Pastor's Perspective - Nothing Even Comes Close

I was so blessed this morning to read this Facebook entry by our Tricia Isayi, co-founder of Operation Orphans International – “We spent the day yesterday packing boxes of clothes for Kenya. We completely filled eight boxes with 50 pounds of clothes. The orphan kids in Shisasari are going to be the best dressed!!! We still have medical supplies and new dresses, shorts, and shirts. Thanks for all of these blessings.”

Bill Hybels in his book ‘Courageous Leadership’ conveys the following powerful truths – “The local church is the hope of the world…Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness…There is nothing like the local church when it’s working right…No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close.”

Over the course of the last several months, women and children attending two congregations 3,000 miles apart, have been serving selflessly in tandem to sew new clothes for approximately 250 HIV-affected orphans 10,000 miles away in remote western Kenya. The wonderful ladies of First Christian Church in Wauchula, Florida (onefamilyonefocus.com), my former ministry, joined our vision and efforts here at First Christian Church in Suisun City, California, and the result is just another priceless example of what God can do through His Bride for ‘the least of these’. These beautiful dresses and shorts sets will be personally delivered by our team of fifteen next month – all compliments of Jesus.

Huge thanks goes to everyone who sat smiling behind a sewing machine from sea to shining sea, motivated by the thought of smiling orphans and a smiling Savior. There is nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Nothing even comes close!