, looking at myself to see what I have accomplished, never giving the glory to God in His abundant generosity to allow me to be His servant.

In this season, I find doubt creeping in. It's the little things that cause us to doubt. How will something be accomplished? In our case it can vary from fundraising, packing up all our things, or just deciding what goes with us and what is given away. One can easily be overwhelmed by all the questions and doubt, and if you let it creep in too much, it can paralyze you to not choose the path God has planned for each of us.

God is such a loving Father. He sets a path in front of us to follow His Son or continue our own way. I'm amazed that every time we choose our own way, He is still there waiting for us, just giving us another opportunity to choose His way.

I find myself grateful today. Many times I have gone my own way but He has patiently been there waiting for me, showing me the way down the path of least resistance as I hold His hand and follow His lead. As the Lord has done with me, He does with each of us; so as I watch loved ones remain on their own wheel, I continue to be thankful that He will continue to present His path to them. When we are willing to see the light, submit ourselves to His love for us and see that He loves us more than we could ever imagine, all I can say is “What a gracious God we serve!”

Lord, I thank you for who you are and for all the times you have redirected me when I’ve chosen my own way. I know that as your will lies before me, I will stumble and fall but am thankful that you will be there each step of the way, guiding me as you always have. I pray that I will always to continue to choose your path and not my own. I pray that others choose to see your light and follow you. To see that your way will always provide what they need for that day. Thank you for taking my hand each day, for guiding me and for above all, loving me enough to sacrifice your son Jesus. Amen.

Update: When I first wrote this, I was feeling discouraged. As I saw my own loved one leaning toward the wrong direction, I also found in myself that I was allowing doubt in my heart and questioning why God was leading us along this path, too. I hope you don’t find this unnatural. Many days we are overjoyed by the Lord allowing us to be His instruments and serve Him in Zambia.  But there are days that it is overwhelming and it feels like another layer is being revealed and we need to shed off our old selves to reflect His new creation.

So the following morning this was written. I was reminded of how good God is. I received an unsolicited message from a relative that was so encouraging and a reminder of why we are walking along this path. An hour later, we also received another monthly donor to add to this journey. All I can say is “Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that when I doubt, your hand is on this journey.”

We are still in need of monthly sponsors and hope that you will join us in Zambia by providing for us financially, in addition to your prayers. Our house will officially be on the market in the next week and we are progressing with making our load light to follow when He calls us to leave for Zambia.

If you would like to give toward our daily bread, please click on the “Donate” button on the blog to proceed to the Every Orphan's Hope website.

One of Many

I know it will just get tougher as we approach a move date, but knowing and actually experiencing are two different things.

I'm not an overly emotional person, but my heart received its first of what will be many moments of sadness to come.

We spoke with our relator earlier this week and made the decision that the time has come to put the house on the market. So the sign is going up today....

We are not completely funded, it's trickling in, but we still need others to join us on this journey with God. But...the timing in the market is right and ultimately we do not want to be unable to go once we are completely funded because we can't sell our house...so we are preparing for our transitional home until we set foot on Zambia.

It wasn't the idea of putting the house on the market that got me teary-eyed. We've been planning this for many months now. It's the afterwards....

Our home has always been open to anyone who wanted to just hang out. As a matter of fact, we have as many as sometimes 8 kids in our home at one time just playing. This is our life. We are a house of kids. This day was no different. The girls' friends came over to swim, just as they always do in the summer. I have the honor of playing lifeguard.

Right to Left: Alyson, Kamdyn, Kaden & Brittan

But on this day, I watched it differently. They stood on the spa and did one of the same old games they always do: "1, 2, 3 Jump" then they look to see who jumped. Of course, no one does until someone just gets too tired of standing there and jumps in. Then they all laugh. You see it enough times and you just become immune to any humor in it, but they don't.

1, 2, 3 Jump!

 I didn't find humor. I felt a great sadness and started to cry. As they sat there laughing at one another, memories flooded my mind instead.

I remember each of them not being able to or just learning to swim and now they race each other from one end to the other. 

Or just how they come up with little silly games that always seem to make no sense but their imagination running faster than they can keep up.

