Counting Down....





                            

 
We are counting down the days until we go back to the good ole U.S. of A. to see our family and friends.  We will be leaving here November 2nd and will be in Nashville, Tn. late that night.  We are looking forward to the holidays whith all the family, friends and good food that we have missed so much since we have been away.
We have a bit of exciting news, at least it is exciting for Ron and myself.  We have applied for and have been accepted by Globe International to be a part of their missionary team.  Globe has missionaries all over the world and we feel blessed to be a part of their organization, helping to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to every nation.  We will be going to Pensacola, Fla. where their office is located, on November 14th, 15th, and 16th for Orientation.  We are looking forward to a blessed time there.  (And Pensacola is our favorite vacation spot!!!)

Just a few updates on things going on here at Hope Vision Ministry:
God continures to supply the budget each month that is required to keep the home running.  That is a great blessing and we are in awe of His work.
School started on the 3rd of this month.  We have one building this year and less children and we see much enthusiasm in the students and the teachers.  We have a flag this year and everyone is very excited each morning as the flag goes up and everyone is singing       .

                                                                                

                                                                      

   

Kenson helping the younger kids with homework.

                                                                            Our children here are very excited about school so far.  They start doing their homework before the designated time and we even see some helping each other and especially the older ones helping the younger ones.  Ron and I see so many good changes in all of the children. 

One of the classrooms in the school.





Another classroom.



                                       

Children doing homework.



Madam Pastor making uniforms...with an audience.

Madam Pastor and a few other ladies have been working diligently to finish making the school uniforms that are required of each child to wear when attending school in Haiti.  They are doing a wonderful job.  They are very gifted ladies.                                                     

Now for the BIG news:
If you read our last blog you know that we have been praying for new land to move the ministry to.  If you have been here or have seen pictures, you know that we are on the sea wall, in a swamp that has been filled in, and there is only gravel and concrete for the children to play in.  Oh, and don't forget the mosquitos!!!

Our vision is to purchase land that has grass to play in and a place to have a garden and fruit trees.  Pastor Andy has found that place.  It is a beautiful place not far from here, but on the other side of the road away from the sea.  It is about 2 carreau, which translates to a little more than 6 acres.  It has been used for farming so it is cleared land. 




  

Looking down the hill on the land.

 
Pastor says we need $60,000 U.S. to purchase it.  We are fervently praying for this to be the place that God wants us to move to and if it is, we believe that He will make a way for us to buy it.  We have children here who are interested in carpentry, gardening and even some who would be active in starting a new church in the area. We would love it if you would pray with about this land.

Prayer requests:

1. Pastor Andy and Madame Pastor as they will be taking on more responsibility with the children while Ron and I are in the states.

2. Pray that we will continue to have our budget met each month.

3. Provision for the new land.

4. Shipping - We are looking for a way to ship crates of supplies here, which would greatly reduce our monthly budget.

5. Ron and I to have a safe and uneventful trip back home and that we readjust quickly.

  

Looking up the hill on the land.



Thank you for your prayers and support. 
We would also like to mention that we will be available to share our experiences and how God is working here in Haiti and especially this ministry.  Please contact us at karen_ronn@yahoo.com if you would like for us to come to your church or other function.  You can also support this ministry and us personally at:
                                                
                                                              Globe International
                                                              P.O. Box 3040
                                                              Pensacola, Fla.  32516
                                                              850-453-3453
                                                            
                                                              http://www.gme.org/

(Please designate who your support is for.)

Our love to each of you in Christ Jesus,
Ron and Karen Cockerham in Haiti
                                                             





“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit…” John 15:16.

Last night as I lay in bed, trying to go to sleep, I asked God “Why did You send me here?” In His soft, still voice He answered me. “Because I love you.”
I have been chosen by Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, of all things seen and unseen. My God , my Father, who knew me before I was ever formed in my mother’s womb.
He doesn’t need me to do His work. He can do all things without anybody’s help. After all, He is God. But He invites each one of His children to join Him in His work and experience the wonders of His glory. He doesn’t need us but He wants us. How deep the Father’s love for us!!

It seems like I have been asking myself the question “what I am doing here?” a lot lately.
Maybe it’s because we are going into our 7^th month here and we miss our family and friends very much. I seem to always have very profound and unexpected answers to that question when I least expect it.

