Hope for Sudan

It's about to get real up in here.
I am going to use a lot of words.
If you are a reading this, I'm going to ask you to do me a huge favor and not click away just yet.
I know your time here, reading blogs, is precious.
Please, just read through to the end.


If you have been reading this blog for even a day, you probably know that I am part of a group of crazy people who, as led by the Lord, are planting a church in our city of San Mateo.

This year, the Lord has given us the privilege of partnering with HIM and sending several people from our small church body across the world - to places like Nepal, Liberia, and Sudan.
Seriously, it is a privilege. 

Through this, the hearts of people at Hope have been heavily burdened.

Let me tell you, I am not compassionate enough.
I don't care enough.
I struggle to love people I know sometimes.
Let alone people I have never met.
I'm not exactly known as having a bleeding heart.

This is HARD for me and my calloused comfortable heart.
But these facts, I can't ignore them.
You can't ignore them.

And that is what I am asking you to do.
Come with me, with us, as we open our eyes to what is going on 9,000+ miles across the planet.

People are dying.
Their earthly lives are perishing from a lack of food.
Their eternal lifes are perishing from a lack of the gospel.
NOW.
FAST.

I'm not trying to be overdramatic here - because, Lord knows, that is a gift I do have.
I'm just trying to be real.
I'm trying to communicate the sense of urgency on this small corner of the internet that is my soapbox.

The Lord has burdened our heart to pray, give, and go.

Pray big. REALLY big.
The Lord has been teaching me so much about His faithfulness, and his MIGHT lately.
That he is doing ALL of it.
Usually, I am not even seeing it until I step back and reflect.

Think about where you were a month ago. Six months ago. A year ago. Five years ago.
How far has He brought you?
I am confident you are not standing in the same place you were then.
I am confident that is because of Jesus work in your life.
Imagine what the Lord might do here. 

PRAY.


Do you know how much $25,000 is?
I sure as heck don't have that kind of money in my bank account.
But in a room of nine people on Sunday night, $5,000 of that was committed to the Lord.
In a matter of minutes.
20% of the initial financial goal.
What is he going to do here?

Fish & Loaves, people.

Like the blurb above states - $25,000 is NOTHING in terms of the excess that we live in.
What would a gift out of your abundance look like?
What would a gift out of your sacrifice look like?

Consider it.

GIVE.

Two or three men will be going in FIVE weeks.
One of which will be sent from Hope.
There is going to be a huge opportunity here to sustain what is being started this August. 
Educate yourself.
Find out what is going on in the Border Region of Sudan.
Consider partnering with us in this, not just prayerfully and financially, but physically.
Go there with your mind.
Go there with your heart.
Go there on a plane.

GO.

Maybe this is enough for you.
And you are ready to help.
Here is how you can, you can donate through Hope Church of San Mateo towards raising this $25,000.
We will send it all to the Sudan.
To move the food on the ground level. 

And, bloggy friends, can you help share this story?
It's been talked about before, let's use our influence for good.
This is one of those times.

Would you link to this post?
To the hope4sudan.hopesanmateo.org page?
Would you display our button?

Will you tweet? Will you share?
(Follow us here.)
Perhaps use a blog post to help spread the word?

Will you GIVE?

These are VERY, VERY small things, that have potential to have a HUGE impact on a hungry people.
This is grassroots.
This is a living room of people in San Mateo, California working through the Lord with people across the United States to practically serve and love a people who need literal food for life.
And more importantly, the BREAD OF LIFE, JESUS.

These are things YOU can do.
And you can do them now.

We know the Lord will provide the $25,000 - in the best way he sees fit.
Are you part of that?

I definitely do not have all of the answers, but send me your questions.

Because we love the Lord, and we love His people.
Even when it's hard.
Especially when it's hard.

    “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
   
(Matthew 25:31-40 ESV, emphasis added)

Here are some additional resources.
Find out.
Educate yourself.
Tell others.
You have heard of Ethiopia, and Darfur, and even Kony.
Do you know about Sudan?
Let's get this out there.
TODAY.

www.twitter.com/hopeSM4sudan 

Besieged in Sudan's Nuba Mountains

Samaritan's Purse

Conflict in the Nuba Mountains

Nuba 2012. A return to genocide? from Aegis Trust on Vimeo.