2007 6:8 Magazine Winter Edition by Food for the Hungry

THE PHILIPPINES

6:8 Winter 2007, Volume 3 6:8 is a quarterly magazine of Food for the Hungry that highlights stories of physical and spiritual development and affirms the role of partners and supporters in making a difference in the lives of the poor in the hard places around the world. Platimum Award Winner, MarComm Creative Awards President Benjamin K. Homan Vice President Matt Panos Executive Editor Greg Forney Managing Editor Rez Gopez-Sindac Senior Graphic Designer Lisa Leff Contributing Writers Mary Euler Roseann Marchese Jeff Miller Matt Panos Editorial Resource Melanie Travis Sr. Director, Ministry Partners John Frick

Food for the Hungry Vision God called and we responded until physical and spiritual hungers ended worldwide.

Mission

Or send them to: Food for the Hungry 6:8 Magazine 1224 E. Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85034

To walk with churches, leaders and families in overcoming all forms of human poverty by living in healthy relationship with God and His creation. Motivated by Christ’s love, we achieve our mission using a three-dimensional approach: • Speaking out to all people and nations about God’s call to end physical and spiritual hungers. • Sending people to share God’s love. • Serving the transformation of communities.

Phone: 480-998-3100 (Toll free) 800-2-HUNGERS

Scriptural Basis

We welcome comments and feedback. E-mail us at: 6-8magazine@fh.org

Food for the Hungry thanks photographer and advocate Rodney Rascona for providing us with excellent photography. We also thank O’Neill Printing for their support in maintaining graphic industry standards at reduced costs, allowing us to be faithful stewards of God’s gifts and resources. Food for the Hungry is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). Copryright 2007 by Food for the Hungry. All rights reserved. 6:8 is published quarterly by Food for the Hungry, Inc. Reproduction of any part of this publication without written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8

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inside 6:8

Volume 3 | Winter 2007

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Editor’s Letter From the President Battle-Ready in the Congo As violence and disease raged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Food for the Hungry frontliners put themselves in harm’s way to help tens of thousands of war victims. FH News

14 One at a Time

a young boy, a breeder and a horse named showquette Miracles can happen when people keep their hearts and checkbooks open to God’s leading.

26 Frontliners Missionary Spirit

Erik and Rachel Ness have embraced the often unpredictable life on the field with humility, flexibilty and grit.

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30 Vision Partners

Not your garden-variety Giver To help the poor, businessman Karl Bender came up with a simple idea – and grew it into something significant.

34 Ministry Highlights

Raising the banner of child sponsorship Food for the Hungry’s Artist Program goes to great lengths to help needy children make the leap from sorrow to hope.

COVER STORY

Transformation of hearts and minds The poor in the Philippines open their eyes to biblical principles and abandon long-held beliefs about poverty

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Editor’s Letter

2007. A new year has once again crept up and caught me by surprise, providing a not-so-subtle reminder that life is like “a vapor that appears for a little while” (James 4:14b). While I was certainly given the chance to reflect on the passage of 2006, the time simply vanished and I was off and running into 2007. I would like to take this opportunity, however, to slow down and give thanks. Psalm 136 tells us to give thanks to the Lord because He is good. It speaks of God’s great deeds in creation, His faithful actions in the history of Israel and His mercy and grace towards all. After each line, the psalmist resoundingly affirms, “For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” As Food for the Hungry looks back at 2006 and the past 35 years of our ministry, we proclaim His loving kindness, His faithful love. We wholeheartedly acknowledge that it is only through His power and grace that lives are changed and communities are restored. We recognize that it is His call that takes us to the hard places to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with Him” (Micah 6:8). He is the One, as the psalmist says “who gives food to all flesh” (Ps.136:25). But His faithfulness is not just a thing of the past. It is with us today and will be with us tomorrow. It is everlasting. And as we look forward to the new year, it is His faithfulness that propels us to advocate for the poor despite extreme adversity. It motivates us to walk alongside churches, leaders and families in impoverished communities, affirming their God-given potential to address and solve their own problems. Food for the Hungry started in 1971 as a compassionate response to a hurting world by one man – Dr. Larry Ward – who had a simple vision: to help the poor one at a time. It has

since developed into a multifaceted, vibrant ministry with more than 1,500 staff members worldwide and hundreds of stateside volunteers.They all have responded to God’s call to end physical and spiritual hungers, and they are committed to helping the poor one at a time. This issue of 6:8 features a number of people who have heard God’s call, caught the vision and responded: Christian artists who partner with Food for the Hungry to reach thousands of concertgoers; couples such as Rachel and Erik Ness who surrender their lives to God in service to the poor; Carol Steppe, a horse breeder, and Rodney Rascona, a professional photographer, who teamed together to save the life of a Filipino boy; and Karl Bender, a business owner who sacrifices personal and professional comforts for the benefit of the poor. God’s vision to end physical and spiritual hungers takes Food for the Hungry to serve the poor around the world, including the Philippines, which is the cover story in this issue. Indeed, God has been faithful the past 35 years, and as we enter into 2007 we can be certain that He will remain so. We also recognize and applaud your faithfulness in supporting our work. We are so thankful for your participation. It is because of your support that we are able to proclaim the goodness of God and make a difference in the lives of the poor around the world. Blessings,

Greg Forney Executive Editor

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from the president

CONGO

IN THE

As violence and disease raged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Food for the Hungry frontliners placed themselves in harm’s way to help tens of thousands of war victims. By Benjamin Homan Food for the Hungry President and CEO

Did you miss the unprecedented

event? Did you see one of the most rare and unheard of incidents in the history of American television? No, it was not the final episode of an epic series. Nor was it a record-viewing audience. It wasn’t the Super Bowl or a reality series either. It was a televised apology – and not the apology of a politician or sports hero, but an apology issued on network television by one of America’s leading news anchors, Ted Koppel. Publicly and on-the-air to viewers from coast to coast,Ted Koppel apologized for failing to report one of the most tragic and significant wars that has ever been fought in the history of the world. “We missed it,” Ted Koppel admitted to millions of viewers. Then, he explained how for many years the brutal war and civil conflict of the Democratic Republic of the Congo had been simply a story that the American news media chose to ignore. And, on behalf of the American news media, he felt compelled to express remorse for missing one of the biggest stories of the last 100 years. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire, and before that, the Belgian Congo) has lost perhaps as many as 4 million

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of its citizens in a complex war filled with the worst imaginable abuses and atrocities. As Ted Koppel explained, if the location had been elsewhere, we would have seen the reports on the nightly news. Some of the 4 million people died in combat and violence. Others died of disease. But tragically, others succumbed to malnutrition, starvation and dehydration. They were simple farmers working their land, but armies would come through and steal their crops, their seeds – and their children. They were left with nothing. Sometimes they escaped the advance of combatants. Yet when a farmer is separated from his land, the result is often a death sentence. Without food and a means to survive, many farmers and their families simply did not make it through the jungles. When I was in the Congo, I will never forget the news we received while we stood in the town of Kalemie. It went like this: “We have reports of a battle that broke out about 50 miles from here, and an estimated 75,000 people are fleeing the violence – and they are marching in this direction.” The town braced itself. And, since Food for the Hungry was one of the few organizations at work in Kalemie, our amazing and heroic staff braced themselves as well. The team knew that the tens of thousands of people would need clean water, food and protection. The first to arrive would be the young and the healthy followed by those who would be weakened by age, injury or sheer exhaustion. Mothers with babies would come, as well as grandparents and children – human faces to the millions of people who have suffered through a war that largely went unreported. The apology from Ted Koppel was broadcast on September 10, 2001. If you missed hearing or seeing his broadcast, it may have been because of the terrible tragedy of the next day. But now you know. And now you can celebrate that God has placed Food for the Hungry in the midst of such despair. You can ask folks in the U.S. government or the United Nations security forces who stayed in the Congo throughout the conflict – and in the toughest part of it, the

“we have reports of a battle that broke out about 50 miles from here, and an estimated 75,000 people are fleeing the violence – and they are marching in this direction.” eastern half of the country. The answer will include these words: “Food for the Hungry.” Why? God calls us. “God called and we responded until physical and spiritual hungers ended worldwide.” It is our vision. But it is not a vision in words only. It is reality. Our staff members live and breathe it. They serve in the hard places, and they give it their all. They place themselves in harm’s way, but they keep on “doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly” with God. We are convinced that God wanted Food for the Hungry to enter into the pain and difficulty of the Congo so that we could offer real hope and tangible good to those in need. We have wept with the people of the Congo, and our tears continue to flow for them. However, as valiant as our efforts have been in the Congo over the last 15 years, the work is not done.There is more love to give, more care to extend and more healing to offer.

Food for the Hungry President Ben Homan (second from left) with United Nations peacekeeping troops who provided security for the re-opening of a series of bridges in the Congo that were rebuilt by Food for the Hungry. The bridge construction opened a network of roads so that food could pass freely to tens of thousands of displaced families. The bridges also reconnected thousands of children to their schools.

