Greetings! It is my privilege to introduce you to a nonprofit organization called Enduring Hope. You might wonder, with so many existing organizations, what compels us to start this one? It's a vision, or more accurately, if you talked to Vern, a deep passion, to do something that we don't see already being done, but which calls with a desperate cry.
Many people are aware that Africa's needs are many and serious, but here in America, we are comfortable and our children are fed and warm. Our love, care and prayers watch over them. But, what would their end be if we were removed from the picture and there was no other loving caregiver waiting in line to take our place???
Currently in Africa, there are 14 million children who have no parents. If you lined up a plate for each of these orphans, end to end, how far would you imagine the line would go? We were shocked to find that it would stretch across America, coast to coast. Those plates need to be filled daily. Even the most generous outpouring of aid will not be enough. They need enough to grow up on; it will have to come from somewhere else than handouts.
Unfortunately, dying of starvation is not the only thing that unprotected, impoverished children have to fear. They face possible abduction for slavery in cocoa fields, as sex objects, and as soldiers. Health and mental development issues arise from malnutrition, plus all the aspects of zero parental guidance.
Vern has a passion to see something done for the millions of orphans in Africa. They are in such a very defenseless position while much of the world either looks the other way, or simply cannot imagine a solution. He has spent much time researching and praying about this and feels certain that God is requiring him to get busy and do something. As I write this letter, he is in Nigeria meeting with a pastor there to explore the possibilities. In a nutshell, his plan is to find business opportunities that will allow the children to be able to meet their needs.
We heard a pastor from Ghana tell of how they had actually done this. He explained that palm oil is used in virtually every household in Africa. When it is in season, it is quite cheap, but the price goes predictably up during the off season. So, they got a palm oil press that the children were able to run. They pressed the oil and stored it to be sold when the price was higher. Simple, and far better than hoping for a handout from a world who doesn't want the job.
We are very pleased to have a great board standing with us in this endeavor (Jon Neitzell, pastor of River Valley Christian Church in Lake Elmo, MN and Rod Marquette, pastor of Mt. Zion Christian Center, Roch., MN), but it is no secret that we will need many people in order to do big things. If this touches your heart, and you want to join with us in prayer, financial support, spreading the word or raising funds, please let us know.
Together, we can give destitute orphans an "Enduring Hope".
For the orphans,
for Jesus sake