I think of how close Brittan, our 6-year-old and Kaden (5 years old) are; they are pretty close to inseparable. The biggest complaint of the other kids in the cul-de-sac is that they will only play with each other and no one else. I think if they could be joined at the hip, they would be. They rarely argue and Peter and I always watch them in awe about how they just function as one.

Brittan and Kaden out for an afternoon drive.

Brittan and Kaden, best buds.

Or Kamdyn and Alyson, our 7-year-old, who fight like sisters but are the best of friends. There are many arguments their mom and I have had to mediate with the two of them and they have learned to compromise, becoming closer friends each time and learning to work with others.

Brittan, Alyson and Kamdyn after Crazy Hair day at VBS

The list could go on. We've watched all our kids grow up together up to this point. We've each seen each child as babies and grow to become friends.

It hurts....After I watched all this, I went over to talk to their mom about putting these pictures up...I wanted permission of course. When I told her about the sign, we both had to not look at each other as we were beginning to tear up.

It's not that we don't want to necessarily cry, but we want to cherish each moment with happiness over the next few months.

Just the thought of not looking out my front door and seeing the kids playing together, or going over to talk to them tugs at my heart. Even mine and Stacy's (that's their mom) newest endeavor of morning coffee as I've bought a simple French Press to use in Zambia and have an 18-flavor sample of coffee packets to see if we like any. Each morning I've made the coffee, gotten her a cup and we've shared our opinions.

After almost 13 years in this house, we have to start saying good-bye. Even now I choke up writing this. I love them.

So it begins, one of many. I won't be able to blog about all of these good-byes that are coming but many more are to come.

Our Amazing Interns

Each year Every Orphan's Hope is blessed to have interns that are nothing short of amazing. God always provides us with individuals who have such servant hearts and in the past years I have been honored to work with them.

This year is no different. Although this is the first year that I haven't been directly involved with them, I did have the opportunity to spend a few days with them and was reminded why I love interns. Their perspective is so fresh and their servant hearts apparent for all to see.

With this said, I want to share their blogs with you and encourage you to read them while they are and have been serving in Zambia. They give an inside look of the orphans not only within our My Father's House homes but also those within the villages. In addition, I love these two blogs as they have been doing a debunk of the misconceptions of Africa. It's extremely entertaining.

I hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I have.

Rebecca's Blog: A Heart for Africa

Molly's Blog: Only the Bare Necessities

Official Support Letter

Just a quick note to share some very exciting news with you!

Thank you for prayerfully and financially supporting us as we served these past four summers in Zambia. Each year, God has been so faithful to us, and so have you. We have asked God to lead us in a direction that would allow us to serve and develop a deeper relationship with Him and He has answered our prayer.

God is growing our faith in ways we never imagined! As the needs of Every Orphan’s Hope grow and change in Zambia, we have seen God uniquely grow our faith and change our desires as well. We are faithfully responding to God’s invitation and calling to serve as orphan care missionaries. Our decision to obediently say “yes” came after much prayer. We are wholeheartedly committed to Christ and this journey of faith that He has for our family.

Serving as orphan care missionaries in Zambia will be full-time ministries for both of us. As orphan care missionaries our job will entail but not be limited to:

-          Outreach: Reaching orphans with the gospel of Christ primarily through the Camp Hope ministry and other types of community/local church-based activities.

-          Discipleship: Mentoring the orphans through the My Father’s House homes, Camp Hope participants and other orphans through community and church-based outreach programs.

-          Practical Help: Included would be maintenance of the My Father’s House homes, administrative support and organization.

In the past, you have graciously committed to our serving in Zambia with one-time donations. We are now coming to you with a different request. We ask that you join us as committed financial partners in this work the Lord has called us to accomplish through Every Orphan’s Hope.  

Will you join us as partners with what God is doing in Zambia? We thank you in advance for prayerfully considering how we can partner together for the sake of the Gospel of Christ and the orphans in Zambia.

We’ll follow up with you soon and look forward to sharing more details as well as answering any questions about our journey and our ministry!

In His Service,

Peter & Cheryl Greif

How can you join us in God’s work in Zambia?

VISIT:

Consider visiting us in Zambia! Quit laughing, you may have a desire to one day visit your sponsored child or just serve in the off season. We would love to have you come stay with us and serve alongside us.

