making Jesus famous

there are many things i could share with you. many many thoughts of all different sorts have been spinning around in my head all week. i get paralyzed by so many choices. then, this morning i read through a blog post which made me tear up a bit, and subsequently made me realize what i needed to write about. what i haven't written about yet, but i hope it will inspire you to action.

it started with a 16 year old. one.

she found out about this place in ghana called "the father's house". the father's house was soon to be an orphanage for boys rescued out of slavery. she caught the vision and bounced it off of everyone she knew. what if she did something?

{via adonaba.com}

something big.
maybe even HUGE.

she wanted to raise money for this cause. but not just money. money is too easily given and forgotten about. she wanted other people to catch the vision too. you see because Jesus was at the heart of it. the father's house wasn't just trying to get into the habit of rescuing boys out of slavery - they were trying to get into the habit of rescuing boys out of slavery in JESUS' name.

and then God gave her another vision. a complementary vision so-to-speak.
what if we did a benefit concert? and all the proceeds will go to the father's house.

but how in the world does a 16 year old go about putting on a benefit concert that actually makes money for the cause?
she prays a lot.
and then,
things start falling into place because God is in it, and that's how he works.

so now, there's a group of teenagers who meet every week to pray and plan a benefit concert call GHANA ROCK. the goal is to raise thousands of dollars and a whole lot of awareness for the father's house, for slavery, and for Jesus.

the concert is may 13, 2011 at northside baptist church in charlotte, nc.
the performers are unhindered, kristian stanfill, and josh wilson.

not only is this concert coming together, but this same 16 year old got to go to ghana at the beginning of january and go with the house parents to rescue the first 8 boys. [to read more about the concert, and her trip go to: ghanarock2011.blogspot.com] she got to SEE with her own eyes how these boys are treated, and got to hold their hands and lead them out of slavery. 

{via africa.upenn.edu}

most of these boys will be rescued off of the fishing boats on lake volta in ghana. madi (said 16 year old) went with her team across this lake to talk to village chiefs. she saw 3 and 4 year old boys rowing fishing canoes while grown men sat back and watched. the boys' masters wouldn't even let them look at other people. the men even posed for pictures as the team tried to capture what the boys were forced to do.

this huge lake is lake volta
{edited version via africa.upenn.edu}

madi's blog post yesterday hit home for me. [you'll have to read it to get the full effect.] her post made me think about my niece and nephew who are 4 and 2, about the kids that i nannied for when i was in college, and made me think -- what if it was them? what if they were the ones forced into slavery on a fishing boat? what if they weren't loved? what if they were beaten and forced to work? what if they had nothing to smile or laugh about?

the thing is, those kids whom i don't know, who are forced into various forms of slavery all over the world, they too are made in the image of God. they are HIS ally and zach. HIS will, joey, p.j., and kaley. they are HIS caleb and logan, HIS jane.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: 

to look after orphans and widows in their distress 

and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27

it is fitting that as i was writing this post a david crowder song came on - david crowder is madi's FAVORITE, and so, i think it's equally fitting that i end with some lyrics from his song "i need words."

i need words

as wide as the sky

i need language large as

this longing inside

and i need a voice

bigger than mine

{david crowder band}

now go, act.

make Jesus famous.