And there are more people, like you, to tell about the Congo. Since you may not have heard about it in the media, or you may not have heard the apology, you can hear about it in this very moment. And your love and your prayers can make a difference. 9

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FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY News A Day Focused on Global Poverty On October 15, 2006, churches nationwide hosted 6:8 Sunday as a way of responding to God’s mandate to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly …” (Micah 6:8). Congregations learned about worldwide needs through videos, sermons, testimonies and Bible discussions. Hundreds responded by sponsoring children, donating financial gifts and signing up to become short-term or longterm missionaries with Food for the Hungry. For information about hosting 6:8 Sunday at your church, contact Food for the Hungry’s volunteer advocate ministry at (800) 248-6437 ext. 1106 and ask for Cheryl Johnson.

Teeing It Up for the World’s Poor

Golfers from all over the country will take to the fairways on March 2-5, 2007 to raise funds for the work of Food for the Hungry among the poor in many countries around the world. Held annually at the Ancala Golf and Country Club in Scottsdale,Ariz., Food for the Hungry’s golf marathon brings together people who want to make a difference in the lives of those who live in poverty. Sponsors like Baillie Lumber and Pro-Sweep put up challenge grants for golfers to match. With the money raised, Food for the Hungry reaches out and helps impoverished families become selfsufficient and productive members of their communities. Last year, the golf marathon raised $500,000 for this purpose. According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, there are 852 million people around the world who are chronically hungry, and every day, 24,000 people die from hunger-related causes.

The golf marathon is open to golfers of all levels and abilities. For more information on how you can be involved, contact Jack DeGrenier, Food for the Hungry’s director of Major Gifts, at jackd@fh.org or log on to www.fh.org/golf2007.

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GOLF MARATHON • food for the hungry BOLIVIA • TEAMS TRIP TO THE PHILIPPINES

Team Helps Build New Library for Filipino Community

Starting as strangers and ending up as friends. This would describe the group of individuals from around the United States that went on a two-week trip to the Philippines under the Shortterm Team Ministry of Food for the Hungry. Throughout the course of the twoweek visit, the team conducted several workshops and clinics and also helped the men in the community build a community library and computer station.

Export-Quality Onions Help Bolivian Farmers Build Profitable Business In Capinota, a small town in the Bolivian Department of Cochabamba, Food for the Hungry has been working with local farmers to improve the production of goods with export potential to markets in the United States. One particular project that has had a great impact is the production of sweet onions. Last year, more than 50 metric tons of sweet onions were exported from Cochabamba. This is the highest level of productivity and commercialization achieved by sweetonion producers in this area to date. The project is a partnership between Food for the Hungry, local farmers and Buenas Prácticas Agrícolas (Good Agricultural Practices). The production of sweet onions is maximized through the use of a new drip-irrigation system. This system boasts a water-use efficiency rate of 95 percent and protects the soil from erosion and loss of nutrients, especially nitrogen. These characteristics make this

The production of export-quality sweet onions helps indigenous farmers in Bolivia learn new business skills and develop long-term economic solutions.

type of system environmentally friendly, in comparison with conventional irrigation systems that flood the land and have a tendency to harm the soil and waste water. The market operator for the project, U.S.-based Keystone Fruits and Vegetables, worked through its subsidiary in Peru to provide a seasonal window of opportunity for small-scale farmers to export to the United States. Farmers took advantage of this window between early January and mid-February, just before onions from Mexico began entering the U.S. market at a lower price. Specific goals achieved through the project include the installation and management of five acres of drip irrigation for production of sweet onions. The project also has empowered local farmers to engage and succeed in building a profitable production and marketing of quality crops.

opportunities to serve Food for the Hungry has many short-term and longterm opportunities for individuals to serve overseas. New team schedules are updated regularly at www.fh.org/teams.

The community library under construction.

Various team members took the lead in conducting health, education, sports and family workshops, but they said the greatest experience was spending time with the Filipino families, hearing their testimonies and experiencing what it’s like to live in the Philippines. The team came back to the United States with new realizations and a greater appreciation for the work of God among the poor.

Team members Ray Costin from Aynor, S.C., and Chris Shondelmyer from Phoenix work hard to build a community library for the people of Pila, Laguna (Philippines). Photos by Kelly Shondelmyer

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CHeNGDU • WHERE IN THE KINGDOM CONTEST • VISION TRIP TO BANGLADESH

Radio Contest Sends New York Family to Bangladesh and China By Matt Panos

Last summer, three family members from New York packed their bags, grabbed their passports and saw the work of Food for the Hungry in China and Bangladesh. The Hedrick family – Ken and Carol and their 13-year-old daughter, Sammy – won the “Where in the Kingdom is Mike Novak?” contest, a collaboration between Food for the Hungry and K-LOVE, a Christian music radio network. The grand prize was a 10-day vision trip to Bangladesh and China. Joining them on the trip were K-LOVE staff Libby Pierce, Mike Novak, Mike’s wife, Anne, and Food for the Hungry’s Matt Panos and his wife, Susan. The partnership between K-LOVE and Food for the Hungry was spurred by many years of friendship between Mike Novak and Matt Panos. Mike is vice president of programming at EMF Broadcasting, the on-air ministry that brings Christian music to more than 3 million listeners through the FM networks, K-LOVE and AIR One radio. Mike and Matt have known each other for about 16 years. They met in San Diego where Mike’s local radio station was helping Matt’s previous organization raise funds for research and treatment of childhood cancer. For more than seven years, K-LOVE has been working with Food for the Hungry in communicating to its listeners across the country the message of God’s hope for the poor around the world. K-LOVE has helped Food for the Hungry establish more than 2,000 child sponsors and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for its work among the poor. Last year, K-LOVE generously gave Food for the Hungry a day on-air to raise funds for the children and families in Rwanda. Listeners donated nearly $270,000 for the construction of classrooms for Rwandan children.

Bringing Hope to Women in Bangladesh The vision trip began with Bangladesh, where a team from the United States stayed for three days visiting poor communities. They went to see

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The Hedrick family – Ken and Carol and their 13-year-old daughter, Sammy – and the organizers of K-LOVE’s “Where in the Kingdom” contest strike a pose in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. In the background is the entryway to the Forbidden City (now known as the Palace Museum) and an imposing picture of former Chinese leader Mao Tse-Tung.

The women in the group – Susan Panos, Ann Novak, Sammy Hedrick, Carol Hedrick and Libby Pierce – wear Bangla saris, the traditional garment worn by Bangladeshi women. On each woman’s forehead is a painted design, which was done at a local beauty salon owned by Bangladeshi women who learned the trade through a savings group trained by Food for the Hungry.

several Horijon communities. These people are social outcasts, often called “sweepers” because their job is to sweep the streets. A step up in employment might mean cleaning bathrooms in a government building. Culturally, little value is placed on the Horijon people. In a Horijon community called Outfall, the group visited a school where spiritual truths are taught through character-development classes. The local staff of Food for the Hungry must find creative ways to teach Christianity because local laws prohibit evangelism to children. Anyone caught violating the law could face imprisonment of up to 10 years. During the group’s visit to the Gonoqtuli ghetto area, they saw how Food for the Hungry has inspired many people to improve their way of living and to be hopeful. Here, micro-enterprise and savings programs are underway to help families take ownership of their resources and hopefully break free from the cycle of poverty. These programs teach women the importance of saving money and how to manage a profitable business. Because of these programs, Bangladeshi women – often discriminated against by society and their own husbands – finally are gaining respect and recognition. One group of mothers was able to save about $600 to provide qualified teachers for their children. The team also visited a Horijon community called Wari where 500 sponsored children with Food for the Hungry reside. +

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY News

Food for the Hungry Launches Community Service in Chengdu

Helping the Handicapped Children in China Beijing, the capital of China, was the last destination for the group. Beijing is to China what Washington, D.C., is to the United States – an obvious statement, but that realization helped the group understand why the city was so crowded. There were hundreds of thousands of visiting Chinese from all over the country, many of whom were traveling to Beijing for the first time. In China, the group saw how Food for the Hungry partners with the local government in caring for severely handicapped children. Food for the Hungry believes that the handicapped in this area of China could have an improved life if they were cared for in a different manner. Staff members work at a local business that provides funds, enabling them to administer physical therapy and a general “stimulation” program to children with mental and physical disabilities. The business also provides for a fostercare program allowing orphans, usually girls, to stay in special, loving homes rather than roaming the streets or being confined to an institution. Finally, after 10 days, the “Where in the Kingdom…” contest trip was over. And having witnessed the work of Food for the Hungry in many poor communities in Bangladesh and China, members of the visiting group returned to their respective cities with a renewed passion to help the poor and a greater appreciation for the many blessings they enjoy back home. Matt Panos is vice president of Ministry Partnerships and Resources at Food for the Hungry. Since joining the organization in 1999, he has traveled to 16 countries with FH partners, helping to bring hope and encouragement to FH staff members and program beneficiaries.

facts on chengdu

The Chengdu team Standing, from left: Adam and Stephanie Henry, Pete Howard, and Jared and Allison Utterback. Seated, from left: Ron and Kristi Johnson, and Jim and Rachel Hicks. Photo by Buddy Looney

Four families from Phoenix were sent out as a group to Chengdu, China, to work with local leaders in building foundations for future community development projects. Since arriving in Chengdu last year, the team has been successful in networking with like-minded groups and educating government officials on the vision of Food for the Hungry around the world, fulfilling an agreement signed in 2005 by Food for the Hungry President Ben Homan and Chinese municipal leaders. Currently, the team is studying Mandarin and researching community development work in and around Chengdu with the goal of helping communities move beyond poverty. Depending on the specific needs, this work may include: health improvement programs, educational initiatives, orphanage/children’s programs, and work with disadvantaged populations such as migrant workers and physically disabled individuals. In 2008, Food for the Hungry plans to launch the Chinese branch of the Go ED. program. Already operating in five African countries, this program sends American college students to Food for the Hungry development sites for a semester. The program includes classroom instruction (local language, literature, history and community-development theory and practice) combined with hands-on involvement in development projects.