PRAY:

For us, our extended family that we leave here in the states as this is a huge transition for each of us. Also that all the work we do here in our preparations and then serving in Zambia will always reflect God’s glory.

GIVE:

By your giving, you will be providing for us our daily living expenses. We anxiously wait to see God’s provision and see him saying, “Yes, I will provide for you!” Giving toward our Daily Bread through Every Orphan’s Hope will continue to confirm His desire for us to serve in Zambia as orphan care missionaries.

In order to give toward our Daily Bread:

Visit the Every Orphan’s Hope website http://everyorphan.org/

Click on the “Donate” tab at the top of the page.

Chose the selection “Peter & Cheryl Greif Daily Bread.”

Fill in your donation amount and frequency, along with your contact and payment information.

Although one-time donations are appreciated, by committing to a monthly pledge, you create a stability that enables us to focus more on serving and less on fundraising. Knowing that we will have a commitment throughout the year will also enable to set an official departure date.

Our initial commitment to Every Orphan’s Hope will be 3-year term which will be reviewed annually.

Follow us:

Facebook: Peter-Cheryl Greif

Blog: greifsinzambia.blogspot.com

Repeating Verse in my Head

Yes, you may think I'm talking about a Bible verse, but I actually keep hearing Tom Petty in my head. You heard me right. Tom Petty. And not just any lyrics, but one where he keeps repeating a sound, so I kinda hear a small whine in it. Which actually fits how we may be feeling, too. There's a bit of a silent whine as we too are in this process of waiting.

I don't know about you, but patience has never been my strong suit. As a matter of fact, when I was a teacher of elementary students, that was my constant prayer, to have patients for certain students. Now, if you are one of my former students reading this, then I'm not talking about you, I promise :)

Really, this is no shock. Western society has spoiled us. Yup, said that too. We're spoiled individuals. Every aspect of our society is immediate self-gratification. If I'm hungry and if I have money (and even if I don't but have a credit card) I can get pretty much whatever I want within minutes. It probably won't be healthy but I can satisfy my sense of hunger. And think of Starbucks. I can have coffee at any time of the day, hot or cold, latte or mocha; some of us have even replaced our old fashioned coffee makers for Starbucks because it just doesn't taste the same. Or even better, we have those fancy coffee makers where I can make one perfect cup of any flavor at any time of the day. Is it obvious I like coffee?

So back to Tom Petty and waiting. Once we started praying about serving in Zambia in the fall of 2012, things seemed to move fast. God was quick to confirm that this was what He wanted us to do and then Peter's trip in January made it even more obvious that we both had a place there to serve. Then the next step, after the holidays and telling family we began to purge our house and prepare it for selling. And except for some little odds and ends, we are ready. We could pack up our tent stakes in less than 3 months. As a whole, it seems that things have moved pretty quickly.

Now has come the last phase before we go and that's fundraising, waiting and Tom Petty. I keep hearing him whine it in my head....

Looking to others to help us now financially was not as easy as we expected it to be. We actually have to talk to people, send out letters, remind them that we are in need of their support once they have verbally agreed to commit. We had no idea how slow this process could be.

We are ready to go, have I already said that? We could actually leave in about a month as quick as the houses are selling in our area, but yet, we now sit and wait. Casting Crowns sings a song called "Somewhere in the Middle" and in the chorus it says, "Just how close can I get Lord to my surrender without losing all control. Fearless warriors in a picket fence; Reckless abandoned wrapped in common sense."

That's where I feel we are now. Ready to break down the picket fence and tired of being stuck in common sense. We have to remind ourselves constantly that to just sell it all and go will only sustain us for a year or maybe two, but as we are looking at a life change, that won't work. We need to accept
that we can't do this on our own means.

In a society where we are taught to be self-sufficient and have complete independence, this can be good but also bad. We are having to breakdown everything we've been taught to follow and remember that we can never be completely independent and self-sufficient. It's a fallacy, with one clean swoop it can be here today and gone tomorrow, but God and His character is constant. We are learning to throw off that self-sufficiency and independence and become completely dependent upon God's provision and the Spirit moving others to joining us in the work that He is doing in Zambia.

