Refining Silver

I have a new friend in my life, one who feels like a gift to me already. She hosted a ladies Christmas lunch yesterday, to which I was invited. It was obvious she had poured herself into the preparations: the food choices were incredible and delicious and the table settings were pretty and fit for a queen. The company of women who love Jesus and enjoy one another's company was precious to me.

I had to leave early to go to work. As I did, she walked me to the door, gave me a big hug, invited me back for dinner and handed me a gift: a flower pot filled with more edible goodies, tied with a ribbon off of which dangled a Christmas ornament.

My new friend, Jodi, could not have known the significance of that ornament to me! But I want to share it here now, with you, along with a story I have saved for several years. The ornament is a visual reminder to me of the truth of the story. How incredibly special to me that the ornament itself is a ribbon wrapped gift.

I pray that the story and the picture of my new, treasured ornament soaks into your heart with the truth of His love for you!




Refining silver: author unkown

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it"




I pray that your celebration of Jesus this Christmas is filled with joy, hope, wonder and love, ringing with praise for who He is and what He has accomplished for you, and that you reflect His image to those around you, and to Him!

Merry Christmas! With love,
Deb

A video of "our" kids!

We have had the unique joy of being allowed to be part of the story that involves God, 127 vulnerable and orphaned children in Swaziland and a great ministry team in the people of Children's HopeChest. It has been a little more than a year since we stepped into a position we didn't understand (sponsorship coordinators), doing something we have never done before, resulting in receiving the extraordinary blessing of joy that He promises to those who obey Him when He tells us to care for the least of all: the orphan, the widows and the strangers.

We made a video of 19 of "our" new kids, children who have found their way in the last months to the Beveni Carepoint in Swaziland, a place where they can receive care in the form of food, discipleship, education and love. I'm sharing it with you now with the request you do a few things:

1) Share it with people you know, for as sure as I can be about anything, I am sure some of you receiving this email may know a person who needs to know one of these children as much as the child needs to know your friend!

2) If you are a blogger, a Tweeter or a social networker, please post it to your site. God is using the virtual world of the internet for His Glory in incredible ways, including bringing together His big kids to care for His little ones. In this spiritual battle of the air, He wins!

3) And more than anything, will you please pray? Please pray for the 18 children yet to be sponsored (I know there are 19 in the video, but little Mduduzi became sponsored this day, and so praise God, only 18 more children need the Hope a sponsor represents), for the the children who have yet to discover the Beveni Carepoint or others like it in Swaziland, for the people who are already sponsoring and for us as we continue to be allowed to be part of this story.

Here is the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aomRX8c8aDI

Our specific prayer is that all the children are sponsored by January 6, which is Epiphany. We celebrate that day every year by bringing our gifts for Jesus to Him, even as the Magi did. The gifts differ each year; this year we want to give to Him a fully sponsored carepoint. We are so aware He is the one who draws the sponsors to the children and so in truth, He provides the gift we want to give! But I believe He accepts the desire of our hearts as part of that gift, and so we are stating that desire as a prayer.

We feel like the most blessed family this Christmas: we are the children of the King, on an adventure that is epic and eternal! We have faced so many challenges this year, but praise Him who is able to do abundantly more than we can! He has been so faithful to us. We desire to now be faithful to Him!

We pray your celebration of Jesus this Christmas is filled with hope, joy, wonder and praises, for He is most assuredly worthy of them!

Merry Christmas!

Deb Gangemi, for the Gangemi Family.

The next trip to Swaziland is being planned

HopeChest has just announced the next Swaziland Missions trips to visit our
orphan ministry sites. This trip is open to those in church leadership positions, or individuals who want to pioneer their own "Connect Community." A Connect Community is a group of online supporters who connect directly to an orphan ministry project
with HopeChest.

For more information, e-mail Vince Giordano, HopeChest's director of outreach and partner relations, a vince@hopechest.org.

A Christmas gift for Jesus!

Some great news came in my email box this morning: a man asked to sponsor one of the new children of Beveni! My heart is filled with gratitude to Ryan and his wife, and to our God who knew they needed their new child as much as she needed them!

Some of my friends just came home from a 10 day trip to Swaziland that included time visiting the children of Beveni. Many of them tell me Beveni is their favorite carepoint, simply because there is joy there. The children laugh! I believe it is because there are hundreds of people praying for them every day.

