| Jesus
said, "Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the
Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14) Early on in the GodSpeaks campaign, a decision was made to somehow improve the lives of abused, abandoned and neglected children who, through no fault of their own, found themselves hurled into the frightening world of today's foster care system. Though we were unsure of the direction that God would lead, we proceeded to bank the proceeds from the licensing of our "sayings" until such time as God would reveal his will for us. It was about 6 months ago that God's will was made clear and the organization made it's first investment towards it's goal- the purchase of a dilapidated four bedroom house in Fort Lauderdale. The house was to be used as an emergency shelter for children removed from their homes until such time as they can be placed in a more permanent foster care setting. Partnering with Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, or CCFL, it's ChildSHARE ministry and the Department of Children and Families; the GodSpeaks organization purchased the house outright and immediately donated it to the church, which agreed to arrange the renovation and staffing of the house. Where often these children find themselves sleeping on the floor of a social worker's office, a fortunate six will be taken to this beautiful home, parented by Christ-centered foster parents, offered warm, comfortable beds in beautifully decorated rooms and, best of all, be shown the love of Jesus during a time when they are most vulnerable. Then he took a child and had him stand in front of them. He put his arms around him and said to them, "Whoever welcomes in my name one of these children, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not only me but also the one who sent me." (Mark 9:36,37) This warm, loving environment will welcome, based on bed availability, any child in crisis, regardless of race, creed, color or religious preference. This is what Calvary Kid's Place is all about. What God has done in these past six months is truly a miracle!!! The renovation is now complete, by God's grace, and 6 beautiful children can call Calvary Kid's Place "home". From flooring to roofing, plumbing to landscaping, and a beautiful new pool detailed with a cross embedded into the tiled floor, this house is an oasis of love for children who have only known confusion and anger...all at a fraction of the cost that would have been normally required! Why? Because God faithfully showed up and made it all possible! Just to give you an idea of the kind of savings we are talking about, the kitchen renovation included a stylish flattop stove, solid granite counter top, high-end back splash tiling, and a super-sized refrigerator. Estimate for the completed kitchen? $10,500.00. The church's total investment? $1,500.00!!!!! Just like the fish and the bread on the Mount of Olives, God takes a little and make a lot out of it! Volunteers from CCFL came and laid sod and new grass, scraped floors and walls...carpenters, carpet layers, cabinet makers, air conditioning experts, roofers, wall hangers...you name it, the church body provided it! All at no charge!! Virtually every material used in the renovation was donated as well. The only significant out-of-pocket expenses were the required building permits! We expect that Calvary Kid's Place will house up to 50 children a year. That's wonderful news, wouldn't you agree? But successful as Calvary Kid's Place has been, there remains a need for more houses just like it, not only in Fort Lauderdale, but also all over our nation and the world! Sadly, there is just no shortage of children in crisis. We at GodSpeaks encourage you to pray on how you can make such a difference in your own communities. First and foremost, we ask for your continued prayer support. Calvary Kid's Place has provided further proof of God's faithfulness, for the Bible tells us, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:22). To God's glory, it has you're your prayers and your purchases that have brought us this far. "How else can I help?" you might ask. (We get a lot of these e-mails!). Well, there are a couple of ways. Perhaps you could consider your church's participation in developing foster homes and raising foster families for those homes in your community? It's quite a mission to undertake, but as you know, "everything is possible for God." (Mark 10:27). And we believe the rewards are "heavenly"! Another way to help is to send a monetary donation to the GodSpeaks organization to be put towards the purchase of the next emergency crisis home. That's right! We already have our sights set on purchasing another house! And with your assistance, we can reach that goal even faster! It is our hope to purchase enough houses to eliminate any possibility of a child ever spending one night on the floor of a government building as they await foster care placement. With your assistance, we believe this goal is within our reach. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you all. May God richly bless you now and forever! |
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