“God will bless you if you let us watch a little t.v.” This came when bedtime came and the girls were sent to their house, but the boys weren’t ready to go to bed.
“You gave me coffee yesterday so you’re my mom.”

I didn’t give him coffee but he drank what was left in my cup when I turned my head.                     

“Ron’s my dad and Karen’s my mom.” That blew both of us away.
“I pray for you this morning.” This is a regular thing now along with “I pray for you at church.”
“I’m bleeding. I need a band-aid.” This also is an every day occurrence. It still amazes us at the things they find to put a band-aid on.
There have been days when the boys and girls have gotten together and had church for hours. They make their own instruments to play, as well as a microphone and altar, and they praise and worship our Lord with all they have. They even take an offering and have communion. I don’t think I have ever seen any other children “play” like this. It gives me “glory bumps” to hear them sing and pray together.

                                                                                 

 

There have been times when someone was sick in the middle of the night and just recently someone fell out of bed and busted his mouth and chin. We heard him crying and found him sitting on the step outside his room bleeding all over the place. We are here for these times… to comfort, console, hold, and give our love to these who have no mom and dad to comfort and take care of them.

And so, as I ask why, God continues to show me why and we continue to serve and love the people here.

Ron and I rejoice in the knowledge that our Father has entrusted us to love and nurture these boys and even more than that - we know that through all the trials we go through daily “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

                                        

We have several things that we are praying about here.  I will share some of them and will ask if you will pray with us for God's will for each request.

1.  Support for Hope Vision Ministry - Without monthly support we cannot continue to provide a home for the children.
2.  School will start Monday, October 3.  Please pray for the teachers and the children. We will have less students and smaller classrooms, which should provide a better learning - teaching atmosphere.
3.  We are praying for land to purchase and build on.  Our vision is to move away from the sea and have land to grow food and be self-sustaining, and have grass for the children to play on.
4.  We had 8 boys who were recently baptized.  Please pray for them as they continue to grow in their walk with the Lord.
5.  As always, wisdom and understanding in serving the Haitian people and strength to endure.

We love you and we are thankful for you. 
May God bless you richly.

If you would like to make a donation to the ministry or to Ron and I personally please send to:

                                                            Globe International
                                               P.O. Box 3040 | 8590 Highway 98 West |
                                                           Pensacola, FL 32516 |
                                             (850) 453-3453 | Fax: (850) 456-6001
                                                             http://www.gme.org/

MY JOURNEY TO GASPAR AND BEYOND

　
Pastor John is a man of God whom Karen and I have gotten to know since we have been here in Haiti. He has started several churches in different areas of the country. One church in particular, which is located about 6 ½ hours away from where we are located in Port-de-Paix, (that is by tap-tap, taxi and foot), is where this journey takes us.
I was invited to speak at the church in Derrie Mone, as they were having a revival. Pastor John believes that I am the only white man to speak at this church. God blessed the 3 days that we were there as I shared my heart for Christ with the people in this community.

As I prepared for this trip, I was led to invite 3 of our older boys to go along.
One of our gate guards came along also.
Pastor John made the 6^th person in our group.

    

We left in the rain on a Friday morning at about 5:30, as a tropical storm was bearing down on us. God was gracious and turned the storm so we had very little rain. We caught a tap-tap ( which is a small pick-up truck used to transport people and many other things). We rode about 100 yards and the truck broke down. We caught another tap-tap about an hour later and we were on our way again. We arrived at the river in St. Louis Du Nord and had to cross through the river on taxis (motorcycles). We rode up a mountain on very narrow trails for about 45 minutes until the trails were too steep for the taxis. We proceeded on foot uphill for about 2 ½ hours. About 15 men, women and children from the village where we were going to met us on the trail and helped us carry our food, medical supplies and equipment. For another 2 hours we walked up the first mountain. More children met us to help carry supplies.

We walked up and down mountains for another hour and finally arrived at the village.

This village consists of the church (which is a large tent) and houses scattered about. The closest market is over an hour hike up the mountain.
When we arrived at the church there was a children’s Bible study and drill that lasted about 2 hours.
The people I met were very excited that we were there and went out of their way to make us comfortable and welcome. Some of the ladies of the church prepared food for us and made coffee from the local coffee beans. They prepared the meals in a small rock house with no roof, doors or windows located behind the

church.                                                              

                                                 

Pastor John and I were invited to visit with many of the local people and met one man who was very upset that no one had built a school there for the children to learn to read the Bible. I shared with him that maybe God was calling him to initiate that project.