The other thing my friends tell me is that life is desperate there. Children live alone. Some eat dirt because there is no food. Most have never had a clean source of water or access to any medical care.

This is all so much to process for me, especially right before we are due to celebrate a holiday season that includes so much self-indulgence.

So we sat down tonight to talk about what we want to give to Jesus for Christmas instead of what we hope to get from one another.Then we decided to share our Christmas list with everyone we know, with the request that they share it with people they know.

Here is our list:

We want to give Jesus a fully sponsored Beveni Carepoint. That means we need 26 more sponsors willing to pay $34 a month to be Hope to a child, real Hope that comes in the form of sufficient food, an education, medicine, food, shelter. And time with adults who love Jesus and are able to share Him with the children until the children know and love Jesus.

Children can be sponsored in various ways: if you are part of a small group, church, business; if you lead a youth group or worship team; if you have family and friends you can team up with.......in whatever form you can imagine becoming hope, would you consider doing something for one of "my" kids?

Not everyone can sponsor a child, but everyone can tell others about these children and their needs.

We can each be a voice for them, telling their stories since they have absolutely no platform from which to speak.

Please consider sharing our Christmas wish list for Jesus with others. That would be HUGE! You are welcome to give my email (bevenicarepoint@comcast.net) and blog address to others for their use.

There are 40 days until Christmas. Please pray for us, for the children and for the people God knows are the sponsors for these kids!

In Him, with growing faith and much joy!
Deb

27 new children being cared for at the Beveni Carepoint!

We just received 27 hard copy profiles of new children being cared for at Beveni. Our carepoint has become known as one that is providing food to children, and so the children come. They range in ages from 3 years to 17 years and include both boys and girls. I am struck by how many are very young: 11 were born in 2004 or later. There are children in this group who are being raised by children and there are little 4 year olds walking 45 minutes to get food from the Go Go's of Beveni.

I do not have these files downloaded into my computer so I cannot send them to you via email. But if you or anyone you know are interested in becoming Hope to a child that has little to hope for, please contact me via email: bevenicarepoint@comcast.net! And please help me spread the word about their needs: you are welcome to share my email address with as many people as you can.

God has provided for the children of Beveni in enormous, significant ways this year. I believe He will continue doing so. One way He does this is through His big kids: through our hands (by typing emails) and our voices (by sharing the story of Beveni with others).

Jesus is becoming so real to this carepoint community. He is shining in an area of the country that had been without His light. I so desire that light to burn brightly and to welcome all who see it in.

Please know how grateful I am to care for the people of Beveni with you. You are such a blessing of encouragement to me!

I covet your prayers as we begin the journey of finding sponsors for these precious children. You prayers buoy me and my family along!

In Him, with faith in His bigness and for the Beveni community,
Deb Gangemi

Vitamins for Beveni

Sunday, November 8 is Orphan Sunday! http://www.orphansunday.org/

Tom, Anthony, Aidyn and I are spending Sunday Nov 8 using our feet to walk to raise awareness of and funds for the 102 orphans and vulnerable children of the Beveni Carepoint in Swaziland. It has been such a joy and privilege to coordinate care and sponsors for the kids there! Now we have the opportunity to do something extraordinary for them but we need help!

We have a connection with a ministry that will supply vitamins at a penny a pill! So $1.02 a day will supply each child at Beveni with vitamins. Add a few pennies more, and we can provide the go go’s as well (including calcium pills, 4 for a penny).

We have been blessed with a team of incredible people in South Africa who voluntarily travel to Beveni every 4-6 weeks. They are willing to accept the shipment of vitamins to deliver to the carepoint.

Our family goal on Orphan Sunday is to raise $600: that is enough to purchase all the vitamins needed for one year and for shipping them to South Africa for delivery to the carepoint.

Of course, we also don’t mind raising more than that, for surely much is needed by the Beveni Community! We are already looking ahead to providing electricity and fruit trees, so any money we raise will be put to great use!

If you are interested in learning more about the ministry of Vitamins 4 the World, please visit their web site: www.vitamins4theworld.org. It was started by a retired pharmacist who formulates the different vitamins and has them produced here in the USA. It is his desire to work with ministries to provide vitamins for the poor, the orphaned and the vulnerable around the world.

