Brian's Initial Thoughts

Well, I've been in Zambia for a week now and I'm ashamed to say this is my first personal post. Things have been pretty busy for me this side of equator and for those who know me, that's kind of how i like it. But I really wanted to write down some of my thoughts and share some of my experiences before I forget them.

For those who are following our blog, this may be a little confusing cause I'm going to go backwards a little and talk about some of my impressions when we first landed in Dallas and met Every Orphan's Hope. Andrea's been doing a great job documenting what we've been doing but I wanted to share with... the world i guess.. some of the specific impressions I got from the EOH staff and share some of the stories we heard about the beginnings of EOH.

When we first landed in Dallas a pretty big (think ex-NFL player) guy approaches me and asks if I'm Brian. I figured he's Paul and the women next to him is his wife Kim. Now, the first surprised is Paul. The guy is pretty big (think ex-NFL-LINEMAN-use-to-be-in-the-Navy big), and has a shaved head, but is super gentle with a real calm voice. His wife, Kim, is pretty small (probably bigger than Andrea, but next to Paul, she seems tiny) who is super welcoming. Now, I don't about you, but its always kind of awkward for me when you first meet people who you've only talked to over email or over the phone. So we do the chit chat and ask a lot of the typical get-to-know you questions like
1. Where you were born
2. Where have you lived
3. Do you like Texas
etc....
And normally you don't get much but superficial responses, but this time was different... .

Through the questions, I found out that Paul used to be a pretty successful project manager in Virginia. He and Kim were like Andrea and me- DINKs (Dual Income No Kids). He started going on short term missions every year with EOH since Gary (the president) went to his church. And since he was a DINK, he funded himself (sound familiar). Well, after a few summers of going on these trips, he decided God wanted for him to go full time. Just like that. Well-to-do DINK becomes missionary. The crazy thing was that he was thinking about it for a while, but DIDN'T tell his wife about it at all, and AFTER praying and processing the idea with Gary, he tells his wife. So his wife, who has no idea what he is thinking hears this...... and doesn't a word. She says she would have normally said something but God told her to be quiet.

And after two years of raising funds, they sell all their possessions and move to texas.

"Why Texas?" - I asked
"Cause its CHEAP!" - Paul says

So this couple, sells their house, and, so that they can do the work of the Kingdom, goes to a city where they don't know anyone because it financially allows them to do the work they are passionate about. They didn't know anyone in Dallas before, but moves there because this is where EOH is and this is where they are called.

That's pretty cool. I mean, I know a lot of missionaries and know a lot of people who have moved for the Kingdom, but I don't know that many people who are well off, have a comfortable lifestyle, but then "sells" everything and moves to become a missionary in their late 30s - early 40s.

That's pretty cool, but as I found out, a common theme in EOH.

So that's Paul and Kim who joined EOH about a year ago. The next day we meet Gary, the president of EOH. He begins to tell us about how he started EOH and tells this AMAZING story about how he was a successful business man who traveled a lot. And in one of the plane rides, he picks up the newspaper and reads about the consequences of AIDS/HIV in Africa and how there is a generation of orphans in Zambia which at that time had the highest concentration of AIDS/HIV. And he thinks to himself how God loves his child as much as the children in Zambia and he just weeps and decides to do something about it. That's it. That's how EOH begins. He reads an article, God puts a thought in his head, and, BAM, EOH begins (of course there is years of research and building up contacts and prayer, etc.. etc... too but those are just the details ;-)

Gary goes on to tell story after story of how God meet the needs of this ministry and how God provided ZAMBIAN people IN VIRGINIA to help him. I mean story after story of God's grace and providence. And Andrea and I are just sitting there enthralled by his stories. I later told Gary that he really need to record his stories and post it because
1) He has a really good story voice
2) Its just so moving how God does things

And throughout Gary's story, I begin to see the some common themes behind EOH. Not only is EOH living out God's command to serve the orphans in Zambia, but it also desires to disciple the church in the US so that it has a heart for the people, specifically orphans, in Zambia. Its ministering to both sides of the world and bridging the gaps between the global church.

Another theme I saw in action... well.. more like in story, was the idea that God will provide. He WANTS to provide, you just need to do what he tells you to do and he will provide. The problems are big. AIDS, poverty, orphans... these are big problems, but if you do the work, God will provide...

Powerful themes, but that really struck me... and that from only 2 days on the job...

Okay... this is long enough.. no more rambling. I'll post my first impressions of Zambia later.... ;-)