This area is remote and the needs are great. The tent that is used for the church was donated by Grace Chapel of the ministry we are serving at. It was used after the earthquake when our church was damaged and could not be used. The community needs a church building, a roof for the building that is there and they need a school and an infirmary. There is no medical care in the area. The sick must be transported by foot 5 hours away for care. On our way up to this community we passed 2 men carrying a lady on a board down the hill to get medical care.

There is a piece of flat land there that could be bought for $600 U.S. which could be used for a school. There is a smaller piece of land next to this land which would possibly be available to buy. The hardest part is that all building materials are hand-carried from the closest town about 6 hours away.

                                         

Another great need that was expressed to me by a group of men I visited with is agricultural education. These men shared their hearts about the lack of education the people have for growing and storing the food that is harvested. They are able to grow a limited supply to eat and to sell but they do not have the knowledge or the means to store the food to last.

                                        

These people, like so many others in this country, are desperately in need of knowledge to make their lives easier and to eliminate the hunger that is so prevalent here. The physical needs are great, but their hunger for God and His love is first and foremost in their lives. They praise and worship with a fervent desire to know and serve our Lord. Many walk for several hours to attend church services and stay for several hours praising and worshipping with all their hearts.

                                   

I pray for the opportunity to visit with these people again and to visit other villages in the name of Christ.

Serving our Lord in Haiti,

Ron

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." Ps. 34:8

My favorite part of being here is seeing and hearing the Haitian people worship our Lord and Savior. For the past few weeks the staff here have been having devotions with the boys in the mornings before baths and breakfast. They sing, they pray, they clap their hands, they worship. We feel the Holy Spirit moving in this place. There is no time limit. They just let the Holy Spirit lead, and it is a most beautiful time.

 When I came here the first time (it’s hard to believe it has been a year already), I felt a spirit of oppression, depression, an evil, unsettling presence looming over this place.  Today there is a different spirit. There is peace, contentment, joy, people working and worshipping together as a family. The whole atmosphere has changed. There is more laughter, less fighting, more singing and fellowship.
We still have disputes, disagreements, some who don’t want to do chores, But that is in any family. The most important thing is that we are becoming more like a family. The children are learning the importance of working together as a family; helping each other when there is a need, sharing responsibilities that go along with living together as a family.
Our biggest problem we have right now is that things keep disappearing. We haven’t been able to stop the stealing that’s going on. Please pray with us that God will change the hearts of those who take what doesn’t belong to them. Pray that Ron and I will receive wisdom to deal with this problem.
We have crates of food and supplies on their way from the states. They could be in Port-au-Prince, or maybe they are on their way here. We do not know for sure, but we are running very low on supplies so please pray with us that they will be delivered soon. Our gracious Father continues to supply all we need and we are very thankful to Him for His provision. He is always on time!

We are looking forward to having some new interns here in the coming months. We will have 2 ladies who are staying for 2 months. They have been here before on short-term trips so they know what they are coming into. The other lady is a friend from our home church. She will be here for 6 months. She recently spent 4 months in Africa, but hasn’t been to Haiti before. We are looking forward to serving with them. There will also be a young man from our church who will be here for 2 months to serve with the boys. Ron and I are very excited to see the Lord sending laborers to this place.

There haven’t been any more reports of cholera here so Pastor Andy has allowed the children to swim and fish again. They love the water and most of them love to fish. There are several boys who have shown an interest in using nets to fish with.

Osiaste is learning to cast a net and has been successful in catching some small fish. Everything that is caught is cooked by the boys and eaten. It may only be a mouthful but nothing is wasted. Ron also gives fishing line and hooks regularly to our boys and the neighborhood boys so that all can fish. What the neighborhood boys catch may be all they eat.

Yesterday the boys had a “Haitian” soapbox derby. Some of the boys are “skilled” at making carts to push around and be pushed in. There were some old plastic casters that were found in a box so some of the boys built carts and Ron gave them paint to decorate them. They raced them on the basketball court. There was so much excitement! It really is the little things in life that count. It still amazes me how such small things can mean so much to these boys.