Abraham and Sarah tend to come to my mind often as I look at the promises God made to them. I think it was about 25 years in between the promise of Abraham's descendants to number the stars and the actual birth of Isaac. I hope we don't have to wait 25 years, but I then am reminded in Hebrews 11 that everything is by faith.

So even though I can hear Tom Petty in my head whining, "It's the waiting that's the hardest part," I also know that by faith we will wait on God's provision of our daily bread.

What about you? By faith, will you also join us in Zambia and help provide our daily bread? We would love to have you walk alongside us as we prepare for Zambia.

Please visit How Can I Help Part II in our blog to find out more.

This is my favorite time of year for multiple reasons. For some people, they love that the weather warms up and they can go to the pool, or in Frisco, Texas, the Snow Cone Lady opening becomes a constant talk. But for me, it's more than that. There's a buzz of Zambia that permeates our home.

For the last 4 years, it has focused first around Camp Hope and although Peter and I will miss this year's Camp Hope, it is not far from our home. For the last two weeks, our house was filled with 500 craft supplies that will be used to share the gospel to these orphans in the next few weeks. Short-term missionaries will begin arriving in Lusaka, Zambia, and will serve throughout Chongwe Village with this outreach program and it is always fun to see the preparation that takes place here stateside.

Then there are interns that will live in Zambia for the next 60 days. They departed this week and although mine and Peter's role with them this year was limited compared to the last two, it was still a blessing to get to sit with Rebecca and Molly and hear their stories and see the excitement they were experiencing as they prepared to depart for Zambia this past Thursday. That was a little more difficult as I almost took the minimal amount of savings we had and put the girls and I on a plane to go with them to serve as mentors for them. It is a constant reminder that we need to wait on God's timing and not our own.

Even though each of these buzzes are transitioning in and out of our home, there is one that has been dear to my heart for the last 3 summers and it will begin its 4th summer starting Monday. As silly as it may sound, it is our VBS at our home church, Preston Ridge Baptist. Now if you've ever participated at a VBS, you may understand, but others may just see this as a time for crafts and games. Not at ours! Yes, we have the crafts and games but more importantly, our church has partnered beyond their already present commitment to Every Orphan's Hope and they have graciously allowed us to use their VBS as a platform to make known the HIV/AIDS orphan crisis in Zambia.

In the last 3 years, we have raised money for our chicken farms in Chongwe Village, sent children to Camp Hope and helped build a My Father's House home. I have always been amazed at how our children have donated change, gone out and sold lemonade or just requested donations from family and friends and made them aware of the work Every Orphan's Hope is doing. My numbers are an estimate but based on my memory over the last 3 years, these children have raised somewhere between $5,000-$6000 for the various facets of the ministry. Amazing!

I can't wait for this week. Our new project is always something close to my heart which is the sponsorship of the children in My Father's House homes. We will be raising money to help provide the support that these children only receive from sponsors who are everyday people like you and I. They will focus on a specific house in Chongwe Village of Hope and learn about each of the 8 children in this house. God has given me such a great opportunity to teach these lessons to these children and I just love this one. Knowing that young children will be able to connect with kids their same age and do something that will directly impact their lives. They inspire me each year.

I always walk away from this week saying how AWESOME God is! He can speak to the heart of children and inspire them to move in a way that we never expect. As adults, we are always looking at our bottom line. What do I benefit from this? How will this really make a difference? Not the kids, they know it will make a difference. Helping provide a home, food, clothing, education and love from a family creates an eternal impact on a child's life. They see it! On top of that, these children live in a home that has Jesus Christ as the foundation. What better investment is there than that, and eternal investment into the heart of a child that is raised to know who Jesus is and have the opportunity to accept them as their Savior. That's the difference.

This week will help fulfill that eternal impact and I am just overjoyed by our home church that will host such an opportunity to allow children locally to hear the gospel and also they are helping orphans all the way in Zambia to be raised in a home filled with the love of Christ. All I can say is God is AWESOME!

His Plans becoming Our Plans

For the last two years, Pine Cove Christian Camp has been an integral part of our growth with the Lord. Yesterday, we arrived at family camp and it has already proven to be just as uplifting as it has been in the past.

