Daily Devotion

As we continue our month long theme of Joyful Generosity here is a story shared by Jim and Sue Greene regarding what they did when they received a check on God’s Grace Your Hands Sunday last September:

We matched our $100.00 check and donated $200 Euros to the MJM Ecuador foundation. The foundation’s mission is for the support of the Santa Maria de la Esperanza orphanage in Olon, Santa Elena, Ecuador. MJM was founded by Erwin Musper, who was a customer of mine. Erwin was a recording engineer/record producer from Holland who has worked with many renowned international artists. He lived in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky before retiring to Olon and a house overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

One day Erwin and his wife visited the orphanage near their home and he immediately dedicated his life to serving the children that live there. The children are abandoned and often dropped off there by the police. They arrive malnourished, sick and sometimes injured. No child is turned away and they receive food shelter, education (many are illiterate and need to be educated enough to be able to go to school at the appropriate grade level for their age). They receive loving care and soon become happy and healthy children. The orphanage is their family. The MJM foundation does fundraising to provide for the needs of the children from food and shelter to utilities such as reliable electric and water supplies, refrigeration for their food, music lessons, clothing and special events. I encourage you to check the MJM website www.mjmecuador.com

Matthew 25: Jesus said, “Whatever you have done to the least of these you have done to me.”

In the story the Greene’s report that “the orphanage becomes their family.”  Maybe the best definition of “family” is that group of people who will always take you in.  Millions of people in our world don’t have blood relatives that can or will be that safety net for them.  As the church we function as a part of God’s family, who do you think we are being called to take in?