Is it right to serve some and not all?

What do you do when you can’t help everyone equally?

I recently read a study done by UCSF on “Child Sponsorship Programs.” It looked at the difference between children in developing countries who have been sponsored by an individual, through an organization, in comparison to children in similar areas and living situations who were not sponsored. The findings were uncharacteristically strong…sponsored kids are healthier, better educated, and more likely to become cycle breakers (my wording).

On the other hand, the article mentioned that many programs are coming under fire for choosing some kids in a community and not others. In other words, help everyone or no one … or design only programs that help the community but not individuals.

As usual, I have more questions than answers.

The Ark at Keetmanshoop has been a children’s home for Christ’s Hope International for about 11 years. At one time, it had 50+ children living here, including babies with NO DISPOSABLE DIAPERS! I marvel at how they did it. Some of the original staff is still here and they just shake their heads when I ask about it.

Since that time, some of the kids have been here for a majority of their lives. Some have been here for a short ‘place of safety’ before returning home or moving to supported relatives/foster homes. Some have come here as other children’s homes have closed in other areas. As I think I have mentioned before, it is much preferred to have a child raised in some kind of a community/family than in a home, so there are not nearly as many children’s homes in the country as their used to be.

Our church, Mount of Olives in Mission Viejo, got involved with CHI when it was being formed. We’ve had people from our church coming to this place, falling in love with the kids, and doing projects of many different kids for the entire time it has been CHI’s children’s home. The 1^st big group came in 2004 but 3 wonderful young men from MOO heard the call even before that. They showed us the way. That is such a theme in my life…the youngers have shown us the way to serve Jesus.

There have been times that people felt we should get more involved with other children’s homes, other African countries where CHI has ministries, or on the international level. We have been very privileged to know and love much of the leadership of CHI and a member of our church serves on the international board. We love and respect CHI and would love to do more though them. A core group of us decided that, when you get involved with orphans, it needs to be a long term commitment, or you just become another hurt in their life. God kept us focused right here. 

There are champions who kept plugging along, being faithful to the Ark for all these years. People like Martin Herrmann and Andrea Karsh kept our connection strong to show the kids that they are treasures, individually, to God and to his people!  Dozens of people have sacrificed much time, money, and energy to send teams and/or go themselves to support, build, teach, repair, and love the kids here.

This week has been very different at the Ark. Three of the long-time aunties and the two young women who grew up here and now work here (5 out of the 7 staff) are all at training in Okajandja, (which is that 5 – 6 treacherous hour drive on the 2 lane highway I keep mentioning.) We wanted to offer some kind of camp for the community kids because they are all off school this month. Again, all but 4 of the kids who live at the Ark are visiting extended family all over Namibia and 1 is in South Africa with his senior class trip.

So, Auntie Christiana and I decided to have a camp anyhow, with the auntie’s kids, nieces and nephews, and grandkids as the basis. I thought they’d all know each other, but that don’t. This isn't as small of a town as I thought! Wonderful Auntie Vielma sent her neighborhood, I think. Gosh they are beautiful children! There are kids from 6 to 15 years old coming and it grows every day. We had 17 Monday, 24 yesterday, and 27 today.  One little 1^st grader speaks no English. Auntie Ursula makes porridge (Pop) for breakfast – although Andy and I got cornflakes for them as a treat today. She surprised me when she put hot water on the cornflakes and then whole milk with sugar. The things you learn from people in a children’s home. They LOVED it.

I did one thing right…I asked Auntie Christina to do the daily devotions. She’s a dynamic force with kids. It is in Afrikaans but I follow along in the scriptures in English. Again…I feel so humbled! No dumbing down with these kids. They get a chunk of scripture with meat to it. She’s got them looking up the passages, reading, answering questions, and today she brought out pencils and notebooks because they should be taking notes. I was thinking to keep it light because it is a holiday camp and the ages are so varied. Wrong! We believe the Bible and want others to know it, so she teaches it. So beautiful!