One of the things we have always loved about Pine Cove is that we get to sit with young adults and share not only our walks with the Lord, but also hear about theirs. Each year, I find that we learn something from the young adults here that have given up their summer to serve families.

Last night, our first night here, I had the opportunity to visit with a young woman whose camp name is "Wigs." As I was sitting on the porch watching the girls swing with a few other friends, she just sat down beside me and said, "So tell me about you." Wow! Where in the world would I start. I tried to do the basics, family, ages, what we do, but that's not really who we are. It was impossible to not share what God has been doing in our family for the last 4 years, so of course I did my best to condense it in as short of a version as possible. She had lots of questions, but eventually a moment came where I could ask about her.

What an amazing story she had! As she shared how all her life she was pursing her plans to be able to financially sustain herself, God laid on her heart that she was to pursue music instead. It wasn't her plans as she always felt that accounting was her route and that music was just an interest she had. Then she said something that I will never forget.

I asked her, "So, after you graduate, what do you plan on doing? Will you teach?"

Her response was so simple. "Well," she said. "Since this wasn't my dream it really doesn't matter. It was His plan for me so I will just follow that plan and see where it leads. If it leads to teaching, great. If not, it doesn't matter as long as I'm following."

Whoa! She essentially said the same thing that our family is working through right now. Here this young lady in her 20s is following the Lord in a way that we are just embarking upon in our 40s. Who knows what she could accomplish for His kingdom with this perspective.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. Well, she's in her 20s, her parents probably support her, doesn't have a family, etc... I can see that way of thinking. But wouldn't it be amazing if we all just took a moment and didn't look at our lives through the perspective of what "I" can accomplish but changed it to what "He" can accomplish. She's not someone who is saying I'm not going to work, what she is saying is that whatever she does, it will be for His Glory and not her own.

Since last week, many of you have read our blog or seen our Facebook announcement and I'm sure there have been mixed reviews. The spectrum ranges from "God is amazing in what He can accomplish!" to the other end of "Have they lost their minds?" In all honesty, we've been on both ends of that spectrum too and anywhere in between.

But what Wigs said spoke the same truth that Peter and I are feeling. Right now, this is where He is leading us and our deepest desire is to follow wherever He leads, wherever or whenever that may be. None of us know tomorrow, but we do have this moment to live each day, wherever we are to further the kingdom through our words, actions and love for others.

What do we know today? We know that God has developed in both of us a servant heart and that heart has been led to serve orphans and widows in Zambia. It would be much easier for us to do this at home, but this isn't what He has led us to. He is growing us, in our marriage, our family and in our faith. He has asked us to meet Him in Zambia to be His instruments and serve Him daily. Wherever that leads, we want to follow. Since it was never our plan, as Wigs said, "It really doesn't matter, we'll just follow His."

If you would like to walk alongside us in prayer or even financial support, please visit our other pages on this blog. We also encourage you to visit the Every Orphan's Hope website to learn more about the ministry we are preparing to join as full-time orphan care missionaries.

Above all, may each of you use this day to reflect the light of Christ in all you do. May God continue to grow each of us for His ultimate glory.

"Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." - I Corinthians 10:31

So What Now?????

What a blessing today has been! As we officially announced joining the ministry of Every Orphan's Hope, it has generated a number of questions that need answering. What better way to do it then in this blog.

So the biggest question has been, when do you leave?
Since October, we have been in prayer and then preparing our hearts, home and family for this day. We have spent time visiting with family to prepare them for this announcement and we have done some major house cleaning so we could pack our home in the least amount of time when it was time to go.

There has never been a date on the table as to when we leave and that has been a bit difficult for family, friends and even ourselves to swallow. We are responding to God's leading and each moment we have proceeded in this journey has been upon His prompting, not ours. When we have tried to move ahead of Him, and set a date we realized quickly that was our will, not His, and we adjusted our will to His.

As with everything, there is a process and yesterday was the first of this process. We announced that we are committing to this ministry and letting God take complete control over every aspect of our lives...yes, every aspect, including our finances, which comes to the next big question, financial support.