If you are able to help us reach our goal, please go to this link to make your secure, tax deductible donations: https://secure.pursuantgroup.net/pursuant4/hopechest/chcselect/donation.asp

In the notes section, please write: Beveni Orphan Sunday Walk

We appreciate any gift and all prayers for the Beveni community. God is accomplishing so much there, through His big kids for His little ones!

In Him, with joy and anticipation!
Deb Gangemi

The Beveni garden has been started

Thanks to a gal I met on Facebook, and her team of adults and youth, the garden at Beveni has been started!

Annalize lives in South Africa. She and a group of people from her church spent last weekend in Swaziland, at the Beveni Carepoint, with the goal of starting a garden for the 102 vulnerable children and orphans cared for there.

They were concerned the land would be too hard to dig, as the drought has been extensive. So they prayed that God would give rain.....and He did! A gentle rain fell for most of the weekend, making it possible to dig a garden and plant pumpkin, onions and spinach.

I had a phone call from Bob Mudd, COO of Children' HopeChest , this morning. He was at Beveni when he called. He wanted us to know that it is a place full of life.......full of children.......and full of food!

We can and are making a difference. This faith community, created through the power of social networking of Facebook, has resulted in a group of people from Canada, the USA and South Africa being the hands and feet of Jesus to a group of children in Swaziland. He is a very BIG God, and totally able to accomplish His will: that we love one another and that we start looking more and more like His Son!

Toilets and showers!

We have started planning a 5 mile walk on Orphan Sunday (November 8) here in Sarasota. Our team of "walkers" is already up to 15, walking for orphans in different countries, raising awareness and funds. I put out a challenge to the sponsorship community of the Beveni Carepoint: to sponsor a Gangemi and help us raise the money needed to put in showers and toilets for 102 kids being cared for there.

I found out today that the goal has been met! Praise God, what a Father! He truly is aware of the details and knows the answer to the need.

If you are interested in finding an event to participate in on Nov 8, please visit this link and look up your state on the interactive map:

Every one of us can do something that will make a difference for a child. Go find your way!

153 fish and 38 years!

What a difference a year makes! Last Christmas, just 14 children cared for at the Beveni Carepoint had sponsors. This year, it is one of the only fully sponsored carepoints in Swaziland: 102 children receiving the love, food, education and care that your sponsorship provides for them.

In truth, it is His hands soothing tired heads and feeding hungry bellies; His voice teaching inquisitive minds and speaking His truth into their hears and souls; for when each of us chose to step out and obey Him by caring for the orphans, widows and strangers of Beveni, acting as His Body in truth and reality, He is there!

Our hearts’ desire, our souls’ prayer, is that we help these children and their caregivers have a most marvelous celebration of His birth. This letter is to present an idea for you to prayerfully consider participating in.

From today until Christmas Day is 153 days. I know that may sound like a weird number to consider, until we remember that it is the exact number of fish mentioned in John 21. A group of His disciples spent the night fishing, to no avail. They caught NOTHING!

Then a man they didn’t recognize, standing on the shore, yelled out to them, directing them to throw their nets out the right side of the boat. I can only imagine what my attitude would have been at that point: a mix of sarcasm, derision and frustration more than likely. These men were not inexperienced fishermen! They hardly needed a stranger adding to their stress of fishing all night and coming back empty handed.

But there must have been something about that man that commanded their compliance, and so they threw the net, and it was filled with so many fish, they couldn’t bring it in. 153, to be exact.

And it was in that moment they recognized their Master, their beloved Lord.

I have to admit I don’t know why John records the number of fish they caught in that net, but for this moment, I am very glad he did! As I contemplate that story, I come to realize it is of one of the Lord’s provision for His dearly loved disciples. He literally provided them with food and livelihood that day.

So the fact that there are 153 days to Christmas, and that we have the opportunity to supply provision for the community of Beveni is one of those “Wow! Neat!” moments of Bible study in my life.

Knowing the number of days left, I prayed about how much to consider asking people to commit to a Christmas gift for the entire carepoint. I felt strongly led to ask for a pledge of 25 cents a day. When I did the math and came up with the answer of $38 as a total gift from each of the sponsoring families to give, I laughed! Here is why:

We just finished reading and watching the Gospel of John. We found ourselves amazed at how much detail the Lord provides that we may not have included had we been the author of the book. One example is in John 5, where we meet the paralyzed gentleman at the pool of Bethesda. When Jesus sees the man there and finds out how long he had waited by the pool of water, He asked him: “Do you want to be healed?”.

