You’ll love how God is using our new “F-E-E-D” strategy to reach children around the world. At-risk children’s lives are being changed now and, God willing, in the future.
In Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, we recently held an outreach. Zambia’s just one example of both the great need and the great opportunities that we have before us.
In the late 1990s, twin disasters rattled Zambia: AIDS and malaria. These two epidemics wiped out entire generations. Children lost not only their parents, but the traditional family support systems that would’ve kept them safe.
Orphans flooded the streets. Like in other countries around the world, these children are vulnerable. They are desperate for food. But poverty is only the beginning. They are alone.
In no time, their hearts are corrupted by the evils of street life. They are forced into child labor. They engage in crime to survive. They suffer from malnutrition. They numb the pain with street drugs. They become victims and perpetrators of violence, trafficking, prostitution, and child pregnancy. Children end up in prison. Children in prison, with children of their own.
And it goes on and on. Of course, this tragedy isn’t happening in only Zambia. In the countries where we work, and hope to work, this is common with various local flavors. But in every place, children are at extraordinary risk—both physically and spiritually.
Yet, you and I can make a difference. This situation is far from hopeless.
At our first gospel outreach in Zambia, 116 street children gathered. They were 5 to 20 years old. Each child received 3 full meals (a rarity for these kids). A Medical team gave medical exams, helping six children with severe problems get into the hospital. 44 of the children asked Christ into their hearts and were welcomed into local churches to continue discipling them!
Would you prayerfully consider a gift to help us continue and expand our F-E-E-D strategy? Your support will change children’s lives.
F-E-E-D is more than a catchy acronym. It’s Mission to Children’s biblical, proven strategy to reach children for Christ. Your support of Mission to Children “feeds” children physically with a meal and spiritually with God’s word.
Here’s how F-E-E-D works:
Find: Our work begins with asking God to help us find trustworthy, like-minded Christians who want to collaborate to make Christ known in their communities. Evangelize: We want every child to know the power of the gospel to transform their life. We bring hope into communities through gospel outreaches that feed 1,000s of children physically with a meal and spiritually with God’s word.
Engage: To develop the whole child, we encourage child participation during and after outreaches, through activities that are unique to each community.
Disciple: We collaborate with others, so that every child reached has the opportunity to be discipled by a well-trained church.
As one of the ministers working on the Zambia outreach said to me, “You can take a child off the street, but you cannot take the street out of his heart.” That’s why F-E-E-D is critical. Beyond physically feeding and helping the children, we work to replace the “street” with “Jesus” in the children’s hearts through evangelism and local discipleship.
In 2023, we have plans to expand F-E-E-D in Zambia, Malawi, and Rwanda, as God enables.
Would you please pray for the children we will reach for Christ in 2023? And would you please consider a gift today to ensure that we reach and disciple as many children as possible through our F-E-E-D strategy?
I hope it gives you great joy to know how God is at work through you and your support of Mission to Children.
For God’s glory,
Byron Garmo, President and CEO