• The world’s first-ever paper currency appeared in Chengdu in year 1023. • Chengdu’s sistercity agreement with Phoenix is one of its 10 such agreements worldwide. • Tea houses in the city, abundant in number, rank first in the world and are for more than just sipping a hot beverage – they are centers for relaxation, social gatherings and reflections of local life. • Boasting more than 11 million residents, Chengdu, in southwest China, is the country’s fifth most populous city.

WORDS TO LIVE BY “Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” – James 2:5 NKJ

Photo by Buddy Looney

In January 2005, Food for the Hungry President Benjamin Homan and Chengdu local government representatives signed a memorandum of understanding marking the establishment of a long-term strategic partnership.

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FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY News Food for the Hungry Promotes AIDS Awareness on College Campuses

California Church Adopts Bolivian Community At a Petra concert, Dean Murphy, pastor of New Song Calvary Chapel in Lake Elsinore, Calif., learned about an opportunity to help an impoverished community through the Adopt-a-Community program of Food for the Hungry. The California-based church realized that they could be more effective in their outreach work if they focused on one needy community, and so they adopted the community of Ckara Ckara, a poor village in Bolivia. Within months of initiating the partnership, more than 70 children in the community were sponsored. Last fall, Pastor Dean and three members from his church went to Ckara Ckara to meet their sponsored children. New Song Calvary Chapel is an example of a church in the United States that experiences transformation even as God is working through their generosity to transform many lives in Bolivia.

As part of Food for the Hungry’s mandate to engage the participation of college-aged adults in solving global issues, various events were held at nine college campuses during the week of World AIDS Day, observed on December 1. “It’s the plague of our time,” says Bo White, senior manager of internships and campus ministries at Food for the Hungry. “These students have grown up with AIDS. In a few years’ time, they are the ones who will be most equipped to help us deal with this issue.” The campus events were aimed at erasing the perception of AIDS as a celebrity catchphrase or an unbeatable disease confined to Africa and homosexuals. Rather, White wants young people, particularly Christians, to reach out in love to those who are afflicted with the disease.

Students watched and discussed films on the subject of AIDS, listened to guest speakers from Food for the Hungry, organized a prayer vigil and AIDS benefits night, and visited booths displayed in public areas of campus. These booths, staffed by Food for the Hungry advocates and campus-ministry volunteers, featured a plethora of information about the AIDS crisis. On sale were beaded items made by a group of HIV/ AIDS-infected women in Kenya with whom Food for the Hungry works. The participating campuses were Anderson University, Arizona State University, Azusa Pacific University, Duke University, Michigan State University, Samford University, Texas A & M, the University of Arizona, and the University of Virginia. – Mary Euler

AIDS AWARENESS

SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICA

ETHIOPIA: BRINGING HOPE

UGANDA: AIDS ORPHAN

RWANDA: HOPE FOR ORPHANS

KENYA: TRANSFORMINGS LIVES

for more information To get involved with Food for the Hungry’s Adopt-a-Community program, contact Cheryl Johnson at cherylj@fh.org.

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Fundraising Luncheon to Help Tsunami Survivors

The City of Phoenix and Food for the Hungry held a fundraising luncheon on January 12 for the ongoing development programs in Meulaboh, Indonesia. Meulaboh was one of the areas hardest hit by the December 2004 Asian tsunami. This town of 120,000 people lost onethird of its population. Responding to the relief and development needs of the people of Meulaboh, the City of Phoenix and Food for the Hungry formed a partnership called “Rising to Help.” By combining resources and expertise, the partnership works to rebuild Meulaboh, provide intervention for orphans and children, teach new trades to survivors, and improve relations between the United States and Indonesia. The first fundraising lunch was held in January 2006. Special guests for the 2007 event included City of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and Phoenix Councilwoman Peggy Bilsten, who have been instrumental in mobilizing the residents of Phoenix to make a difference in the lives of the people in Meulaboh.

ADOPT-A-COMMUNITY program • AIDS AWARENESS • leadership CONFERENCE

Passionate worshippers, these college students believe they are world-changers. Photo AND STORY by Mary Euler

Conference Affirms Students’ Call to Serve Last fall, speakers and musicians from around the nation converged at Food for the Hungry in Phoenix to challenge more than 100 young people to a life of action in response to global poverty and injustice. “Do not underestimate what God can do through you,” said guest speaker Bill Clark, the director of church relations for International Justice Mission (IJM). Performing artists Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken provided worship for the 125 attendees of Food for the Hungry’s Making All Things New conference. “I don’t really have any other interests than to do what He wants for me,” said Sean Mortenson, 27, of Highlands Church in Scottsdale. “Throughout history, the worldchangers were the young adults,” he said, refuting the idea that this “changethe-world” mentality is a passing phase common among young people searching for purpose. Scotty Smith, conference key speaker and founding pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin,Tenn., encouraged the audience to break away from the norm and live an entire life in worship of God.

“Why would you fritter away the rest of your life settling for a little micro-narrative of self-fulfillment?” he asked the crowd. Speaking from Jeremiah 2, Food for the Hungry President Ben Homan said, “The church in the United States is not unlike the bride about which Jeremiah speaks, “Does a maiden forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet, my people have forgotten me, days without number.’” (Jeremiah 2:32) Homan then urged the conference participants to be part of leading the church back to God and revealing His heart – a heart that cares for the poor and the afflicted. He challenged them to become a part of a new wave of Christians devoted to a life of sacrificial service. Echoing the cry that those who claim to love Christ should get up and act against the injustices of this world, Jena Lee from Blood: Water Mission explained how even an 8-year-old boy had raised more than $6,000 to help promote clean water in Africa. One of the goals of the conference was to make people think about what they can offer and how they can be used by God. “I really want to be more intentional

Food for the Hungry President Ben Homan challenged conference participants to become a part of a new wave of Christians devoted to a life of service.

in my prayers,” said 23-year-old Heather Jones. “He [God] revealed the gentleness of His character and, while He is all about justice, He is about it in a very gentle way,” said Jones, who hopes to use her architecture degree for international relief and development. And, according to Tyler Johnson, pastor of the 20-something ministry at East Valley Bible Church, the conference may just have helped a community in Ethiopia start the road to transformation. Several members of the group recently visited the country and eventually adopted the community of Zeway, Ethiopia. Bo White, director of campus ministries at Food for the Hungry, designed the conference with hopes of expanding to other states in future years.

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One at a Time

A Young a and a

NameD SHOWQUETTE

Miracles can happen when people keep their hearts and checkbooks open to God’s leading. By Rez Gopez-Sindac

Jeffrey Arguidas, a 16-year-old Filipino boy with a bashful smile, lifts up his shirt to show a six-inch-long fresh scar that stretches from the top of his ribcage to his upper abdomen. In April last year, Jeffrey underwent a four-hour open-heart surgery that repaired the hole in his heart, giving the high school senior a second chance at life and a brand-new appreciation for the goodness of strangers. Jeffrey, the second child and only son of a farmer couple in a small town in Laguna, Philippines, was born with a congenital heart defect. But neither he nor his parents knew about it until he had his first medical checkup as a sponsored child. Jeffrey was 10 when he became a beneficiary of the Child Development Program of Food for the Hungry through the recommendation of a local church. As a sponsored child, Jeffrey received a yearly health examination as well as school supplies, gifts on special occasions, and spiritual guidance through Bible studies, youth camps and other church-related activities. “I didn’t have any clue that my heart was not healthy, only occasional shortness of breath, which I thought was normal after playing a game,” Jeffrey says with a self-conscious grin, his dimples showing. Soon after Jeffrey’s heart condition was diagnosed, Jeffrey’s attending physician recommended that surgery be performed as soon as possible. If not, the doctor feared that Jeffrey might not live long; in fact, he might die in a few years. However, the cost of the operation was astronomical. Jeffrey’s parents were told that Jeffrey wears his scar with pride. He it could run up to 300,000 pesos (or around $6,000). says it keeps him grateful and humble. 14

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Thanks to a successful heart operation, Jeffrey Arguidas can now pursue his dream. The 16-year-old high school senior wants to be an architect someday.

