Tag Archive for: Sponsorship

Work of Faith, Labor of Love, & Steadfastness of Hope

Two texts of Scripture come immediately to mind when I think about my time at LCP. What else would you expect from a pastor? The first passage is Paul’s prayer of Thanksgiving for the church in Thessalonica and the second is Jesus’s short parable of the Kingdom of God in Matthew 13.

For me, LCP exhibits the same three things for which Paul was thankful in the young church in Thessalonica: her work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I was truly amazed at the comprehensiveness of the work of faith in which LCP has been engaged. I saw it in the pre-schools; the School on Wheels, the soup kitchens; the weekly Bible studies; the Spirit filled worship service; the daily staff devotions; the clean, safe residences and the lovingly cared for children who live in them; the health clinic; the physical therapy program; the chorizo manufacturing livelihood project; and the scores of sponsored children and families. The comprehensive nature of the program was mind boggling considering that LCP has only been at work for a short 30 years.

I also saw LCP’s work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in the smile of a CP afflicted child fully included in a pre-school class and lovingly assisted by his mother. I saw it in the huge well-used Bible in the lap of an elderly woman in one of the community Bible studies. I saw it in the hopes and dreams of the girls in the Wee Women’s Dorm, the younger boys in the Hanson House, and the older boys at the Consuelo Home. I saw it in the eyes of our sponsored child and her mother. I heard it in the stories of the alumni. I saw it in the joy and excitement of the high school, college, preschool and School on Wheel’s graduates. I saw it in the teamwork, dedication, enthusiasm, and wisdom of the staff. I saw it and was humbled by it.  Jesus said that faith can move mountains. LCP is living testimony to that truth.

LCP is an exhibition of what Jesus spoke about in what I think is his shortest parable of the Kingdom of God in Matthew 13:33. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is like the leaven hidden in three measures of flour that eventually leavens the whole batch. LCP graduates are that leaven from my perspective. LCP nurtures and equips them and then sends them out into society to infuse it with the Kingdom of God. As a result, LCP is not only serving the children and families of Dumaguete but also the wider society through them.

We are deeply appreciative to have had an opportunity to help out with the community Bible studies and at the soup kitchens. I must admit that I felt a little unprepared and not really sure what passage of Scripture to choose for the studies but the one I finally did choose, Matthew 5:14-16, seemed to work.

One thing that I thought about when I saw the overwhelming involvement of the mothers of sponsored children was what it would take to get the fathers more visibly involved. Perhaps the Holy Spirit was opening our eyes to a new opportunity. On my return, I took the liberty of speaking to a colleague who has been deeply involved in men’s ministry for a number of years. Our conversation has only begun and I hope that the Lord will grace us with some useful ideas to share.

The trip is best summarized for me by the reaction of one of the congregants in the church I am temporarily serving as interim pastor. She looked at my face, heard some of the stories and said that I should go on more such trips because I looked so refreshed and excited about what I had seen God doing at LCP. For her to see that in me in spite of my struggling with jet lag was a testament to the amazing ministry of LCP.

My wife, Kathy, and I look forward to being advocates in the future for the program in the Mid-Atlantic. We now not only have a wealth of information and experiences to share, we also have the excitement and compulsion to share it.

 

By: John Paderson, LCP Volunteer

 

 

Leaving a Legacy, One Child at a Time

We say sponsorship changes lives, and it truly does. Some of our sponsors have been giving a hand up to a brighter future for many years. They have seen their sponsored children grow into adults and graduate from college, then take on another sponsored child. It is now 2018, and we are seeing a lot of second and third generation sponsors.

For example, Dwight and Lori Henderson have been sponsoring since 1993. They came with the Presbyterian Church in Sudbury group to give their time and services at LCP in July 2018. Since learning about LCW/LCP, they have supported 16 children. They have seen 4 of their sponsored children through high school graduation and the remaining 8 all the way through college. They currently support 2 children through sponsorship and 2 through college sponsorship.

Through their support, not only are their graduates working, they are thriving! Places of work all over the city and beyond have been touched because they gave. One of their graduates is even working as the psychometrician at the mental health office in Dumaguete, a highly sought-after and well-respected position.

During the Meet and Greet time with PCIS, Dwight and Lori’s current and former sponsored children and graduates came to show their appreciation to their donors. Without the Henderson’s, their lives would certainly be very different.

You can create a generational change, just like Dwight and Lori. Sponsoring just one child changes their life forever, not only that, it affects their families in the future in a good way. It breaks the cycle of poverty! Even if you cannot commit to monthly sponsorship all of our HELPS programs ae in need of funding, and contribute to changing lives for the better. Consider sponsoring a child or giving a financial gift today. Thank You!

 

A Little Something Extra

Volunteer Reflections: Jordan West