"We are simply the host"

In Temba, South Africa, our World Orphans team had the high honor of meeting the good people of Ebenezer Bible Church. The 25 orphans they care for on the church property are wonderful kids, full of smiles and songs and non of whom are originally from the church. They had been orphaned in the neighboring communities around the church and the church has followed God's prompting to be a home and a light for these kids.

The church has two homes for orphans, another building that houses a common larger room for eduction and a kitchen to help prepare the meals for the kids. They have dreams of expanding with four more homes on their property for the kids.

600 worshippers attend their church with voices of praise that make a grown man cry - including me. What voices!! They also have a radio tower on the property that helps the local radio station broadcast news about local events in the community, including what is happening at the church! What an outreach!

At World Orphans our vision is to see the church strengthened as they care for orphans and witness the community transformed. We saw this vision clearly lived out on that church property.

The Pastor is a part of a network of local area pastors that he invited to see the orphan homes Ebenezer has. What he told them serves as the heart of the vision we hold at World Orphans. He told those pastors, "These homes don't belong to Ebenezer Bible Church, they belong to the community. We are simply hosting these homes on church property. These homes belong to the people of Temba. They are for the rescue of our communities orphans." What he was trying to do was cast vision that churches ought to see themselves as conduits for hope in their community. They are hosts. None of the other churches in their community have orphan outreach as a part of their churches DNA. This church is trying to change that.

It's another example of the kingdom working well.

Blessings,

Tim

Bread for the poor

Our World Orphans team returned from South Africa yesterday having witnessed two very innovative churches trying to bring healing to the hundreds of orphans in distress in their communities. It was an absolutely tremendous experience.

This trip was amazing on so many levels, and particularly in the area of self-sustainability. Whenever the subject of orphan care is broached, following closely behind is the topic of financial self-sustainability. It was the first time I saw self-sustainability done well in the indigenous church and represents a shining star in the World Orphans list of international churches waiting for western church partners.

Siva Moodley, the pastor of Christian Life Centre in Durban built a bakery that produces and sells 800 loaves of bread a day to the local poor for 5 Rand (about 70 US cents). The bread cartels sell their bread for 8-12 Rand. The pastor is in the business to help feed the poor, not to make a huge profit and only makes 50 cents per loaf of profit. He is undercutting the bread cartel's prices and stealing market share from the cartels. To get back at him, the bread cartels recently tried to bury his business by giving their bread away to the poor for free in hopes of driving him out of business. Brilliant! The poor get fed, he is still in business and the kingdom advances!!! As a pastor, he was never in it for the profit, but so that the poor would be fed. The cartels ended up fulfilling his goal for him!

It's an example of the Kingdom working well.

This is a church with 7 homes for orphans on his property, over 300 people attending his church and is making a huge difference in his community. They need more western partners. Let me know if you or your church is interested in helping! Jeremiah 5:26-31, Tim