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Jeffrey’s parents still can’t comprehend why “strangers from very far away” would care enough to save their son’s life. To some it may sound like a small price to save a life, but to Jeffrey’s parents – contractual farm helpers who didn’t have a steady source of income – that amount was impossible to produce. “We didn’t know where to find that kind of money,” recalls Jeffrey’s mother, Dalen. “But we were hoping that God would make a way.” God did make a way, but it took almost five years for help to arrive. People, events and circumstances had to first fall into their proper places.

Horse with a Purpose

In 2002, in another part of the world, Carol Steppe was packing up as the Scottsdale Arabian horse show came to a close. Carol is a breeder of quality Arabian horses. She lives in Northern California and owns Day Dream Arabians, a horse farm in Santa Ynez, Calif. Every year, she participates in eight to 10 horse shows, and one of her favorite exhibits is the large, 10-day Arabian horse show in Scottsdale, Ariz., that brings together nearly 2,000 horses and the best horse trainers, breeders and owners all over the world. On the last day of the show, as Carol’s staff cleared up their exhibit area, a family walked into the barn and immediately fell in love with Showquette, one of the horses. The family toured the barn, visited for a while and left but promised to come back. But Carol was not hopeful at all. “I had planned to go to church that evening, so I told my trainer to wait for them in case they came back, but I know based on my experience that people don’t usually buy horses on the last day of the show,” says Carol. But Carol was wrong.When she came back from church, the family was waiting at the office, eager to buy Showquette. “Here was a gentleman and his family enjoying a Sunday outing; they decided to see the horse show, they walked into my barn and, with no intention of buying a horse, decided to buy Showquette,” recalls Carol. “But I don’t think it was about the horse or us – it was really about Nelvie,” she adds.

Opportunities to Save Lives

Nelvie was an 11-year-old girl from Peru who needed a heart surgery. And the gentleman who bought the horse was Rodney Rascona, a commercial photographer and long-time advocate of Food for the Hungry. After the usual exchange of niceties,

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Carol Steppe, a horse breeder from California, saw an opportunity to save a life and responded to the need with a generous heart.

[ ONE AT A TIME ]

Some of the best Filipino surgeons fixed the swollen arteries and hole in Jeffrey’s heart. The surgery lasted four hours.

Rodney shared with Carol the work of Food for the Hungry in poor countries around the world and the need to save children like Nelvie from sure death. Touched by Nelvie’s condition, Carol decided to tithe from the horse money and earmark it for Nelvie’s operation. A few months later, Nelvie underwent a successful heart surgery. Since then, Carol has helped a few more children in Peru who had similar health problems. “Rodney and I just agreed that if there are special cases and that if there is anything I can do, that he would let me know,” says Carol. Sure enough an opportunity presented itself. In 2003, Rodney went to the Philippines to help document the work of Food for the Hungry in some of the poorest communities and there he learned that two sponsored children had an urgent need of a heart operation. Rodney came back to the United States with a plan: to raise money for Shaira and Jeffrey. Months later, Rodney met with Carol at the same horse show in Scottsdale and presented the need. In 2005, the funds became available, and a year later Jeffrey got a new lease on life. Shaira, who is only 10 years old, is still gathering courage to go under the knife.

A New Life Ahead

Today, Jeffrey is a healthy, God-fearing young man. A budding artist, Jeffrey dreams to be an architect someday. But knowing that his parents will not be able to support his college education, Jeffrey says he plans to work after graduating from high school until he has enough money saved for college. “College is important, but I don’t want to worry too much about it,” says Jeffrey.“If God can give me a new life, He can surely take care of all the other things that I need. I’m just thankful to God and Carol that I am alive and strong. I could have been dead today, you know.” It has been several months since the

doctors gave Jeffrey a clean bill of health, and Jeffrey’s parents still can’t comprehend why “strangers from very far away” would care enough to save their son’s life. “We could not have imagined that such a wonderful thing was possible. Carol was truly a gift from heaven, and we know that someday, when we all get to heaven, we’ll be able to hold her hand and say ‘thank you.’” Carol, on the other hand, is careful not to take any credit. “I only responded to an opportunity,” she says. She adds that she is honored that God allowed her to help and she prays that God will enable her to help some more. When asked what she wants to say to Jeffrey, she replies with a broken voice, “I would say to Jeffrey and to all the children like him that God works in wonderful ways. I would say to him [Jeffrey] to watch out for his opportunity to help, because it will come. I wish him a long Christian life and incredible happiness.” 9

LIFE GIVERS, ANYONE?

Like Carol, you too can help save the life of an impoverished child who faces a deadly disease or ailment that can be treated through surgery or therapeutic intervention. Food for the Hungry has established a fund called HEART (Health Emergency Action Response Team) for this purpose. If you want to know how you can contribute to this fund, contact Donor Services at Food for the Hungry at (800) 248-6437, or visit www.fh.org/contact_ information.

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Many school-age Filipino children refuse to let poverty stand in their way of getting a good education.

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Cover Story

The Philippines

The poor in the Philippines open their eyes to biblical principles and abandon long-held beliefs about poverty. By Rez Gopez-Sindac

The summer air is thick with humidity and reeks of putrid sewage

as a team of professionals from the United States gathers along a narrow alley in a slum community in Manila, Philippines. This community, smack dab in the middle of a busy thoroughfare and surrounded by rows of congested makeshift shacks that run along a polluted river, is home to about 200 “bridge people,” so called because these families literally live under the shelter of a bridge road. Our team is on a two-week mission trip to some of the poorest Filipino communities where Food for the Hungry works, and on this sweaty afternoon, each of the 14 members brace themselves for

what they would later describe as the most heartbreaking sight they have ever seen. Nothing could have prepared us for the kind of poverty that lurks in this dingy corridor. To see the bridge families face to face, we have to crawl in single file into a dark, narrow underpass where tiny shanties, perhaps no bigger than shipping crates, line up against the concrete wall of the bridge. The houses are so small and cramped, only children can move around standing up. It’s a small perk they’ve come to enjoy. Standing tall by their open doors, they greet each male on our team with a loud “Hi, Joe!” followed by high-pitched giggles.

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Finally, after squat-walking on some 20 yards of wet, slippery ground, we reach our destination: a house the size of a typical American patio, with a ceiling height of no more than 4 feet. In this house lives a family of six. Danilo Buenaobra, the father, is a part-time carpenter; his wife, Rolinda, is a laundrywoman. On a good week, they make a combined income of about $34. Diana, the oldest of their four children, is 12 years old, a high school scholar and was a sponsored child with Food for the Hungry for five years. “I’m sorry, our house is very small,” Rolinda apologizes as she shyly invites our group to come in. Inside her house, we get a close-up view of the dirty river. Rolinda tells us that when heavy rains come, filthy water floods the houses in this village and often claims the lives of little children. “They fall into the canal and are swept away into the river,” Rolinda shares. She says this is the reason why her husband built a “balcony” inside their house, “so that when the water comes in we have a safe place for our children.” They also have an emergency exit door by the kitchen, in case a fire breaks out. Having lived here for the past five years, the Buenaobra family has adapted quite well to the circumstances. Like most families in the community, they would rather endure the inhumane living conditions in the city slums than go back to the countryside where there is hardly any economic activity. In the city, they reason, at least there are plenty of work opportunities.

Truth Sets People Free

But while many of their neighbors have resigned to a fatalistic view of life, insisting that they are only living out God’s destiny for them, the Buenaobra family believes that God is a big God and that He has a secure

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future for them. Diana will graduate from high school in two years and is determined to go to college. With a college degree, she says she will be more equipped to break away from poverty’s grip. “I thank Food for the Hungry for their help with my schooling and other physical needs,” says Diana. “But more importantly I thank them for helping me become aware of the truth of God’s Word – it changed my outlook on life.” Physical and spiritual transformation is the hallmark of the ministry of Food for the Hungry in the Philippines and in other developing countries around the world. In several poor areas in Laguna, a province 20 miles south of Manila, this holistic approach to problems of poverty, unemployment and health transforms many individuals, families and communities.

TEAM WORK

This team of 14 individuals from the United States went to the Philippines on a two-week mission trip to help build a library in one of the poorest communities where Food for the Hungry serves. The team conducted workshops for teachers, health workers and community leaders, and visited their sponsored children and beneficiary families.