That part of the story always garnered most of my attention, since I have never met a paralyzed patient who didn’t want to be healed. But the detail that jumped out this time is how long the man had suffered and yet waited and believed in hope for the provision of healing: 38 years!

And so once again, we read that the Lord provided what the man needed, and he indeed was healed.

So this letter is our request to you to consider giving $38, a twenty five cent daily commitment for the 153 days to Christmas. Both numbers are neatly placed within two stories from the account of the Apostle John, recording for us examples of provision for the needy. Now we have the opportunity to be His Body and provide!

The gifts would need to be made to Children’s HopeChest by October 25 in order for it to be transferred to the people on the ground in Swaziland in time to be utilized for the good of Beveni. You can make your gift online at: https://secure.pursuantgroup.net/pursuant4/hopechest/chcselect/donation.asp

Alternatively, you can mail a check to:

Children’s HopeChest
PO Box 8627
Pueblo, CO 81008-8627

(As a point of fact: credit card companies charge a processing fee, usually in the amount of 2-4% of the total, so if you are able to make your gift by check, please consider doing so!)

Whether making the gift online or by mail, please include a note that it is for Beveni’s Christmas fund.

I have been so blessed to be allowed to be part of His story as He writes it for Beveni! To have “met” each of you via Facebook or email, to receive the encouragement that your part in the story has provided to me and to be able to pray for you by name has been a delight and a joy! It is so amazing to be part of His Body with you as we care for the people of the Beveni Carepoint!

If you have any questions about this gift for Beveni, please contact me: bevenicarepoint@comcast.net.

In Him, with faith in His ability to provide, and in great anticipation of what His big kids will do for His little ones!

Deb

100% of the children are sponsored!

We just wanted to share the news of what God has done so you can rejoice with us: we received the last confirmation of the last sponsor for the last unsponsored child of Beveni!

He is more than wonderful and powerful; He is faithful in His love, capable in His plan and just plain awesome to let each of us be part of the journey. I know we are feeling so blessed to be allowed to be part of this bit of His story.

John Ortberg tells a story about his uncle in one of his books. The line that is repeating in our hearts and minds from that story is this:

"Me Father loves me, oh how me Father loves me!"

That's what it is like to be in His plan!

We are so grateful to each of you, the sponsors of these dear children and prayer warriors for the community. We pray He richly blesses you and yours with His joy!

In Him, with faith in His power,
Deb, for the 4 Gangemi's

Four children...........

Nearly 7 months ago, we accepted the opportunity to become sponsorship coordinators for the 102 children of the Beveni Carepoint. At the time, 14 kids were sponsored. Since then, God has written a most remarkable story of redemption with details of beauty from ashes.

He has accomplished so much for the precious children and caregivers of that community by drawing a faith community together in prayer and commitment to them. The details have been shared through this group, emails and our family blog and include how He blessed what we called the Beveni Challenge.

And the story continues to this day! Let me describe a scene taken from our family’s daily routine , kind of a sneak peek into life in the Gangemi home.

When we became coordinators for this carepoint, Children’ HopeChest sent us hard copies of the profiles of 102 kids. We spread them out over our dining room table or coffee table, and began praying for them. At first, they were precious faces without names, but as we prayed for them and talked over them, admiring a smile, having our hearts touched by a look in a set of eyes, these kids became “ours”. Yup, now we are a family of 106: 4 Gangemi’s and 102 kids with names we cannot pronounce! Isn’t God incredible?

As children became sponsored, we moved their profiles to a separate pile and kept praying. We felt so blessed as the “unsponsored”pile grew smaller and smaller………and stunned in the last 10 days as the pile was reduced to just four faces: beautiful 15 year old Sesabile, sweet 14 year old Ncobile, handsome 14 year old Thabo and cute little 9 year old Senzo. They are identified in the video at the end of this post:

These kids are not just faces to us anymore. They are precious children of our Papa, dearly loved, deeply cherished. They are made in His image and have something of Him to show each of us. There isn’t one of us who wouldn’t be blessed to know them!

