Kids Hope Fall Fun

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To KIDS HOPE USA mentors and prayer partners

Composer Oscar Hammerstein once said, “It is a modern tragedy that despair has so many spokesmen, and hope so few.”

He’s right. And unfortunately, those voices of despair are the only voices heard by at-risk children.
Voices that say, “You aren’t smart enough.” “You’ll never amount to anything.” “Nobody cares about
you.” “Forget about God.” “You don’t matter.”

Because kids consistently receive these messages, every day in a variety of subtle ways, they eventually believe what they hear. Why wouldn’t they? Eventually, despair seems to accurately describe life. Despair becomes normal. And another life wastes away.

This breaks God’s heart.

So He did something. Something extraordinary. He looked for, and found, someone willing to help.
He found you. And He has a mission for you: Interrupt those voices. That’s right. As a mentor, you are a voice in the wilderness that must be heard because you have a powerful message to share. You tell a child that she is smart enough to read a book or spell a word. You let her know that she can accomplish plenty. You show a young boy that you care about him. You make God’s love real. Because of you, a child believes that he or she matters—sometimes for the first time.

Prayer partners, you also have a strong voice. Consider this: you’ll likely be the only person on this entire planet appealing to heaven on behalf of your child. You are here by no accident; God wants you to report to Him about a child.

You have quite a year ahead of you. Hours upon hours of mentoring. Of praying. Of interrupting voices that are very loud, very convincing, and very unwelcome to a new voice. You’ll tire at times. You’ll wonder if you’re making a difference. You’ll feel frustrated. You’ll want to take time off, to do something more important, to go elsewhere.

Please remain steadfast. God wants to hear your voice. Your child needs to hear your voice. Yes, your voice.

You’ve been selected for this journey because you have what it takes. Please don’t listen to any voices that attempt to persuade you to believe anything else. And trust that God will give you all the strength you need. That’s how He works.

“The eyes of the Lord search to and fro across the earth, looking to strengthen those whose hearts are true to Him.” – 2 Chronicles 16:9

Thank you for your willingness to touch a child’s heart. God will use you to unleash the potential He
placed in a young life. And you’ll enjoy the thrill of watching Him change the world—one child at a time.

Thank you for being a spokesperson for hope.

Serving Him and the kids,
David Staal and the KIDS HOPE USA team

Baptism

Hayden Dooley Gray was baptized on July 12 at Converse Church of Christ.

Hayden and his mentor, Gary Phillips, first met during the last month of Hayden's 2nd grade year. Gary followed Hayden to Sweetser, then Swayzee Elementary School through the fifth grade. Hayden was surrounded by several positive role models from Converse Church of Christ as teachers, classmates, and coaches. Thank you to all of you for living out an example of Christ's love to those you come in contact.

Bob Taylor and Anne Phillips are their prayer partners.

Memorize LOVE!

Scripture Memorization...do thoughts pop in your head when you hear this?  Maybe you think about VBS when you were a kid or Sword Drills as a camper.  It wasn’t a part of my formative years to my dismay.  In other words, when my brain was at its peak performance in memorizing information, facts and details I was concentrating on lyrics to Beatles, Sonny & Cher and Barry Manilow songs.  Consequently at this ripe age, I struggle with memorizing God’s word and references.  I try and will keep working at it until the last breath in me but I fall short many times in being able to quote chapter and verse.  Harder and more importantly than memorizing God’s word, is living out His kind of Love.  The Message version says we are to “love extravagantly”.  “Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it because it does.”  In my attempts to “Memorize LOVE”  I have so many people to look to as examples. 

Here are just a few:
Love never gives up.  John Hueston, Trish Walker
Love cares more for others than for self.  Dana Hueston
Love doesn’t want what is doesn’t have.  Amanda Bugos
Love doesn’t strut.  Bob Eads, Chris Norris
Doesn’t have a swelled head.  Melody Thomas
Doesn’t force itself on others.    Don Brown, Karen Norris, Butch Brookshire
Isn’t always “me first”.  Sarah Brown, Tonya Newhouse
Doesn’t fly off the handle.  Frank Horner, Shanann Newhouse
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others.  Tricia Hopkins
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth.  Honey Winger
Doesn’t revel when others grovel.  Kirk Hornocker, Annie Larrison
Puts up with anything.  Gary, Marvin & Vera Green
Trusts God always.  Ryan Winger, Melinda Conway
Always looks for the best.  Connie Eads, Kristin Hevner
Never looks back.  Sarah Ferguson
But keeps going to the end.  Gary Phillips, Nikki Harts
Love never dies.  Randy Colglazier, Nan Horner
 
Thank you for helping me to “Memorize LOVE!”  Watching you has blessed my life and helped me to remember to “Love Extravagantly!”.  Thank you!
 
Pam Green