Christian Missionary Fellowship

In my continued desire to Publicize What God is Doing, today's highlighted ministry is Christian Missionary Fellowship International. I am not familiar with this organization, but a quick perusal of their website indicates that they are active all over the world, sponsoring children, planting churches, advocating for the urban poor and providing basic necessities combined with teaching God's Love for each and every human being they encounter.

Brian Houser, one of CMFI's missionaries to Burkina Faso, was one of the speakers at our Missions' Day "round table" a few weeks ago. (Click here for link to video access to view the service) Brian talked of God's provision and encouragement even as his wife, Tabitha, battled meningitis while in Africa. But they are just one family out of what appears from the website, to be dozens all over the world serving through CMFI.

I counted 14 countries where CMFI is active, but the first one I clicked on is the place that is growing in my heart, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. CMFI is involved in serving the urban poor, including the disproportionate number of lepers that live in this capital city of Ethiopia. One thing I noticed quickly from the website is the large number of missionaries that appeared to be twenty- to thirty-somethings...yet again, confirming that the Millennials are a generation that will fight for a cause...no matter the cost. Praise God...His Spirit is alive and active and His children are obeying His call!

Once again, I will repeat...do your own research and if this is a place you feel the Holy Spirit leading you to give or to serve...don't question the feeling...or the wisdom...or even the practicality of it...just do it, and you will be blessed!

Mulberry International Children's Ministries

I shared yesterday, that I would like to Publicize What God is Doing and this organization is a great place to start. Please keep in mind as I share the information for these groups that I do not know most of the people personally, I am merely hoping to make connections of God's people with places and opportunities to serve and give.

Mulberry International Children's Ministries is an organization that connects Ukrainian orphans with Christian foster homes. They also have an outreach to street children and assist teens with transitioning from life on the street into mainstream society by providing housing, support and house parents to guide them. They also have a ministry to abandoned babies in hospitals to advocate for the children and seek to place them in the Christian foster homes.

The statistics on their website are staggering (MulberryInternational.org):

• 80% of the population lives below the poverty line
• There are over 100,000 orphans in the Ukraine
• 9 out of 10 homeless children will be addicted to alcohol, glue or other drugs
• Trafficking homeless children has become big business

What has happened? Why is the Ukraine in this state of deterioration? Because they went from being controlled in every facet of their lives by communism, to a government that paid women to birth children due to their declining population. The women did not have to raise these children, just birth them. In 2008 alone, 14,000 children under the age of 3 were abandoned by their parents. The average age of a child on the streets is 12-13, but children as young as 3 have been seen rifling through trash for food.

The most staggering statistic I read? The average Ukrainian woman has seven abortions in her lifetime. This is not a pro-choice vs. pro-life debate...that is just horrendous for your physical and mental health. To me, this is an indication of how hopeless the people of this country feel.

So do your own research and if this is a place you feel the Holy Spirit leading you to give or to serve...don't question the feeling...or the wisdom...or even the practicality of it...just do it, and you will be blessed!