I am sending this to you today to ask you to commit yourself to praying for these four children, and for those who would become their sponsors. I believe with every ounce of my being that the reason 98 of the children have sponsors is because they have been prayed for, and because His big kids have responded.

If, when you are praying for these four kids, you feel a tug to do something more, please do so. Share this message and the link to the video with people you know. Don’t be afraid to let others know! You may be in this story only as a message bearer to someone who needs to know one of these children; what a blessing you will be to that person who needs one of these kids in their own lives as much or more than the child needs them!

Anyone is welcome to contact me via FB message board or email: bevenicarepoint@comcast.net . It is my absolute joy to speak to people about caring for orphans, especially these orphans!

We are so grateful to all who have come alongside us as a faith community, the Beveni carepoint sponsorship community. We pray for each of you, that He would bless you with His brand of peace and joy even as your commitment to these children bring them hope.

In Him, with faith in His bigness!

Deb Gangemi

Zandile, Khanyakweezwe, Nombuso and Skhumbuzo....

In the last 24 hours, four more children of Beveni have become sponsored: Zandile, Khanyakweezwe, Nombuso and Skhumbuzo! There are only four more children waiting for someone to call their sponsors. I look forward to watching how God completes this chapter of the story of Beveni!

The four children waiting are on the YouTube video:

14 year old Thabo
9 year old Senzo
13 year old Ncobile
15 year old Sesabile

Will you join me in praying for their sponsors?

And Mhlengi and Nontsetselelo........

Two more families have committed to two more of Beveni's children. As of today, 18 year old Mhlengi and 15 year old Nontsetselelo have the hope that comes from the relationships with their new sponsors.

It is a day of rejoicing in our household: our God is in control and incredibly awesome!

Zama, Zwakele and Masotja!

We posted a video last Tuesday, featuring the photo's of 13 children of Beveni Carepoint who were unsponsored.

By Thursday, three had received the Hope that comes from being sponsored: little 6 year old Zama, 7 year old Zwakele and 10 year old Masotja.

Two other sponsors are considering which child they will begin a life changing relationship with. And two more are communicating with me about what it means to be a sponsor.

God is so good and so magnificent! He weaves incredible stories while bringing relationships to life. This is so truly a great adventure, one we invite you to come along with us on. If you are interested, please contact me at bevenicarepoint@comcast.net

The children of Beveni waiting for sponsors

Of the 102 vulnerable and orphaned children being cared for at the Beveni Carepoint, 13 are still waiting for sponsors. The sponsorship relationship means Hope to these kids! If you or anyone you know are interested in learning more about how to become Hope to one of these, His little kids, and part of a large sponsorship faith community caring for the people of Beveni, please contact me at bevenicarepoint@comcast.net.

There is Joy in obeying Him!

14 cents a meal.....SWAP IT weekend!

Brandi is another passionate and committed orphan care advocate being used by God to care for orphans in Uganda through the ministry work of Children's HopeChest. She traveled there this spring and saw the devastation of starvation. She has started a campaign to raise funds to buy food for these precious kids. Look at these numbers and determine if you can help:

$0.14 will provide 1 meal
$2.86 will feed someone for 20 days
$1 will feed a family
$20 will feed a family for 20 days

You can read more about it on her blog: http://www.brandisthoughts.com/2009/06/swap-it.html She has included a link at the upper right hand corner of her post that says: Click Here to Give Now that will take you to HopeChest's donation page. Likewise, you can go there directly at https://secure.pursuantgroup.net/pursuant4/hopechest/chcselect/donation.asp.

Please be certain to use the "notes" section to write in "Feed the Forgotten".

Do you want to travel to Beveni?

The Beveni Carepoint sponsorship community has grown to be a large and diverse group. With nearly 75% of the children sponsored and some infrastructure construction projects ready to begin, I thought it would be a good time to invite communication about traveling to Beveni as a community.


So my first question is: who would be interested in travel to Beveni within the next 12 months? You can answer via FB or email. This is a “show of hands” moment to gauge interest, not necessarily commitment. I would like to hear from you, particularly those who are interested in going in the next week.


Here is some basic information that may help you in considering the question:

1) The cost of hotel, food and ground transportation is between $1000 and $1300 for a week; airfare is currently between $1200 and $1600, but depends on the time of year that travel takes place. These are estimates only!!!!