[ HEARTS AND MINDS ]

“...I am convinced that God exists, and I have decided to follow Him wherever he leads me.” – franklin catapang former sponsored child

Meet 20-year-old Franklin Catapang, a fourth year college student and a soon-to-be teacher. Franklin was 9 years old when he became a sponsored child. “I had an American sponsor who sponsored me until I finished high school,” he boasts. “He always wrote me letters and sent me pictures.” However, as a young beneficiary of the Child Development Program of Food for the Hungry, Franklin was interested only in the material benefits of sponsorship. He was not too excited about attending Bible studies or going to church. He doubted if God existed or if God was even concerned about his life. But the pastor of the church and some Food for the Hungry community leaders patiently demonstrated God’s love, and even encouraged Franklin to help out in the children’s ministry. Slowly, the shy Franklin gained selfconfidence and began to understand that God loved him and wanted him to reach his full potential as a human being. Armed with this new realization, Franklin vowed to pursue a college education even though he knew that his parents couldn’t support him financially. “God provided the means,” Franklin says. Franklin was appointed community youth councilor, and with the responsibility came the privilege to enroll at a nearby university for free. Franklin also applied for assistance through Food for the Hungry’s Child Vocational Scholarship Fund (CVSF), which helped subsidize his miscellaneous expenses. Furthermore, he received a government scholarship that enabled him to help his siblings with their school needs. “After I graduate I will take the board exam for teachers, and then hopefully I’ll be able to teach high school,” Franklin says. “Now I am convinced that God exists, and I have decided to follow Him wherever He leads me.” Lealyn Datay, a 17-year-old seminary student, shares a similar account of how God transformed her life and the life of her family through the ministry of Food for the Hungry and its partnership with the local church. “My mother used to gamble a lot, and my father was a drunkard,” she says. But today, Lealyn’s mother attends a weekly Bible class and has lost interest in playing cards. Her father,

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Since its inception, food for the Hungryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s child development program has supported the schooling of some 7,000 children. 22

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[ HEARTS AND MINDS ]

after seeing the change in his wife’s behavior, decided to join the men’s Bible study and eventually became its leader. As for Lealyn, she says she feels a stronger desire to know Christ more. “If I did not become a beneficiary of Food for the Hungry, I probably wouldn’t have any sense of purpose and ambition,” she says. “I see myself in the future as a teacher in a Christian school and an agent of change for others just as I was changed by the love of the Lord.”

80 miles away from Manila by land), the program benefits were transferred to impoverished Filipino children. So for more than 25 years, the Child Development Program has been in operation in the Philippines. Since its inception, the program has supported the schooling of some 7,000 children.

“it’s the biblical principles that change people’s perspectives and help them fight the lies that have crippled them...”

Why Child Development Program Works

None is perhaps more proud of these young people’s testimonies than Debbie Toribio, country director of Food for the Hungry-Philippines. Debbie has been with Food for the Hungry for 24 years – nine years as a volunteer and 15 years now as a full-time staff. Married to a local pastor, Debbie says her greatest joy is seeing many lives transformed by the power of God’s truth. “It’s the biblical principles that change people’s perspectives and help them fight the lies that have crippled them for so many years,” she says.“As they study the principles of godly living, they learn to make good decisions and build healthier relationships with family members, friends and neighbors.” The work of Food for the Hungry in the Philippines began in 1978 as a ministry to Vietnamese refugees who arrived en masse in the Philippines and other Asian countries following the Vietnam War. On a trip to the Philippines, Dr. Larry Ward, founder of Food for the Hungry, saw the need to minister to the “boat people” and sought the help of Esther Pangindian, who at the time was director of the Social Welfare of Christian Children’s Fund, to get the Child Development Program started. In 1980, when the Philippine government adopted the refugee families and resettled them in a community in Bataan (a province

– debbie toribio country director, philippines

The CVSF program – which is available to high school graduates who are beneficiaries of the Child Development Program – has helped about 50 students graduate from college. Why does the Child Development Program work in the Philippines? Debbie replies: “It’s because the communities generally are open to change – they just need to be closely monitored. Then, there’s the fact that Filipinos value education; they believe it’s an important key to a better life. The only problem is they are too poor to afford the high fees.”

Church and Community Partnership

But the most important factor, Debbie points out, is that there is real partnership between the church and community leaders. Her husband, the Rev. Ephraim Toribio, pastor of New Century Church in Los Banos, Laguna, agrees. “When the church and the community realize that at the end of the day they have only each other to depend on to solve the problems in the community, then they really work together to build the relationship.” Ephraim knows this truth by experience. In 2003, his church and the leaders of his former denomination got into a struggle over the ownership of the church property. At the height of the conflict, the church’s members and neighbors gathered around the property to prevent anybody from getting hurt. For eight months while awaiting a court decision, the church was padlocked, leaving members with no place to worship. “But our neighbors opened their homes,” Ephraim exclaims. “And what’s more amazing is that those who have never attended church came to the house meetings.” Despite the inconveniences and the agony of waiting for the court’s decision, the ministries of the church continued with great fervor. Finally, after eight months, the court reached a decision. “The court awarded the property to us – and we had a big celebration!” exclaims Ephraim. “The mayor was there. The barangay (town) captain was there. Everybody was there.”

Breaking the Culture of Dependency

Not surprisingly, this partnership between the local churches and the communities will be tested. Food for the Hungry

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“if we teach the people to depend on god and equip them to find solutions to their problems, they will become effective messengers of god’s love to others.”

Food for the Hungry, through its Child Development Program, meets the physical and spiritual needs of many children in the Philippines and around the world.

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Philippines reaches a critical point in the history of its operation in the country. Over the past three years, eight of its 22 Child Development Program centers were closed down, causing great sadness to affected families, many of whom were just starting with the program. Although the decision is difficult for some people to accept, Debbie believes it will benefit more families in the long run. “We need to expand our work, and to do that we have to come up with more effective strategies,” she explains. The phaseout, she says, will eventually increase the number of beneficiaries and the quality of the programs. “Many of the communities that were phased out were very old,” Debbie says. “They had been receiving help for the past 15 or 18 years.” “We don’t want to create a culture of dependency,” Debbie explains. “Our goal has always been to equip and empower our churches and families to reach their full potential.” Jerry Siniel, the young, hardworking pastor whom our team came to know and admire during our two-week stay in Laguna, supports the new strategy and is excited about the possibilities. Already, he envisions the community library – which our team helped build together with the men in the church – to be a place where young people can have access

[ HEARTS AND MINDS ]

to information and find ways to make a difference in the lives of others. “If Food for the Hungry only gives people handouts, when it leaves the community, the people will also leave the church,” Pastor Jerry says. “But if we teach the people to depend on God and if we equip them to find solutions to their problems, they will become effective messengers of God’s love to others.” Already, Pastor Jerry is praying that his church would someday be able to set up a scholarship fund and finance the education of the young people in his church and those in the community. This may sound like a Herculean task for a small church, but the idea is not far-fetched. Food for the Hungry has implemented a livelihood program for some capable families in several communities in Laguna. With this program, beneficiary families can earn extra income, and those who were affected by the phaseout can continue to support their children’s needs.

A Little Help Goes a Long Way

Barely two years into the program, some of the program’s participants have already reaped significant benefits. Eunice Escandor, a Food for the Hungry community leader, earns up to $15 a month raising broiler chickens. In a country where the daily minimum wage is only $6, an extra monthly income of $15 is a big help. “We are happy that we can have a business of our own even if we don’t have capital,” says 45-year-old Eunice. “All we have to do is take care of the chickens and make sure they are healthy.” Aside from the additional financial support, beneficiaries of the livelihood program also learn to save for the rainy days. “Saving for the future teaches us discipline and good stewardship of God’s blessings,” says Eunice. Another livelihood opportunity that shows a lot of promise is backyard hog raising. In another community not too far away from where Eunice lives, Imelda Briones sweeps the front of her small sarisari (variety) store. It’s a store that hog-raising built. A few steps from the store, she points to a house extension that is under construction. That, too, came from the piggery’s profits. “Before we became part of Food for the Hungry, we were very poor, we depended solely on the income of my husband who was a truck driver,” Imelda shares. But when the organization came into the community and accepted her daughter to the sponsorship program, she says their family life improved significantly. “It’s like they’ve handed us a bunch of tools and challenged us to use them properly,” Imelda says. “As a result, our lives changed for the best.” Clearly, it’s a powerful example of the transformation of hearts and minds. Franklin Catapang, the once insecure young man and now a vibrant believer and a soon-to-be teacher, reminds our team that only God can change a person’s life. He hopes though that God would use him to inspire others to change. As our team prepares to fly back to America, Franklin warms our hearts with a promise. “I cannot pay Food for the Hungry for all its help,” he says, “but I can help make a difference in another person’s life. I can be a child sponsor – first to my siblings, then hopefully to other children too.” With tears in our eyes, our team bids the people goodbye. But our hearts rejoice knowing that our lives have been touched by men, women and children who are determined to move forward and become the people that God intended them to be. 9

Empowering the community

Some Food for the Hungry-Philippines staff members who work closely with the community. From left: Deborah Toribio, country director; Charizabel “Chill” Fortunado, teams ministry and SIS coordinator; Jasmin Lee, health development support staff; Edgardo Atienza, CDP community level staff; Charity Lamigo Campomanes, health development manager; and Janice Ong, CDP community level staff.

cash from chicks

Eunice Escandor, one of the beneficiaries of Food for the Hungry’s livelihood program in Laguna, Philippines, earns extra income by raising broiler chickens and selling them to neighbors and friends.