So what does this look like financially?
After much prayer and visiting with the staff of Every Orphan's Hope, we have agreed to take part in every aspect of the ministry and that includes fundraising. Every Orphan's Hope is a 503(c) nonprofit organization, which means all of their finances come from individuals like you and me to join alongside them to support them. Individuals within the ministry do their part to bring awareness to others about the orphan crisis that is present in Zambia; we are joining with them to do the same. As Every Orphan's Hope has an operating budget, we will be part of that budget and have committed to raise at least $100,000 each year for the ministry. This will provide for our living expenses and ministry expenses while we serve in Zambia.

How much have you raised to date?
As of today, nothing. We have just started by announcing and letting you know there is a need. From there, you decide where God is leading you.

Will Peter still work in his current employment?
Only until we get ready to leave. We have continually prayed about this and each time we have felt God's leading us to follow Him completely. Once we move to Zambia, we will be full-time missionaries serving the ministry as needed. So currently he is working, but from the time we leave, our income will stop, which is why we will be solely dependent on individuals walking alongside Every Orphan's Hope.

What about moving, what are you going to do?
We have decided to sell our home–it's that simple. We know that many of you who read this may be groaning here and we have listened to everyone's advice, but we don't believe we can focus on what God is asking us to do if we have something that distracts us at home. So, we have taken our personal belongings to the point of what we would like to bring and are planning on getting a 20-ft. container to pack our items in. Now if you noticed, we said we are planning on this...if we feel God's leading to go and sell our items and just go with only our bags, then we will do that. Each step we take will not be done without prayer.

Is the $100,000 you raise part of your moving expenses?
Nope. We believe selling our house will cover moving expenses, outside of the taxes we need to set aside for it. With a container to move our items and airfare, we are looking at about an additional $15,000.

So what does that $100,000 cover?
We are going to Zambia with servant hearts. Although part of those funds will provide for our family (about $60,000) the rest will enable us to do the job we are being led to do. There are many things we can do that do not require funds, but the home repairs and administrative costs of Camp Hope will be part of our operating budget.

How long will you be there?
As of now, we are signing a 3-year commitment, but we are not saying that is all. Each step of this journey, God has led us and as we pray and listen closely to Him and receive confirmation, that will determine what happens after our commitment is over. If God wants us there longer, we will do that and if His will is for us to come home, we will do that, too.

What about your girls and their schooling?
When both of our girls were born, Peter began meeting other pilots that homeschooled. I was completely against the idea but he thought it was great. To tell you the truth, I was more about myself and getting my advanced degree in History to attain that dream of a university professor. In 2009, when I began to listen to God's urging to serve part time in Zambia, I knew that God was changing me. It was after that trip in 2010 that I felt His leading to homeschool, so we have been doing that for the last 2 years and will continue to do it. Although it is not necessary, it has been beneficial that I was an elementary and middle school teacher for 10 years prior to their birth.

What about your dog?
Right now, we are planning on taking him, but we actually have a waiting list of individuals that have offered to make him their own. If he doesn't go, we will give him to a family that is best for him.

Will Every Orphan's Hope provide a home for you?
That is part of our living expenses. About two weeks before we leave, Peter will go and find us a home to rent/lease for our time that we are living there. Rental property doesn't stay on the market long there, so we will know where we are moving right before we leave.

Where will you live in Zambia?
Currently, the plan is for us to live in Lusaka, which is the capital of Zambia, although we will travel to Chongwe (about 45 minutes outside of the capital) throughout the weekdays where the Village of Hope is located.

Will you have amenities like here?
Sort of...We will have Internet, running water (that's not to say it's constant, sometimes it does turn off), and electricity (although there are often rolling brown outs). There are grocery stores. We will sell our vehicles here and buy a vehicle there since they drive on the other side of the road.

So what can I do? How can I help?
First and foremost, pray. See how God is leading you to become involved with us. In missionary work, I have heard there are 3 parts: some pray for others; some are able to financially support; and others go. We have found, through the years, each is essential and neither is less important than the other. See how God is leading you to join alongside us and then commit, whether it be as a prayer partner, financially or both. Sorry, you can't go with us, that one's not on the table.
 
If you do decide to commit beyond prayer, then please visit our "How Can I Help?" page or click on the Donate button on any of our pages.

I'm sure there are a number of questions I have not answered, but these are the ones we have encountered thus far.