2) There are different activities the team can be involved in, ranging from work projects, house visits, life skills training, VBS, caring for the caregivers and disciplers, in addition to loving on the children! If you have skills you would like to use to serve the Beveni children and adults with, let me know!

3) The trip is typically 10-12 days longs including 2 travel days for each direction.


I look forward to hearing from you! You can email me at bevenicarepoint@comcast.net or message me via FB.


In Him, with faith!

Deb Gangemi

The final Beveni Challenge update!

May 2009: Prayers continued to be lifted and donations continued to be made to the Beveni Christmas to Purim Challenge over the last few weeks, with a final amount of $12,993 being raised for the children of the Beveni carepoint! We stand in awe of that, totally amazed and blessed by the generosity of people to these children and their caregivers. Can you imagine their delight in receiving the hope that these gifts will provide for them? Can you imagine God's delight in His big kids as they obey His command to care for His little ones? He must be one proud and happy Papa right now!

There are still children of Beveni waiting for the hope that a relationship with a sponsor brings. If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about the boys and girls Children’s HopeChest is caring for at Beveni, please contact me by email: bevenicarepoint@comcast.net.

We are so grateful to everyone who prayed for and gave to the Challenge. Every prayer offered, every penny sacrificed, is life to the children. Thank you!

In Him, in faith!
Deb Gangemi, for the Gangemi family and the Beveni Carepoint sponsorship community

March 2009 Beveni Challenge update

The Beveni Challenge is coming to its ending goal date this week. As it approaches, we have been reflecting on the blessings and lessons we have learned as a family. There is one that I want to share with you tonight, with the prayer it will bless you.

As many of you know, we are parents to two sons: Anthony, our 14 year old who started the Beveni Challenge with the money that would have been spent on his Christmas presents, and Aidyn, our 13 year old. Both boys came to be our sons through the joy and miracle of adoption.

Aidyn was 4 1/2 years old when he joined our family. He had lived in an orphanage in Karaganda, Kazakhstan called Nyezabutka, which is Russian for Forget Me Not. That name has reverberated through these years as a reminder to never forget the children we left behind.

Aidyn is a hard working kid, always willing to lend a helping hand on tasks that require extra help around our home and business. He is also very frugal: he has been saving every penny he has earned for the last 14 months.

When we first talked about the Beveni Challenge, he knew he wanted to participate in it by giving a donation. We encouraged him to pray about it, and waited patiently for him to let us know how much he wanted to give.

The other night, as I walked through his room, I glanced at his computer screen. He was working on writing a letter to Tom Davis about his gift. Without sharing his entire correspondence, I will tell you the part that made my eyes tear and my heart swell with pride.

He told Tom that it had taken a long time to earn the money, but that he could always earn it again, and that he knew the children of Beveni needed it more then he did.

The next morning, Aidyn asked me if I wanted to know how much he was going to give to the Challenge. You all know I said “Yes”, right?

He answered: “All of it, Mom”.

His earnings of 14 months, totaling $400, is what he desired to give to children who still face the hunger he well remembers from his days as an orphan.

And so one who was once an orphan, who still remembers the pain of hunger, has gifted his entire savings to stop the hunger of other orphans in a far away place in Swaziland.

Every time we care for a child, every time we pour ourselves into their lives, every gesture of love we offer through our bodies as His Body, is an opportunity for that child to know Christ. And that gift goes on, in their own understanding of what it means to love and sacrifice and pour themselves into another child’s life.

I am more than proud of Aidyn. I stand amazed and blessed by his heart of generosity, his grasp of how high and wide is the love of the Father for His children and his willingness to obey the call on his life to care for the widows, orphans and strangers.

This young man named Aidyn is more than my son. He is my brother in Christ, even as he is yours.

When we began this adventure we have called the Beveni Challenge, we felt that God would make it possible for Anthony’s original gift of $200 to multiply to $2000. So far, $1630 has been raised.

If you (or your children!)believe you are called to be part of this Challenge and want to make a gift, please go to https://secure.pursuantgroup.net/pursuant4/hopechest/chcselect/donation.asp, and in the note section, write in Beveni Challenge. You can also mail your gift (with a note indicating it is for the Beveni Challenge)to:

Children's HopeChest
PO Box 8627
Pueblo, CO 81108-8627

As of today, 45 of the 102 children of Beveni are sponsored or in the process of becoming sponsored. If you or anyone you know might be interested in joining the community of sponsors by becoming hope to one of the 57 children waiting, please email me at bevenicarepoint@comcast.net.