Profits from piggery

Imelda Briones (right), a beneficiary of the hog-raising livelihood program of Food for the Hungry-Philippines, thanks the organization for helping her family have a better life.

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FRONTLINERS

Serving is in their blood. Erik and Rachel Ness with children Renee, 7, and Zach, 4. Both children of missionaries and having known a life of incessant traveling, personal sacrifices and dependence on people for financial support, the last thing Erik and Rachel Ness wanted to do was follow in the footsteps of their parents. But in 2002, the husband-and-wife tandem found themselves serving among the Rendille people of Kenya as long-term field workers with Food for the Hungry. “You make plans, but you know that they may not happen how you want [them to happen],” says Rachel. “You have to learn to be open to God’s leading.” And God’s leading, as Erik and Rachel eventually found out, was not toward the direction of securing a salaried position. With a master’s degree in biology, Erik applied for work at several nongovernmental organizations. But lacking the years of experience required by most NGOs, Erik’s job hunt fizzled out.Then, through an Internet search, Erik and Rachel chanced upon an opening at Food for the Hungry

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that did not require experience. But it was support-based – and that did not appeal to the Nesses. “But God kept opening the door back to Food for the Hungry,” says Rachel.“We decided the sign of whether or not we should do it was if our support got raised – and it did. So we went overseas.” Many more surprises awaited the couple on the field. And detours and redirected plans were the order of the day for the duration of their term in the town of Korr. Shortly before leaving for Kenya, Erik and Rachel learned that the accommodations reserved for them and their then 3year-old daughter were no longer available. So as soon as they arrived in Korr, building their own house became their top priority. For nine months, the couple, with the help of some townspeople, labored hard to build a house for their family. They also developed the property to be used for tree-planting and poultry-farming demonstrations. Today, Kenyan nationals use the facilities to promote Food for the Hungry programs in the region.

The Rendille believe that they belong in the Kenyan desert, not by mistake, but because it s their promised land.

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It typically takes Rendille men three months of chiseling through about 30 feet of dirt and granite to construct wells like this. The nearest reliable water source is more than 25 miles away. The women and children in the area must walk long distances to collect water for their daily needs. Smorgasbord of Projects

God also had a different plan for how the Nesses would carry out His work among the Rendille community. What was initially meant to be a long-term program devoted to planting gum Arabic trees – in hope that later the Rendille could harvest and sell the valuable sap – turned into a smorgasbord of other projects. Under the umbrella of Food for the Hungry programs largely funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the projects that Erik initiated were aimed at helping people in the community to see that their natural resources are given to them by God, and that it is up to them to protect, cultivate and manage them, so that their generation and the generations after them would have a healthier and more sustainable environment to live in. Some of those projects included teaching people how to build dams as a way to control the flow of water, establishing livestock enclosures so animals could be traded locally instead of shipping them two days away to Nairobi, and replanting indigenous trees and shrubs to revegetate the area and combat wind erosion. This replanting effort was implemented through a Food for Work program in partnership with USAID, allowing the Rendille people to contribute to the restoration of their land in exchange for food commodities such as beans, oil and a grain mix used to make porridge. Over the course of the program, Erik supervised more than 1,000 people as nearly 400 Rendille

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were employed in the program on a 10-day rotation. “That’s really 400 families [every 10 days] because the participants took the food and distributed it to their families,” says Erik. “In the short term, it saved the area from the ongoing drought in northern Kenya,” adds Erik. “We didn’t have much problem in our area with starvation.” Erik’s work on a variety of other projects has also brought transformation to the community. He taught some men how to improve their basic carpentry skills. He helped a man who never had been to school open his own hardware business, and he also helped a widow to start her own bakery. Erik also introduced turkey-keeping to the area. Rachel, on the other hand, connected with women in the community through various church-related activities. Working with the local African Inland Church, Rachel developed a Sunday school program and helped train the Sunday school teachers. She also led a weekly Bible study with teenage girls. “That was very rewarding because the girls were really hungry to learn about the Gospel,” says Rachel. “They asked a lot of questions and really seemed interested in what was involved and the lessons.” In March 2006, after living in Korr for more than three years, Erik, Rachel and their two children (a son was born in Kenya in 2003), returned to the United States to visit with family in South Carolina and to raise support in preparation for another term in Kenya, this time in the capital of Nairobi.

[ FRONTLINERS ]

Bracing for a New Season

Although saddened by the decision to leave Korr and the relationships that they have built with the townspeople, the Nesses submit their lives to the will of God and are anxious about what He has in store for them in the big city. “It’s going to be tough,” says Erik, describing his role transition from a hands-on field guy to one working at an office desk. “I’m used to being active, very active.” Then, as in all big cities, there’s the problem of pollution and traffic – and for expatriates, even potential security threat. On the plus side, however, Nairobi will offer better educational opportunities for the couple’s young children. And for sure, they will not have to worry again about finding clean water or protecting chickens and livestock from hungry hyenas. Erik and Rachel may have started out with some reluctance, but, undoubtedly, three years of living alongside the Kenyan people have brought them joy and a sense of fulfillment. And now they’re getting ready to do more. “We make plans and move toward them,” says Rachel. “But ultimately God is the one who determines our steps, and that’s a wonderful thing.” 9 Mary Euler is an intern in the Creative Services department of Food for the Hungry. She lives in Tucson, Ariz.

times fosr d e iz n ga r o l e h c Ra nd parretie a s e m ga , ts f cra e girls who we with thd in her Bible study. involve

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VISION PARTNERS

to help the poor, businessman Karl Bender came up with a simple idea â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and grew it into something significant.

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By Roseann Marchese

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It has been said numerous times,

“One person can make a difference.” However, many people hold back from reaching out to others because they often don’t know how or where to start. And some think that unless they have enormous wealth or important connections, they cannot do anything meaningful for those in great need. Then there are people like Karl Bender, a simple and unassuming businessman who sees an opportunity, takes it and runs with it with a no-nonsense attitude. Bender owns 3 B’s Nursery and Gardening in the coastal community of Coos Bay, Oregon. As with most businesses, his entrepreneurial foray into the world of horticulture was born purely out of necessity. Like many gardeners in the southern Oregon coast area, Bender found it difficult and frustrating to find quality shrubs, plants and trees for his own gardening projects. Not satisfied with what was available in the area, Bender opened his own nursery in 1997 to provide folks with plants that could thrive in Coos Bay’s strong wind and salty air climate. “This business has done well,” Bender says. “I thank God for it, and I am thankful that it gives us an avenue and a way to be responsible and do the right thing.” As Bender shares about how he discovered the “right thing,” his voice breaks. In the late ‘90s, Bender lost his father, and his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer – two difficult events that made Bender take stock of his life and reevaluate what was really important. “Through those experiences of loss and heartache, my eyes were opened to the needs around the world,” says Bender, his voice marked with humility. “My heart was awakened.”

Muscular Dystrophy Association chapter in the area, Bender and his wife decided to do something that’s not a common practice in the business world – they agreed to donate half of an entire month’s earnings to the association. The couple’s decision caught many people by surprise. Understandably, they were skeptical. But Bender delivered on his promise, and the fundraiser turned out to be a great success. The following year, as Bender set out to do a similar fundraiser, he heard about Food for the Hungry from K-LIGHT, a local Christian radio station. Wanting to know more about the organization, Bender checked out Food for the Hungry’s Web site, and what he learned

‘‘

Letting Go

It also revolutionized his way of giving. After his business was approached to participate in a fundraising effort for the

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year-old hardworking businessman is quick not to take any credit. He humbly acknowledges that his call is from God. “God keeps calling us to serve, and He is very gentle. He whispers…He doesn’t have to yell. He speaks to my heart and says, ‘It’s all mine anyway, why is it so hard for you to let go?’” Last year, Bender “let go” again, giving away half of his nursery’s gross sales for the month of August. Bender raised $14,000, which he donated to the relief work of Food for the Hungry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A New Perspective

Bender’s involvement in helping alleviate the plight of the poor has changed his

“…all of a sudden you understand that you have the ability as one person to change someone else’s life.”

about poverty in developing countries gripped his heart. “I read about real-life issues that the poor had to deal with, and it really got my attention,” says Bender. Next, he looked into the financial accountability of the organization. “It is important to me to be involved with agencies that have a high percentage of their dollar going to the people in need.” Confident of the financial integrity of the organization, Bender decided to make Food for the Hungry the beneficiary of his fundraiser in 2005. “It was very successful and people responded well,” he says. “We gave 50 percent of our gross sales during the month of July and raised $12,000 for Food for the Hungry’s work around the world.” Friends and neighbors commend Bender for his generosity, but the 40-