Today was the last day of school until after Easter.  Ron and I are hoping that we will be able to take the boys on an outing or maybe 2 while they are out.  We look forward to sharing more of our life here with you.  We are extremely blessed to have the opportunity to serve here.  Please continue to pray for us and the ministry that God has provided here.

I would like to share this with you from a book called "Forty Days with Jesus-Celebrating His Presence" by Sarah Young:

"I Have Loved You with an everlasting Love.  Before time began, I knew you.  For years you swam around in a sea of meaninglessness, searching for Love, hoping for hope.  All that time I was pursuing you, aching to embrace you in My compassionate arms.

When time was right, I revealed Myself to you.  I lifted you out of that sea of despair and set you down on a firm foundation.  Sometimes you felt naked-exposed to the revealing Light of My Presence.  I wrapped an ermine robe around you:  My robe of righteousness.  I sang you a Love song, whose beginning and end are veiled in eternity.  I infused meaning into your mind and harmony into your heart.  Join Me in singing My song.  Together we will draw others out of darkness into My marvelous Light."

"The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:  "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;  Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.""



                                                               

Donations may be sent to:

Ron and Karen Cockerham

c/o Kingdom Builders Missionaries

610 Falling Water Rd.

Cookeville, Tn. 38506

Ph. 931.544.0134

e-mail:

kbm2010@frontier.com

"You are a beloved child. I chose you before the foundation of the world, to walk with Me along paths designed uniquely for you."

The past month and a half has been filled with lots of emotions and experiences that I would not have dreamed of happening to Ron and myself.  God continually puts us in situations that we can only get through with His strength.  We have either sold, given away or thrown away most everything we own.  What we did keep is in storage.  Our house is for sale and for now we are living in Haiti.  We have left our family and friends behind to follow a path that the Lord has called us to travel.  We already miss our loved ones but we are very excited to see what we will encounter on this journey. 

Our return here was filled with open arms and lots of hugs and kisses.  The boys knew we were coming back but they seemed surprised to see us.  They were sooo excited to see us and we were happy to see them and to see that we were missed.
We are still unpacking and getting settled in again.  I have to admit, we have been spending more time with the boys than unpacking!  They seem to want all of our attention for some reason.  We are truly blessed to be loved by so many people, here and in the states. 

We went on our first big outing yesterday to La Tortug, which is the island across from us.  We took a big motorboat and all the girls and boys over 5 years old and much of the staff went.  Pastor and his wife also went.  We had a wonderful time, even though there was much seasickness going around.  The part of the island that we went to was uninhabited, the beaches were beautiful and clean and the water was gorgeous.  The most beautiful blue and crystal clear.  We even went swimming!  The kids had a great time.  We ate lunch there and walked on the beach and found huge conch shells that the boys brought home.  It was a beautiful, peaceful place to enjoy God's creation.

Ron and I would like to thank each of you for the gifts and prayers that have been given and sent up for the ministry and for us.  We are humbled and blessed by the thoughtfulness and generosity. The children are grateful, also.

Here are a few prayer requests:

1.  That we would stay healthy and grow in strength and wisdom as we care for these boys.
2.  That God would give us opportunities to share His love to the people of Haiti.
3.  That He would continue to supply the needs of this ministry, financially and spiritually.
4.  Pray that the ship that is carrying the crates of supplies for the ministry will be released
     by the Haitian government soon.

We thank you for being a part of our ministry here through your prayers and support.  We love each of you   and pray that you are blessed.

The Cockerham's in Haiti

"For I know the

plans I have for you,"        

declares the Lord,

"plans to prosper you

and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope

and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

                                         

Donations may be sent to:

Ron and Karen Cockerham

c/o Kingdom Builders Missionaries

610 Falling Water Rd.

Cookeville, Tn. 38506

Ph. 931.544.0134

e-mail:

kbm2010@frontier.com

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ' Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.' " Isaiah 6:8

Matthew 28:19 says:  "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

It is said in the book "Reality: 7 Truths From Experiencing God" - "Our Master commands us to go.  We need permission to stay."  The gospel shares with us the account of Jesus being obedient to His Father by leaving His right hand to come to Earth to give His life on the cross at Calvary.  Jesus told the ones who wanted to be His followers what they had to do to be His follower.  He said they would have to leave their homes and their comforts behind.  There were excuses made - "Lord, let me go and bury my father."  Luke 9:59.  "Lord, I will follow You, but first let me go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  Luke 9:61. 