I am so grateful for each of you and thank God for your willingness to care about the orphans and vulnerable children in the various ministries represented by the hundreds who will read this message. I pray His amazing blessing of His brand of peace and joy into your hearts.

In Him, with faith,
Deb Gangemi, for the Gangemi Family

A re-cap of the Beveni Challenge

February 2009: We have a story to tell and a request to make!

Our older son, Anthony, is now 14 years old. His “love language” is the receiving of gifts. He looks forward to his birthday and Christmas with so much joy and anticipation! But this year, three days before Christmas, at the height of his excitement over gifts to be opened, he asked us to return his presents and give the money to Children’s HopeChest for Beveni Carepoint (this carepoint is the gathering place for 102 vulnerable and orphaned children in Swaziland and is the place where many of them get the only meal they eat for the day).

While we didn’t have much money to spend on gifts, any gift would have delighted him. But we also know he was hoping against all hope that we had bought a Nintendo DS for him. With that hope very much alive in him, his request that we return his presents represented an enormous sacrifice on his part.

As we have learned about the abject poverty the children of Beveni live in, and how many basic needs are not met, we began to dream with Anthony about how God could grow his $200 gift into something much larger.

Now we are studying the life of Esther. We’re aware you know the story, but want to share how it has come to galvanize our family to create the “Beveni Carepoint Christmas Sacrifice to Purim Challenge”. Yup, a mouthful to be sure, but also a heart full!

Purim is the festival celebrating Esther, her obedience to act in faith and the result of that obedience. In the spirit of Anthony sacrificing that which he waited an entire year for, and in response to the question Mordecai posed to his cousin Esther: “Who knows but that we have come to our position of royalty (as sons and daughters of the King of Kings) for such a time as this?, the Gangemi family invites you to be part of a BIG adventure, one in which He takes the offerings of many to create something large enough to make a difference for the children.

The challenge:
Beveni is in desperate need of basic infrastructure. They have no electricity, fence, latrines, water system, kitchen or garden. Many of the children cannot attend school because they aren’t able to pay the annual tuition. A significant number of them eat only once a day.

But together, we can make a difference!

$5 can provide 30 meals for a child
$75 pays for a year of school tuition
$600 would provide a water storage tank

Our request:

Specifically, we ask everyone receiving this note to make a one time gift of $5.00 or more to Children’s HopeChest for the Beveni Carepoint by going online to Children's HopeChest (please put Beveni Challenge in the note section) or sending a check (with a note requesting the money be given to the Beveni Challenge)to:

Children’s HopeChest
PO Box 8627
Pueblo, CO 81008-8627

If you are able to give more, please do!

We believe in God’s committed heart for these kids, and in the reality that we are His Body, the one He provides care through. Any gift you are able to extend to these children and their caregivers will be as life to them. Every one of us has the opportunity to be part of making the difference. Every gift given becomes part of something larger than what we can do alone. These gifts will make a lasting difference to all of the children and their caregivers by providing them with basics we take for granted but they can only dream about.

We also ask you to share this challenge with people you know. If you are involved in a church, small group, club, team or business, please consider asking them to partner with us in this challenge.

Please realize that when you share this information, you are giving people the opportunity to participate in the blessing of joy that comes when we care for the orphans and the widows.

We ask that you make your gift to the children by Wednesday, March 11, the last day of Purim. In reading Esther, we learn that Mordecai calls for two days to be celebrated every year, the days of Purim. He gave specific instruction on how to celebrate, and included in those instructions the giving of gifts to the poor. In giving to the children of Beveni, you will be giving to some of the poorest of the poor! In the giving, we participate in the celebration of God providing for His people in a way that is near and dear to His heart.

We are aware that many of you receiving this are already involved in orphan care ministry. We know the needs of orphans your ministry cares for are great. If you prefer to make your gift to that ministry and you don’t mind letting us know, please drop us a line so we can share the news with our son.
We thank each of you, for your hearts that have responded to the heart of the Father to care for His little children. We look forward in great anticipation to see what He accomplishes through His big kids for His little ones, and with joy in the journey!