– karl bender

perspective on life and wealth. “When you start working from the richness of American culture, and you realize that $300 is a year’s wages in some developing countries, all of a sudden you understand that you have the ability as one person to change someone else’s life.” This realization clearly reflects Bender’s attitude toward stewardship. “I started to think about how I can make things last a little longer and how I can be more frugal in certain areas. If I can guard my spending in a way that’s unto the Lord, I don’t have to be in bondage to it.” Bender also refuses to be caught in the trap of planning his goals – yes, even his fundraising projects – way ahead into the future.“I tell people my goal is just to wake up tomorrow. I don’t go past more than a couple weeks in my thought process;

[ VISION PARTNERS ]

Karl Bender (left), owner of 3 B’s Nursery and Gardening in the costal community of Coos Bay, Oregon, hands a check donation to John Frick, Food for the Hungry’s Ministry Partners senior director. The check represents half of an entire month’s earnings of 3 B’s Nursery.

we don’t have any business putting our hearts that far out there. I just want whatever my hand finds to do, to do it with all my might today, and Lord willing He will give me the strength to do it again tomorrow.” He hopes, however, to continue to host an annual fundraiser for Food for the Hungry because he believes in the vision of the organization. Reflecting on the words of church pastor Rick Warren – “It’s not a hard thing to figure out what to do with the affluence…it’s a hard thing to figure out

what to do with the influence” – Bender also hopes that more business owners will be challenged to help solve the problem of poverty around the world. “We are a wealthy country, and we have a responsibility to care for the people who are suffering.” Those who know Bender know these are not empty words. He puts his money where his mouth is, trusting God to help him give back from the abundance of His grace. “It’s about what we can do with what we’ve been given. Let God

figure out the profit and loss statement, because I really don’t care. As long as my mortgage gets paid and there is food in the cupboard, I’m fine.” For Bender, helping the poor is a mandate that’s easy to follow if people only open their eyes to opportunities around them. He believes that one person can truly make a difference on the lives of others. It can start with a simple idea, and then God blesses it with significant returns – for the here and now and beyond. 9

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MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS

More than half of Food for the Hungry’s child sponsors heard about the call to help a child in need at a music event. Whether they’re at a club listening to hip-hop performer GRITS, or at a church concert worshipping with Phillips, Craig and Dean, people with a heart for the world’s poorest children put their money where their music is. Artist Program Director Jeff Miller knows this by experience. He first heard about child sponsorship more than 25 years ago while attending concerts featuring artists such as Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill and Petra. It was at a Petra concert in 1981 that he sponsored his

first child. “Music communicates on a level like no other,” says Miller. “It’s a tremendously effective means to educate an audience about the need while giving them the opportunity to respond to that need.” When Miller first arrived at Food for the Hungry, one of his first projects was Petra’s Farewell Tour in the fall of 2005. He says, “It was a blessing of ironic measures. It was through the ministry of Petra that I was first introduced to child sponsorship, and here I was 25 years later organizing Food for the Hungry’s presence on their last tour. God’s path is always full of fun surprises.”

Approximately 500 new child sponsors were introduced to Food for the Hungr y through Petra’s Farewell Tour .

Raising the Banner of

Child Sponsorship

Food for the Hungry’s artist department will go to great lengths to help needy children make the leap from sorrow to hope. What would you do

to help a child in a destitute community get a chance at a better life? If you ask the Artist Program team, they will tell you in a heartbeat that they’re willing to spend weeks away from family, trudge through ankle-deep mud, endure tornados and severe thunderstorms – even

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drink a nasty blend of crickets, mealworms and orange juice! Is it worth all this to give a child in a developing world a new tomorrow? The Artist Program staff certainly thinks so. The department teams up with some of the country’s top Christian musicians and organizers of music festivals

Members of the Artist Program department strike a rock-star pose. Seated, from left: Kerry Mecusker, Jeff Miller; standing, from left: Ryan Horn, intern Caitlin Wasley, Elizabeth Jones and Natalie Clarke.

Photo by Elgin MacMillan

and entertainment events. Through these partnerships and relationships, the ministry of Food for the Hungry is made known to hundreds of thousands of Christian music fans. Last year alone, nearly 600,000 Christian concert aficionados heard Food for the Hungry’s appeal for child sponsorship. “We have the coolest jobs imaginable,” says Jeff Miller, Artist Program director. “But I think we have some of the hardest jobs imaginable as well. Members of this team get to hang out with top Christian artists, riding on tour buses and seeing hundreds of concerts a year. But they are also away from home weeks at a time,

enduring some amazingly harsh conditions.” For example, at the recent Alive Festival in Canal Fulton, Ohio, the outdoor amphitheatre was evacuated twice because the surrounding areas were being hit by tornados. Despite the heavy storm, people remained calm and in good spirit – but they had to wade through foot-deep mud to get around from tent to tent! And at Rock the Desert in Midland, Texas, last July, a severe lightning storm jolted the Friday night festivities and blew down tents. “God’s mercies are evidenced to us daily,” Miller says. “The team always has a good spirit and an urgency to

do their job well. Despite the travel, the storms and the time away from home, this great group of people moves forward with a positive attitude and a passion for the less fortunate children that they represent.” But drinking ground-up bugs and worms in orange juice? What could that have to do with child sponsorship? “When you’re trying to capture the attention of thousands of young adults at a festival, you need to do something unusual,” says Ryan Horn, Food for the Hungry artist representative. At Christian music festivals around the country, Ryan transforms into a character named Biff. Biff will stop at nothing to get people’s attention – even if it means eating blended bugs and worms! “This crowd is the ‘Fear Factor’ generation,” Horn explains. “And if I need to eat a few worms and crickets to get them to listen to what I have to say, I will. [Educating people about] sponsoring a child is so important to me that I will do what it takes to get them to listen.” And listen they did. In 2006, the Artist Program represented Food for the Hungry in more than 150 concerts, seven tours and four festivals. Because of their faithfulness in working with Christian artists to communicate the vision of Food for the Hungry, countless children were given a chance for a hopeful future. 9

He’ll do it Ryan Horn, a.k.a. Biff, will do what it takes to persuade concert fans to sponsor children in developing countries.

What Can $28 Do?

A café latte binge at Starbucks. Dinner at Applebee’s. Movies and popcorn. No doubt, your $28 can take care of your occasional cravings. But did you know that it can go even further? Through Food for the Hungry’s child sponsorship program, a gift of $28 a month helps provide the resources needed for families and communities in developing countries to break the cycle of poverty. It helps provide quality education to children so they can be equipped and empowered to lead productive, healthier lives. It helps provide farmers with appropriate training in agriculture development. Moreover, child sponsorship through Food for the Hungry helps contribute to the training of local pastors and churches, equipping them to meet the needs of their communities and teach families biblical principles for everyday life. Your $28 can buy you small pleasures, but the same amount of money can help children and families in a big way, and the effects can be long lasting. Cutting down on your chocolate mocha won’t end poverty around the world, but it can end it for one person. For more information on sponsoring a child, please visit www. fh.org/artist

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Now a respected Christian performer, Billy Buchanan helps bring hope to children and families in developing countries like Peru.

Casting Pearls Casts Vision of Hope for Fans

Teenagers across the country respond to the challenge to make a difference in their world.

Breaking the Poverty Cycle in Peru Fusebox lead singer Billy Buchanan tells impoverished families there is hope for a new life

Billy Buchanan of the band Fusebox grew up in a single-parent home in the poor section of Cleveland, Ohio. His next meal was not always assured, and there often was not enough money to pay the bills and keep the lights on. Yet, one August day in 2005, as Billy walked through the hilly communities of Lima, Peru, he realized that his own childhood struggles weren’t really that bad compared to the hardships experienced by children in Lima. “I saw hundreds of people living in shacks, without food, water, furniture or electricity,” recalls Buchanan. “I witnessed kids playing in trash heaps as big as any garbage dump you’d see here in the United States. Many of the kids weren’t able to go to school, because they had to help meet the needs of their families. Many of them would beg for money or steal. I actually met one man who collected “recyclables” for a living. He made $1.50 a week. Here, we would call this man homeless. In Peru, he’s considered a leader in his community. Man, my perspective was changed.” Buchanan visited Peru to see the work of Food for the Hungry among the poor. “I had been a spokesperson for Food for the Hungry for almost a year at that point,” he says. I really wanted to see firsthand the work that they do in other parts of the world. I’m a real believer in what they do for the poor.” And what he saw changed his life. “The visit

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challenged me in ways that I never thought possible. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Food for the Hungry took me to communities on the outskirts of Lima where families were living in conditions that no family should have to live in,” Buchanan explains. Global poverty is an issue that seems much too large to tackle. When Buchanan witnessed the conditions of the poor in Peru, he struggled with the question of how he could help. “As I walked through those inhumane neighborhoods and met the families, I had this overwhelming feeling. ‘What can I do? I’m just one man.’ I was overcome with a feeling of guilt and shame. Despite all of this, God’s word tells me that I can make a difference.” Buchanan says his trip to Peru has inspired him to reach out even more to the less fortunate and share the love of God with them. And the most encouraging thing, he adds, is that numerous lives are being transformed. “I met kids who were sponsored through Food for the Hungry, who were at one point on the brink of death, but now are eating regularly and getting good education. Schools have been built. Sick babies get the attention they need. In the midst of all the poverty that I saw, I also saw hope. I saw people trying to better themselves, and I saw people who have given their lives to help those who are in need.”