I wish I could bottle Christina. She is so great with her own kids and builds great relationships with all the other kids too. She is very busy learning to run the office but does just about anything needed. She is married to a really nice man and ‘runs a mini children’s home’ with several extra children at her own house. 

So, we have breakfast, devotion time, and then I break into my song and dance with activities based on the idea that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we are his sheep, and we are safe in the sheepfold. I’ve learned lots in planning this about sheep and shepherds and sheepfolds, and why Jesus used this illustration. They respond beautifully to my ‘teacher’s bag of tricks’ with group learning, points for group behavior, and helping each other. I really enjoy it.

We have a snack mid morning and a hot lunch (huge plate of food) prepared by Auntie Ursula. Lots of pasta and rice, since those are donated and filling -- always delicious! We are putting on a show Friday that we plan on video taping and copying for the aunties who haven’t been here to see. I’m sure Auntie Ursula is really tired of the hip hop Christian music I’ve got going all the time.

So, what about all the other kids who need the love of Jesus, need the food, and need something constructive and safe to do over their break? Should we not do this limited camp with limited staffing, because we can’t serve everyone?

An interesting thing was mentioned in the study done at UCSF. Others in the community where kids were sponsored were likely to benefit, even though they weren’t sponsored.

We have a great example of this. There is a young man who grew up at the Ark. Thanks to Rita and Christian, he found a college in the capital with a major he is perfect for: travel and tourism. They found him a room to rent, taught him how to use the taxis, and got him registered and up there. Our Namibia Ministry at MOO had already sent some money to get him started but it is always difficult to really understand the situation long distance.

We got here and, after long talks with Rita and Christian and meeting up with him in the capital, we all came up with a budget of what it will take for him to stay in school for the 3 years to achieve what is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. Andy and I asked the Namibia Ministry at MOO if we could commit to help him, tapering off support over the next 3 years to encourage independence and his search for other resources. We also want to make sure we can do the same for the other 6 or so in high school and the youngers. It was a go and we provide his entire budget for the 1^st year, 4/5 of it for next year, and 3/5 of it the following year, not accounting for any fee raises and such. That will be his problem, as will some other things like travel money for his practicum work. We also committed to bring him to the US as a graduation present.

We could not make this kind of a commitment with a kid we hadn’t known for years. We are in the process of making sure there is a fair, equitable, sustainable, and wise offer for the several other kids who have grown up at the Ark. Hopefully God will bring a trust fund to help many of the other children of CHI! 

My point here is that Alaska has shared with me how much it is helping others that MOO is helping him. People from my work gave me some funds before I left. Of course, being college people, they were excited to support education. We used that for a laptop computer that belongs to the Ark but is for his use, as long as he is using it for school. Rita and Christina are monitoring his success and keeping him accountable. Before this time, several college students were using one friend’s computer and memory sticks to get through their classes and projects. His grades suffered as a direct result. The problem was that they live so far apart from each other and expensive taxis are their form of transportation. The one computer added to the group is making a huge difference for everyone!

In other words, when one is helped, many are helped. I suspect this is especially true when resources are so tight. We see it everyone. When 1 person drives, the whole neighborhood benefits, for example. The stable families in the neighborhood end up blessing the kids from the other families. Clothes are shared. So many examples. 

So, is it right for this 1 kid to get this much help? There may be jealousy and resentment in some minds. I can tell you this, though. I have asked the other young people at the Ark what they think and more than one told me that it is extremely encouraging to know that the support really is there if they do the work.

For a young and developing country like Namibia, I hope that a few kids from the Karas Region in the south of Namibia having some doors opened will prove to be a positive thing. Just like working with foster youth at home, there are no guarantees and sometimes all the support in the world just doesn’t show the ‘results’ many are looking for.

That is where faith comes in. We are working for eternity, not for now. What we do in Jesus’ Name is about that. He promises a future and a hope for these kids as much as for anyone. Oh Lord, please lead our efforts and make our steps glorifying to You!

Amen.