Please visit the Every Orphan's Hope website to learn more about what they do and their financial integrity.

Memories of Daliso

As Camp Hope 2013 is approaching, I can't help being reminiscent of previous camps. My first mission trip to Zambia through Every Orphan's Hope will always hold special memories for me, not just because it was the first time I served God, but because there was one special young man whom I have never been able to forget–Daliso.

When I met him, he gave me a very common greeting that you see from some of the boys when they are trying to "be cool" but there's more to it than that. It's like they're saying "hello" but at the same time they're saying, "I'm still not so sure about you. I don't know you, so I'm not going to let you too close." It's like a subtle head nod but with the chin going up and the eyebrows raised slightly. Those of you who have seen this know exactly what I'm talking about. So, back to Daliso...this is the greeting I got, no words, just the chin nod.

As the first day of Camp Hope began, my partner teacher, Christi and I started with our class. We found out quickly that Daliso was a handful, to say the least. He wouldn't talk to us, but loved to cause disruption among the other kids in the group. Having been a teacher of upper elementary and middle school children, he was my favorite type of kid. I've always had such a heart for that student who is the trouble maker in class and liked to make them my project. I found out early in my teaching career that it was those kids that would turn into some of my favorite students. Ultimately, they just needed someone to believe in them, too. Their heart was good, but past experiences had given them a tough exterior.

Daliso had that tough exterior, he wasn't going to make our class easy. The first day when Camp Hope ended, the staff and adult volunteers gave an apple and orange to each child that attended. Daliso got his, then he "tricked" another younger child to let him see his and then he ran off with it. Christi was watching what he did and as this other little child was crying she found Daliso and made him return the fruit to the child. Although what he did was wrong, thankfully our training reminded us that there was no telling when the last time he had eaten was and many of these children don't know when their next meal will be. It's not uncommon for the stronger to take from the weaker, sadly...all too often this is the life of an orphan. That ended our first day of camp. Even now I laugh at it, knowing how this story continues. I came up to him while Christi was reprimanding him and just watched but didn't say anything else.

The next day, Daliso was my new friend. I saw him in the morning and whatever he expected was not what he got. I went up to him, said, "Good morning," and sat next to him. I stayed with him as much as possible just talking to him. Now, he hadn't said one word to us yet but only talked to his friends in Nyanja. When I would ask him questions, he would just give me that same head nod with the eyebrow raised, acknowledging my words but not giving me anything else. Throughout that day, I learned a few things about Daliso that broke my heart. The most significant was that Daliso was a young boy of about 10 (he didn't know his exact age) and he couldn't read or write. He had never had anyone to support him for his schooling. He didn't tell me this, but as we were allowing children to find passages in the Bible we gave them. He would often just sit and look at it, turn the pages, and wait until either I or Christi came around to show him where to go. Christi was also a teacher, so she and I discovered quickly that half of our kids had been in school and the other half had never had any education. Daliso was curious during this day, he watched a lot and did the crafts, but as the other kids began to get comfortable, pray with us and talk about their lives, by the end of the second day, still no words from Daliso.

The third day...still the same. No words at all.

And then came Thursday, I pray that as I grow older and my memory fades, this day never does. That morning when we arrived at camp, many of us just hung out with the kids as we were waiting for the other children to arrive. Daliso came up to me and pulled out of his pocket this small toy man to show me. This gained much attention from the other kids and although I encouraged him to let them see it, you could see he was very protective of this toy. It wasn't shiny or anything our children would ever think as a "cool" toy, but to him it was a treasure. As he stood near me, I watched him take it out, look at it, then put it back in his pocket. Then, he would take a piece of wire he found and start bending it. This process would continue for quite awhile and I discovered that he was using the toy man as a model to create a wire man. Once he saw my amazement at his creativity, he began to smile. I remember looking at him when he was done and said, "All he needs now are some clothes." He disappeared for awhile and when he came back he had some wax paper he found on the ground. He was tearing pieces off and wrapping it around the man for clothes. Then after he was done, he handed it to me. I tried to give it back and when he shook his head I realized he had been making the gift for me all along. What a  great day we had. We had presented the gospel story the day before and as many children met with myself and Christi asking to accept Christ, Daliso watched from afar, but he kept me in his sight. I had made a friend.

