It Takes a Worldwide Team

Recent headlines scream of injustice and chaos; you demonstrated a different way with sacrifice and unity.

In our #GivingTuesdayNow campaign, we said that dreamers and their volunteers “are digging deep” to respond during this pandemic crisis.

We asked you do to the same. And you did.

On their evening walk, one father of four mused, “I wonder if we should be more generous.” Not missing a beat, his wife replied, “Rather than wonder, we should take action. My parents gave money to repair our plumbing upstairs. We’ve managed this long. Why don’t we give that?” And so they did.

Another grey-haired couple reported how they and their friends teamed up. “We all chose to donate the “stimulus checks” we each received. We have lots of sweet potatoes from our garden, so we ain’t gonna be nearly as hungry as countless children around the world.”

You chose to “look not only for your own interests but also for the interests of others.” And you propelled us forward with your gifts.

And just in the nick of time! With your help, we strengthened dreamer teams embedded in some of the hardest places on earth. Examples you accelerated:

• Despite lockdown curfews and economic free fall, Lebanese activists upgraded systems to mobilize their network of 6,000 blood donors to pursue peace across sectarian divisions.
• A network of over 1,500 volunteers, for whom we customized coronavirus prevention instructions, bridged critical info gaps across collapsed health systems in a war zone.
• Southeast Asian orphans stranded far from their tribal rural villages hand-crafted and delivered over 100 virus masks to impoverished neighbors on shanty town streets.
• Prioritizing the last first, a land developer invested in a start-up agricultural venture, dedicating all profits for lifetime care of Middle Eastern mentally challenged orphans.
• A bridge grant sustained an Iraqi woman’s care for her four severely challenged siblings, after losing their home to invasion, her brother to an accident, and her job in pandemic.

And all the more now, we’re activating global linkages to move more resources and maintain relationships with the newly food insecure as they wonder how to find their next meal.

Taking action, may we all participate in the joy reported by one of the Southeast Asian orphans:

“It was a lot of fun sewing the face masks, but seeing people appreciate their gifts was even more fun. This was a God-given opportunity to share and to love His neighbors.”

Thank YOU as we joyfully love our neighbors, near and far.