On a cool April evening, the sun begins to set on a rural Nebraska cornfield. Next to the field sits a farmhouse and a barn with a llama pen. The llamas look out curiously as an army of people suddenly swarms the large deck attached to the house. A barbecue party? An intimate gathering of family and friends? Well, kind of… It’s a rock concert! More than 500 people have gathered in this unusual concert venue to hear the band Casting Pearls. This is the fifth night of a 12-city tour sponsored by Food for the Hungry. Each night, the band finds itself in a not-so-common circumstance – from playing in firehouses to performing in the American Legion Hall. One day, the band plays outside in 80-degree temperature; another time they load their equipment in the snow. But one constant remains on this 2006 tour – the crowd is informed of the need in Bogra, a community in Bangladesh. And each night the audience is given the opportunity to help. And help they did. At the end of the short tour, almost 90 Bangladeshi children were sponsored and given the hope of a brighter future. Fast forward to October: Casting Pearls is in Texas as part of their 180 Tour (www.180tour. com). The concert venues are slightly more consistent, as each afternoon the band plays in high school assemblies. No llamas are expected on this tour – only 20,000 high school kids who eagerly listen as Columbine High School massacre survivor Crystal Miller recounts the 1999 shooting rampage. Miller and Casting Pearls challenge their audience to make a difference in the lives of other people. A good way to start, they tell the students, is to join Food for the Hungry in the fight against AIDS. When asked why they talk to their fans about the plight of the children in Bangladesh or the AIDS pandemic in Africa, guitarist Bryan Olesen replies, “The Bible is clear on our responsibility to help the poor.  Our response to those in need shows our true faith.  Sometimes we as Americans feel overwhelmed by these needs and wonder how we can impart real change. We feel that it is important to take

[ MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS ]

that first step forward, and sponsoring a child is a tangible way to help improve the lives of those in need around the world.” With so many great organizations doing similar work, Casting Pearls chose to partner with Food for the Hungry because of the organization’s commitment to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the poor. “Food for the Hungry has a God-centered and holistic approach to ministry,” says drummer Scott Rutz. “They work with nationals to develop long-term development programs, such as health and nutrition, clean water and food supply, agricultural training, church and child development, education, and the list goes on.” Whether playing in the cornfields of Nebraska or at high schools in Texas, Casting Pearls shares with their listeners the love of God for the children

in Bangladesh and Africa. “As artists, we know that there is more to life than music,” Olesen says. “We want to use the platform that God has given us to pass on this work to our audience – to challenge them to make a difference.” Traveling to high schools on The 180 Tour, Casting Pearls and Columbine High School massacre survivor Crystal Miller challenge students across the country to make a difference in their world. These Christian artists also encourage teens to support Beat 33 by giving 33 cents a day to help in the fight against AIDS.

Casting Pearls, from left: guitarist Bryan Oleson, bassist Case Maranville, and drummer Scott Rutz.

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Rwandan children attend school under the trees, sharing scarce school materials and supplies.

No Walls, No Ceilings, No Floors

Christian trio Phillips, Craig & Dean makes real classrooms a dream come true for hundreds of eager students in Rwanda.

The movie Hotel Rwanda powerfully depicted the horrible genocide in Rwanda, where approximately one million people were murdered in a span of 100 days. During the genocide, thousands of families fled Rwanda to the north to seek safety. When they returned just a few months later, their homes were no longer there. Today, 12 years later, these families have settled in the province of Umutara, which was once a wildlife preserve. While the breathtaking scenery makes for a dream canvas, the unfortunate truth is that Umutara has no infrastructure to support the thousands who need food, medical care and education. More than 60 percent of the families don’t have enough food for each member of the household. More than 20,000 children attend class in the open field, under the trees, because there are no school buildings. Books, school supplies and teachers also are inadequate. More than 75 percent of these children will give up on education even before they finish grade school. But God planted a vision in the heart of Dan Dean of the singing group Phillips, Craig & Dean. Before he had even heard of Umutara, Dean shared his dream with Food for the Hungry to build a church, a school or an orphanage in Africa. Food for the Hungry responded by presenting Dean’s vision to K-LOVE, a Christian radio network with more than 300 stations across the country and more than 3 million listeners. Mike Novak, K-LOVE vice president and on-air personality, visited the Umutara region in October 2005 and saw the need firsthand. God fulfilled Dean’s dream to see a school built in Rwanda, thanks to the generosity of K-LOVE listeners and the members of Phillips, Craig & Dean, who, in addition to donating the proceeds from their concerts to the project, also each gave a personal gift totaling $24,000, bringing the total amount raised to almost $300,000! Moreover, 700 sponsored children have since become part of Food for the Hungry’s child development program.

More than 20,000 children attend class in the open field, under the trees, because there are no school buildings.

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[ MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS ]

Worlds Apart but Joined by G od’s Love

Alan and Vicki Greene of LifeLight Festival hope to bridge communities around the world through contemporary music and life-changing mission work.

Classrooms like this are being built to provide Rwandan children with an environment conducive to learning.

Phillips, Craig & Dean, a contemporary Christian music group, is composed of (from left) Shawn Craig, Dan Dean and Randy Phillips. The trio, who are all church pastors, formed the group in 1991.

“Food for the Hungry is doing the work of Christ in the world,” says Randy Phillips of Phillips, Craig & Dean.  “What a joy it is to partner with such a ministry of integrity and passion. We are always supposed to be conduits of the goodness of God.  Jesus said that one day we would give an account for how we administered the blessings of God. I’m proud that I’ve joined hands with a ministry that feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.”     In partnership with Phillips, Craig & Dean and K-LOVE, Food for the Hungry is helping bring transformation in Umutara, Rwanda, enabling families and communities to break the cycle of poverty and overcome the obstacles that keep them from reaching their full potential in Christ.

positive and encouraging To listen online, give a donation or for prayer, visit www.klove.com

In Zeway, Ethiopia, a group of children plays with an old tire along a dusty dirt road that runs through their village. They have no home of their own as their parents died of AIDS in the past year. One little boy, who can’t be more than 11 years old, has decided that he will leave his friends and education behind and begin work as a day-laborer in the fields, where he will work for a meager 50 cents a day. A 13-year-old girl who giggles while her friends draw silly images in the dirt will be taken to the city of Addis Ababa in the coming week. There she will sell her own body in order to provide food for her little brother and sister. Within a week, she will contract AIDS. These children are among the 4,000 orphans in Zeway who have lost a parent to AIDS. Most will not finish school as they struggle to earn a living in order to eat. Meanwhile, across the world, in a grassy field outside of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a group of children slide through the mud and toss Frisbees to each other. Their parents sit a few yards away sipping chilled water from plastic bottles. One little boy, who can’t be more than 11 years old, eats a funnel cake while watching Newsboys perform on stage. A 13-year-old girl giggles as she and her friends discuss which boys they hope to run into on their way to buy a corn dog. These children are enjoying their last summer weekend before they go back to their airconditioned classrooms. Zeway and Sioux Falls are two different worlds separated by the vast Atlantic Ocean. But last year, on Labor Day, LifeLight Festival brought these

communities together. LifeLight Festival is an annual Christian music festival that draws hundreds of thousands of people for three days of music, teaching, food and fun. Alan and Vicki Greene are the founders and directors of the LifeLight Festival. Their desire is to use this event to bring change to the communities of Sioux Falls and Zeway. The Greenes traveled to Zeway in July and saw with their own eyes the faces of hardship. Right away, they knew what they had to do. “I was convinced and convicted to do something,” says Alan. “We want to share with the body of Christ our responsibility and privilege to co-labor with our Lord in this work. In partnership with local churches and Food for the Hungry, we want to be a part of transforming a community for Christ by sponsoring 1,000 kids and helping eliminate AIDS in Zeway.” Founded in 1998, LifeLight Festival hopes to bring the love of God into a world darkened by hunger, disease and conflict. The goal of LifeLight is “to reach those seeking the hope and love of Jesus Christ through contemporary Christian media and short-term mission trips.” Since its inception, thousands of decisions for Christ have been made at LifeLight, and numerous mission trips to some of the poorest communities in Mexico have been facilitated. By partnering with Food for the Hungry, the Greenes hope to expand their ministry across the world. “Overall, we are trying to follow God’s heart for ministering to the poor and needy and following James 1:27,” Alan says.

Alan and Vicki Greene, shown here with a program beneficiary, are founders of LifeLight Communications and partners of Food for the Hungry.

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