It is easier to come up with excuses not to go than to just "GO".  We can put off "going" until it is a more convenient time.  Is there really a "more convenient time"?  Are we guaranteed tomorrow?  Will our next breath be our last?  Will we wait until we can "afford" to go?  Will we leave the comforts that we are so consumed with to go and tell a lost and dying world about Jesus?

Ron and I are in our home in Tennessee now.  We have been here since January 31st.  Since before we returned home we were sure we would go back to Haiti.  Why? (you might ask)

When we gave our lives to the Lord He gave us new life.  He cleansed us from our past sins and created new creatures.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new."  2 Corinthians 5:17

He put a desire in our hearts to serve Him,. to obey His commands, to share His love with others.  We prayed for Him to show us what He wanted us to do with our lives for Him.
He sent us on two mission trips.  The first was to Romania.  Ron kicked and screamed until the Lord told him, "Yes, you are going."  We did not go on another trip for several years.  Then we had the opportunity to go to Kenya.  Ron and I both knew from the beginning that the Lord wanted us to go.  We fell in love with the people and the country.  The Lord put a great desire in our hearts to serve.  We thought it was to be in Africa.  When we came back from the trip we started praying and preparing to go back to serve there.  The door closed... we didn't go back.  Our hearts were broken.  Why would God put such a deep desire in our hearts to go there and then shut the door?  It took a few years to get over the hurt and stop asking why.
I know why now.  The desire to go back to Kenya was our desire.  God put the desire in our hearts to serve but as with His disciples, He sets the direction and we are to follow.  His plan wasn't for us to serve in Kenya at this time in our lives.  Now that I think about it, I just want to serve Him.  It doesn't matter where.
I certainly didn't think we would be sent to Haiti.  I never even thought of Haiti until the day of the earthquake in January 2010.  I was sitting in our first home,  (which was an answer to prayer), watching the devastation on t.v.  It was heartbreaking.  I prayed, Lord, I don't know what I could do because I'm not a doctor or nurse, but if you can use me please send me to help in some way.
He sent me to Haiti,  (but not Port-au-Prince) the last of March and into April for 6 weeks.  I was there for three weeks before Ron joined the three of us who went.  Those were the hardest days of my life.  They were also the turning point of our lives.
Now I know why God shut the door to Africa.  He had a much better plan for us.  His plans are always far greater than we could ever imagine.
There are 36 boys in Haiti who need to be loved and cared for.  They need to be nurtured and disciplined and taught to love God and fear Him and trust Him.  That is why we are going back.  Ron and I both feel that the Lord has called us to be "parents" or maybe even "grandparents" to the boys.  They need and want someone in their lives who will provide consistency, structure and stability.  They have had many people in their lives who have come and gone.  They get use to someone and then they leave.  That is just the way it is.  We want to change that.  We want to give them some sense of security in knowing that we are there for them and that even if we have to leave it will be for a short time and we will be back.  Over the past 5 months we have grown to love each of the boys and we have built relationships with the boys, the staff and the pastor and his family.
We are very excited to see what the Lord has for us to do when we return.  We have many ideas for projects and things we can do to improve the living conditions in the home.  The boys would love to have doors and locks on their shelves to keep their things safe.  We are praying that the Lord will supply the wood, hasps and locks.  Another project we would like to see completed is tables and chairs in their rooms to do homework, craft projects or just to be able to sit and read or play games. The only seating in the home is in the dining hall.  A huge project is replacing broken glass in the windows with lexan.  Glass does not last with 36 boys! and the storms that rage through.  These are a few of the material things we see in the future.  The spiritual needs are so much greater!

I will close this in the hopes that you better understand why and where our hearts are where they are. 

Jesus said, "Come, follow Me."

So we go....

Thank you for your prayers.  They are a very important part of our ministry.  We are on the front lines of a great battle and only through prayer and the grace of God can we endure and run the race that has been set before us.

We greatly appreciate the support that we have received.  We can't do what we do without the help of our supporters.  We are now a part of Kingdom Builders Missionaries, so any donations can be made through them and are tax-deductible.          

