Childrens Hope Chest

Tom Davis operates this group that works with orphans...I am reading his book "Red Letters".
He is presently on a trip to Swaziland. This is a letter from his trip. Read it and have your heart broken


Happy New Year from Swaziland! We've been here for about a week now and this is some of the hottest weather I've ever experienced. It's snowing in Colorado, but over 100 degrees here in the southern hemisphere where it is summertime. I'm trekking through Swaziland with 25 people from all over the U.S. and Canada. God is moving in their hearts, and it looks like at least two more carepoints will get sponsored.

On this trip, I saw Jesus suffering in the eyes of an orphan named Nothando living in extreme poverty. She's also malnourished, uneducated, and has little hope of a future. Then, I saw the face of Christ in a man who is dying of AIDS. He cannot get up and lives in a 4 foot by 4 foot shack with nothing to eat - just waiting to die. It broke my heart.

Part of our tean visited eight orphans living all alone: no food, no water, and little hope. Two of these orphans are crippled and sit in the dirt all day. The widow who was taking care of them just passed away two weeks ago, now it's just the children.
The needs of Swaziland are so many. The pastor who preached on Sunday morning entitled his sermon, "We are dying like flies." They are. It would be hard for me to believe if I wasn't here and seeing it with my own eyes.
The hope here comes in the form of the faith you see in the people. The pastors, like Pastor Walter and Pastor Sam, who are being Christ to these orphans and widows. They are planting churches in places everyone else refuses to go. They take food to the hungry, everyday and as church they do home visitations to the dying as a congregation on Sunday mornings before service begins. Amazing people who are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Please pray for us. The ministry here is heart breaking, but our presence here is important and needed. God is doing great things in the midst of the poor in this country. Thanks for your love and prayers. Internet is bad here, but I'm updating my blog when I can (www.cthomasdavis.com).

Thanks,

Tom Davis
President of Children's HopeChest

Next Week is Sanctity of Human Life week. It is recognized as the infamous 'Roe v. Wade' Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. One of many good websites is
www.beavoice.net

2007 Book Recommendation

Here are a couple of the books I read this past year that I would highly recommend

"The Forgotten Ways" Alan Hirsch- calling the church back to what it should be

"Surfing the Edge of Chaos" Richard Pascal - a book on leadership. Being balanced (equalibrium)is not a option but a sign of death

"Lexus and the Olive Tree" Thomas Friedman this book is a few years old His new one "The World is Flat" I believe covers some of the same material which I have yet to read. This book deals with globalization

"Jesus Secret Message" Brian Mclaren. That message is not the church but the Kingdom of God. Good read I have just started his new book "Everything Must Change"