That night after camp, we all came back to watch the international Jesus movie and had a dance party. Daliso was there and he had the best smile ever. Still no words, but he grabbed my hand for me to come over and dance with other girls from our class. After dancing, we watched the movie and he sat close to me. At the end of the movie, he hugged me goodbye and ran home. What a great day we had. His heart was changing, he knew that I was his friend, and the tough exterior was no longer present.

The next morning when we showed up at Camp Hope, Daliso was waiting for me by the gate. As soon as I walked in he said, "Teacher, the movie last night about Jesus."

"Yes" I said.

"Teacher, he didn't do anything wrong."

"That's right, Daliso," I said.

He stood there for a moment, then he said, "Teacher....that made me cry. That's not right."

All I could say is, "It makes me cry too," and I hugged him.

This was the first words he had said to any of us all week, and this is what he chose to talk about..WOW!

He went off to play and I went with the other teachers to get ready for the day. Now, many would say I missed an opportunity, but if I learned anything about Daliso that week, it is that he had to come to things on his terms, not mine. I had seen his heart changing each day and so my only prayer that morning when I woke up was that God would continue to stir his heart and that by the end of the day he would be a child of God.

Later that morning, as I sat in the dirt praying with another young girl who wanted to accept Christ as her Savior, it happened. I looked up and Daliso was no longer with the class but he was standing 5 feet away, looking at the ground, moving the dirt with his foot. I can still see this, he wanted to talk to me but he wasn't sure. I will never know what he was thinking. Was he thinking that Jesus was for everyone else but not him? Did Daliso think that he wasn't good enough?

As I got ready to walk back to the class with a young girl, I gave her a hug, told her that I would see her in a moment and walked up to Daliso. He still didn't look at me but only his feet as he pushed the dirt back and forth.

"Daliso, did you want to see me?"

All I got was a head nod, again.

Then he said, "I want Jesus" and he patted on his heart.

God answered my prayer, he belonged to the Lord. I don't think I will ever forget visiting with him about accepting Christ...praying with him, hugging him, and him accepting my hug.

It was at the end of camp on that final day that I truly began to understand what Camp Hope was really about and what Every Orphan's Hope did on those days. Don't get me wrong, I knew what we were doing there, but sometimes when you have to explain it to others, I often hear, "Oh...so it's like a VBS?" Sure, the format is like a VBS, but Camp Hope is more.

As the end of the day began to approach, kids in all the groups started realizing that this was it. The teachers were going home and the camp was coming to an end. It was impossible to not look around and see tears in the eyes of teachers and children, alike. You get so close to these children in such a short time; they enter into your heart in a way you could never imagine. You have given many of them something they may have never felt–a hug with unconditional love. It can be heart-breaking to leave. We got on the bus and the tears poured out. I couldn't stop them. I would look at some of the kids in my class and they were crying, too. It hurt in a way I never imagined.

Then I saw something I never expected...Daliso. The bus was pulling out and driving down the street when Daliso came running after it calling out, "Teacher, teacher!" When I looked at him, he wasn't crying though and it wasn't a run out desperation. He was waving and smiling, the biggest smile I had ever seen on him. He was happy. Even as I write this, I can't help but smile and my heart warms. And it's when I got home that when I tried to understand what I had learned, in the end I came back to Daliso.

He became a new creation in Christ. The young man who wasn't going to let anyone touch his heart, whose tough exterior couldn't be broken felt the love of Christ. He smiled and waved and he had something no one could take away from him–Christ. I believe as he ran after the bus he knew that, for him, it wasn't an end but just a beginning. That is Camp Hope–new creations. Every year after that I've seen this happen with other short-term missionaries and my mind always flows back to him.

I still pray for Daliso and I haven't forgotten his prayer. He wanted to go to school and learn to read, something we take for granted every day. That's what he wanted. I also still have the gift he gave me, and I pick it up often to remember...to remember how God can change a heart when nothing else can, to remember that Christ brings hope to all when there is nothing else, and to remember that Camp Hope changes lives.

As Every Orphan's Hope is raising funds to send 500 orphans to Camp Hope this summer, please consider visiting their site to send a child to camp. The gift you give is immeasurable.