Update 3-14-2010: Well, this will be the final entry in a three-part thread which started in urgency back in December.
The Acts of God after-school program for refugee children had lost its funding, and the program was in jeopardy. We put out the call for people to sponsor children and to donate.
It appears we have seen another act of God. The Church of the Nazarene in the Netherlands has given over $10,000 to Acts of God and a number of other churches and individuals have in the past three months donated enough resources along with our regular donors and sponsors for the Damascus Church of the Nazarene to run the program through December 2010. We give thanks for everyone who responded, and to the Lord who prompted. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you.
Holistic child development is the major focus of NCM in the Middle East. Our four schools in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan were, honestly, started over 50 years ago to pave the way for churches to be planted in strategic cities. The schools continue serving children because dedicated administrators and teachers continue to have a vision for playing a huge part in the healthy development of children and youth. Please take a moment to say a short prayer of thanks for these people who invest a lot of sweat and tears in our schools and the lives they touch. Say a prayer that we will not lose our vision of mobilizing the church for holistic ministry.
Our schools operate 75% on tuition and 25% on donations. Private schools located in poor neighborhoods ensures we will struggle monthly to pay bills and salaries. Please keep the schools in mind when you feel the need to donate to something worthwhile. You can give to the schools by using the Support our Schools link to the right.
Below is a poem by Dorthy Law Nolte which I found in Too Small to Ignore by Wess Stafford:
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
By Dorothy Law nolte, "Children Learn What they Live"
UPDATE 1-12-2010: Happy New Year everyone! I made this appeal in December, and 27 people signed up to sponsor a child! I am happy and grateful. Our need and goal is 100 sponsors. So...just wondering...if you read this, will you please sponsor a child or get one person to sponsor a child. It is a great cause. THANKS!! The original blog from December with information about the Damascus After-School Project starts now:
The Damascus Church of the Nazarene and 135 Iraqi refugee children and youth need our help. Four days a week the students come to the Damascus church and the small adjoining school for 3 1/2 hours of chapel, food, and classes (English, math, Arabic, discipleship, computers). It gives the children something to look forward to, and it gives them hope while they wait with their families to be relocated.
The Program is called, Acts of God, because it began as, well, an act of God. The Damascus church knew they needed to provide this program for the students, who are unable to attend regular schools due to their refugee status and because the older students are too far behind in their grade level. Many have not been to school in 5 years. God provided the right people, resources, and strength to get the ball rolling two years ago. We feel the program needs to continue until all of the refugees have a safe place to go, and it costs the Damascus church $2500 a month.
Now...we can support these children through Nazarene Child Sponsorship. It costs a sponsor $25 a month, and we need 100 sponsors to join us now in order to keep this important program of intervention and enrichment in place.
You can help by:
1. Going to the Nazarene Child Sponsorship website and searching for kids in Syria
2. Calling toll-free 866-247-9399 and ask to sponsor a child in the Acts of God program in Syria
3. Making a one-time donation by clicking on the Acts of God link on the right of this page.
4. Getting one of your friends to help, too.
This week, one of the Acts of God students told Nancy, the director of the program who was threatening to kick him out for not behaving like he should, "Look, you can either have me here or I will be on the streets." She told him, "OK, you can stay. But I am watching you."
Nancy is tough when she needs to be, but the students know that without her vision and compassion there would be no Acts of God for them. Nancy knows when to show love and when to lay down the law. Her staff of church members also are skilled at getting the kids to respond to their leadership, nurture and care. Recently, I was amazed to hear the youth give their testimonies of how the Lord had helped them stop using drugs, how knowing Jesus is one of the best things that has happened to them, and how they know the church reached them at a critical time in their lives.
If you would like more information you can email me at reugreen@gmail.com. Thank you for your prayers and support.
No comments:
Post a Comment