                                                     

                                                               The address is:

             Kingdom Builders Missionaries

                  610 Falling Water Rd.

                  Cookeville, Tn.  38506

                  Ph.  931.544.0134

                           e-mail:

                kbm2010@frontier.com

                        Thank you

                    from the bottom

                      of our  hearts. 

                                                              We love you.

"My Word that comes from My mouth;  will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and will prosper in what I send it [to do]."  Isaiah 55:11

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brother and toward the poor and needy in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11

I just finished reading "The Hole In Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, President of World Vision U.S.
(Thank you, Sandy, for sharing it with us). What a powerful testimony of a man who surrendered to the call of God on his life. 
While living in this town of Port-de-Paix, Haiti for the past 3 months, Ron and I have seen a small part of the 3 billion people in the world who are desperately poor, a small part of the 1 billion who are hungry, and my soul cringes to think how many of the millions we've seen who have been trafficked into human slavery. Ten million children in the world die needlessly each year, wars and conflicts are wreaking havoc, pandemic diseases are spreading, one of which is cholera. We have personally seen the effects of this. Our neighbor was taken to the hospital today with cholera. She left two small children and an older daughter behind to go to a hospital which is probably over-crowded with cholera patients. The hospital itself is not like any we could imagine. I pray for the Lord to have mercy on her and heal her so that she will be able to come home to her family. Come home to what? She and her family live in a guard shack with no door. Their kitchen sits in the front of the shack, the dishes sit on the ground where they cook, when they have food to cook. Right now they have no food. The smaller children eat here and at the girl's home. Their yard is a cesspool of green slimy water. Their pig lives outside the house. There is no husband that we know of. They carry water from the main road and wash their clothes in front of our garage and lay the clothes on the ground to dry or on the rock wall along the road. This is the life this lady will come back to if the Lord allows. Though she lives in these conditions, she is always smiling and waving at us and she sings quite often.
Ron and I have been blessed to be a part of the ministry of In the Father's Hand. The children here have their own personal story to tell. Some have parents or a parent, some don't. Some have brothers and sisters, some have even lost cousins recently to cholera. Can you imagine having to give your child away because you couldn’t feed that child? Some of the children here were abused so badly that they were one big bruise when they were brought here. All have been saved from a life of starvation, abuse and hopelessness.
You may be thinking that we have the same situations in America. Yes, we do. The difference is that in America there are government agencies to help the poor and abused. Here, the government is a lot of the problem. The government is so corrupt that they don’t want the people to live in better conditions. They want to keep them “under their feet.” They want the wealth for themselves and so the poor continue to live in extreme poverty here.
There are many needs within the ministry. Some of the most urgent needs are money for food and water and shoes and socks. It takes a lot of rice and beans to feed 100 children. It also takes a lot of water to provide baths and drink. Would you please pray with us for these needs to be met. If you feel that you would like to help in some way any help would be greatly appreciated. I would be glad to give information on how to help.
I mentioned at the beginning of this blog about the book I just finished reading. In it is a story, a parable, that made me think about what a difference one person can make in this world of impoverished people.
It's about one man and a million starfish.
"One early morning, after a fierce storm had hit the coast, I strolled to the beach for my morning walk. Horrified, I saw that tens of thousands of starfish had been washed up on the beach by the winds and waves. I was saddened by the realization that all of them would die, stranded on the shore, away from the life-giving water. Despairing that there was nothing I could do, I sat down on the sand and put my head in my hands.
But then I heard a sound, and I lifted my eyes. There, in the distance, I saw a man bending down and then standing up, bending down and standing up. Curious, I rose and walked toward him. I saw that he was picking up the starfish, one at a time, and throwing them back into the sea.
"What are you doing?" I yelled.
"Saving the starfish," he replied.
"But don't you see, man, that there are tens of thousands of them?" I asked, incredulous. "Nothing you can do will make a difference."
He did not answer me but instead bent down, picked up another starfish, and cast it back into the water. Then he smiled, looked me in the eye, and said, "It made a difference to that one!"

You may not be able to give much, and you may think that you can’t make a difference, but it doesn’t take much to make a difference.

 

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;

Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

Rescue the weak and needy;

Deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

Psalm 82:3-4