We welcome any questions you have and we have provided our ministry email address below. You can also find us on Facebook at the Beveni Carepoint group, an online community formed to support the children and their caregivers with prayer. Since its formation in early December, over 300 people have joined, and 37 children have become sponsored.

If you are interested in becoming hope to one of the 65 children waiting for a sponsor, please let us know. We are the volunteer sponsorship coordinators for the children of Beveni, through Children’s HopeChest. We would be honored to help you find “your” child and to begin a relationship that will give hope and a future to a child.

In Him, with faith and joy!

Tom, Deb, Anthony and Aidyn Gangemi
bevenicarepoint@comcast.net

Whatever you do for one of the least of these, that you did for me. Matthew: 25: 40

Hope for the Hopeless

My friend Tom Davis is in Ethiopia right now, traveling with a team for Children's HopeChest. I want to share his blog post from today, about the team's visit to two orphanage sites called Hope for the Hopeless.

" We've just returned from visiting two orphanage sites called Hope for the Hopeless. I can't remember the last time I've been overwhelmed with so many things at once - love received from the kids, stories that broke my heart, joy that filled my soul as we danced and sang together".

You can read his entire post and see some pictures here, plus find a link if you want to be part of Hope to them: http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2009/04/my-heart-is-full.html

I praise God for the Hope that is reality in Him! And I thank Him that we get to be one small part of being His Body, sharing the Hope that is in us in vital ways to kids like these beautiful children

And find out what pleases the Lord!

I have been reading the book of Ephesians over the last few days. It isn't the first time I have read through this epistle, but I came upon a verse that hit me as if it I had never seen it before. I have no doubt it will not be an immense "wow" to many reading this. This is my lesson from God today and may not be yours. But at least let me invite you to hear what He is teaching me:

Ephesians 5:10 and find out what pleases the Lord.

Put into context, Paul has just finished telling us in verse 9 that we are children of the light, so we should live as such, in kindness, truth and righteousness. That is joined to verse 10 with an "and": live as children of the light AND learn what pleases God!

That is filled with such a sense of welcoming adventure to me. Because I am a child of the light, I am invited, no, directed to learn what pleases my Lord.
I am not very skilled at digging into word studies, other than to look them up in the concordance and compare other uses of similar words. Thankfully, "pleases" isn't a difficult word to understand. It ranks right up there with "agreeable" and "acceptable". Our God isn't a God who hides these things from our understanding. He wants us to get it, so no hidden idioms here.

I believe that He brought me through Ephesians right after Romans to tie another bit into this growing time for me. I had another moment of reading verses I have memorized, yet perhaps never saw before. In particular, Romans 12:1.
"Therefore I urge you brothers,in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to the Lord-this is your spiritual act of worship."

So tonight I share this with you: we are directed to learn what pleases our God, and to offer ourselves, our very lives as our act of worship, thus pleasing Him. What a realization: our lives and the way we live them as we learn what pleases Him, is our act of worship! Astounding!

What please our God? I think Jesus summed it up very succinctly when He told us that the two greatest commandments are these: to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our bodies and all our souls; and to love our neighbor as ourself (and He was plenty clear about who our neighbor is, so no wiggle room for us).

But the commandments don't please the Lord, it is our obedience to Him that pleases Him! Those commandments are words in a book until we take them to heart and live them from a place of obeying Him. A life lived in obedience will reflect consideration of the following:

~to care for the orphans and widows in their distress
~to delight ourselves in the Lord
~to become like little children (humble, trusting, obedient)
~to be transformed to His image, not conformed to this world

And hundreds of other ways.

I am struck by the choice of words in the Bible: Delight, Desire, Learn. These are words of participation, of accepting the invitation to enter into a relational adventure with God. I am so excited about being one of His kids. He is an awesome God, this Father of mine! Not only does He own all the cattle on a thousand hillsides, He also owns my heart.

Moving over from Typepad!

After a couple of years of blogging on Typepad at http://orphanshope.typepad.com, I have made the move over to Blogger. The money saved will pay for the education of one to two children in Swaziland for a year. Public education there is not free, and so the children who most need it, the ones who are disadvantaged by poverty and by being orphans, are the very ones who cannot afford to attain the education they need to stop the cycle of poverty and disadvantage. If you would like information on how to give hope to a child through a one time gift, please contact me! I would be happy to share the info!