What Would We Ever Do Without Our Friends?

Someone said, “What would we do without our friends?” Recently someone topped the branches from one of our trees and cleaned out the gutters of our house. He knew I had not been able to get to it, and it would be difficult for me because of my arthritis and medical problems.

Other friends phoned to see if Dad Jespersen was okay and if they could do anything to help care for him.

Another friend heard a conference speaker say that he had a lot of books for needy pastors. The books were free for the taking, so our friend asked for 2000 copies to be shipped to Zambia pastors and the organization gave another 1000 copies of the book for needy pastors in the Philippines. We received $21,000 worth of books because of the contact of a concerned friend.

Another acquaintance phoned me to tell me he was gathering reference books which were not being used for needy pastors from the church library.

A few days ago, someone dropped off a used sewing machine and other electrical items for a vocational training school in the Philippines.

We received a $20 gift from an older lady in a retirement home which she received for watching another lady’s cat. She wanted the money to be used for the sharing of the Gospel with needy children.

Another friend sent $10,000 for the ACTION Shalom Christian Birthing Home in the Philippines.  Other friends donated sheets, tooth paste, and books to minister to the poor.

As I have had surgery, friends mowed the lawn, brought meals, flowers, and balloons, helped care for Dad, and drove us to and from the hospital.

I could go on and on, but I will finish with these questions, “To whom can we be a friend today? To whom can we reach out? Whom can we help with a chore that needs doing?”

Yes, what would we ever do without our friends?

all posts

Reasons Why I Never Wash

from Daily Bread

People who don’t attend church often give some rather interesting reasons for not doing so. 

To show the weaknesses of those excuses, someone has compiled a humorous list called “Ten Reasons Why I Never Wash.”

1.    I was forced to wash as a child.

2.    People who wash are hypocrites – they thing they’re cleaner than others.

3.    There are so many kinds of soap, I could never decide which was right.

4.    I used to wash, but it got boring.

5.    I wash only on Christmas and Easter.

6.    None of my friends wash.

7.    I’ll start washing when I’m older.

8.    I really don’t have time.

9.    The bathroom isn’t warm enough.

10. People who make soap are only after your money. 

Home, But Not Alone

Sick, but cared for, but not street children …

“…always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people” (1 Thessalonians 5:15, nasb).

On one occasion my wife talked me into staying home to work from the house. It seemed that a cold hads hit me with a vengeance; perhaps the result of my excessive travel and work schedule. I have had difficulty sleeping because of jet lag, but when I lay down after lunch, I immediately drifted off.

As I lay on the bed, there was fresh air blowing in from the window, the smell of homemade bread, the sheets were warm and clean. Margaret made sure I was eating well and drinking fluids, and to top it off, she brought me chicken noodle soup and bread that you could smell for a block! To say the least, I was well taken care of.

As I closed my eyes, I couldn’t help but think of the street children of the world that I have come to love. What do they do when they are ill? Where do they sleep? Who cares for them? Believe me, there is no fresh water to drink, no smell of homemade bread, and no chicken noodle soup. There may be scraps from a garbage dump, but they have no energy to forage for it. There is no place for them to sleep in safety, no soft bed, no toilet or fresh air—only the polluted filthy smell of an unfriendly alley.

There are 160 million street children throughout the world. In the major cities – Lusaka, Lilongwe, Kampala, São Paulo, Bogotá, Mexico City, Phom Penh, Manila – street children simply exist by animal instinct.

Would you pray for ministries which are reaching out to street and underprivileged children with the glorious Gospel of Christ and compassionate care. We are praying for 100 additional missionaries from age 21 to 70 to work on the street with children. Perhaps you sense God’s calling to serve among 160 million street children of the world. If so, contact me @ nichols.doug@gmail.com, and I will direct you to some good mission boards that need missionaries to children worldwide desperately. It will mean more to me than homemade soup!

How to Spend $15,000,000

Money down the drain or used to benefit humanity.

Hollywood actor George Clooney recently (May 10) had a fund raising dinner ($40,000 per plate) at his home for his favorite presidential candidate raising $15 million.

People can spend their money the way they like; however, it is too bad that many who talk about concern for the poor seem to throw so much money away.  $15 million was raised for the presidential candidate at this one dinner.  What could George Clooney do with $15 million if he had another fund raising event for the world’s poor?

The following are just a few things:

1. Help care for 200,000 street children for one month ($15 each) in the Philippines = $3 million.

2. Shoes and three pieces of clothing for 300,000 orphans (of the 13 million) in Africa ($6 each) = $1.8 million.

3. Send 2300 older orphans for one year of college full tuition and expenses ($1000 each) in Africa or Asia = $2.3 million.

4. Provide life-saving vitamins for 600,000 orphans in Africa, Asia, and Latin America ($6 each) = $3.6 million.

5. Provide a wonderful “Christmas” (food, games, clothing, medicine) for 400,000 orphans and street children ($5 each) = $2 million.

6. Provide camps (food, clothing, medicine) for 100,000 orphans in Africa (only $8 each) = $800,000.

7. Help with one month of care for 50,000 orphans in loving homes in Africa, Asia, and Europe ($30 each) = $1.5 million.

Total = $15 million.

We may criticize Mr. Clooney for what he spends or raises money for, but what do we use our funds for?  We may not have $15 million, $15,000, $5000, or even $50, but what are we doing with the $15 we do have?  Are we using it to make a difference in the life of an orphan or street child?

Oh No - Cancer!

Recently I was at a luncheon for pastors and a friend said he had heard of my cancer situation and asked what type. When I answered that is was bladder cancer, he said, “Bladder cancer, oh that is terrible! My father died of bladder cancer, and it was really bad. My father died a horrible death!” and on and on he went. Later while eating, another pastor next to me seemed very sad and troubled. He then related a difficult church matter, but then began to say that the Lord had brought him though a serious “bladder” situation. So, what can we learn from God’s dealings? He does as He desires for our good and for His glory! We can trust Him, for, “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is compassionate. The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me” (Psalm 116: 5-6, nasb).

Child Sponsorship (Compassion International – highly recommended!)

by Doug Nichols

ACTION is a mission committed to evangelism, discipleship, and development to street and underprivileged children through the local church in each of the 22 countries where we work. People ask us about various NGO’s and child sponsorship agencies worldwide. There are many very effective small evangelical child sponsorship ministries worldwide.  

The largest evangelical sponsorship ministry which we recommend is Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, USA [http://www.compassion.com/about/aboutus.htm]. 

 The reason we are highly in favor of Compassion is because it has a focus of the Gospel and all of the sponsorship programs (over 1 million sponsored children worldwide) are through “local” evangelical churches.

In the Philippines alone, Compassion sponsors over 60,000 needy children through local evangelical churches.  This helps insure that each child hears the Gospel and receives compassionate care from God’s people.