Reorganize your Heart and DO SOMETHING!

Have you ever had an experience where something moves your heart into action? When you hear of a pressing need and you just can not stop thinking about it and you feel compelled to DO SOMETHING? Are you willing to allow that pressing need to motivate you enough to REORGANIZE your life so you can DO SOMETHING? Read on and you will understand what I mean and why I am reorganizing my life to follow my heart and DO SOMETHING!

There are 15 million orphans across sub-Saharan Africa and their 20-40 year old parents have died of HIV/AIDS. This year the numbers are expected to increase to 21 million or more due to the drought and severe food shortage. One million of these orphans live in Malawi, Africa, where some very special “Gogos” (grandmothers) are caring for these orphans in the rural villages.  Many of these “Gogos” are caring for 2 or 3 children or more. They each have a small plot of ground to cultivate and grow enough to eat if the maize crop is good. This year, the lack of rain and poor harvest mean there will be hunger and starvation in the months ahead.

SAFE (Sub-Saharan African Family Enrichment, a registered NGO and approved 501©3 non-profit organization) facilitates partnerships between poor gogos and groups in the U.S. called Gogo Grandmothers. The Gogo Grandmother groups raise funds to provide the grandmothers with seeds, fertilizers, mosquito nets, blankets, preschool for younger orphans and school fees and supplies for older orphans. The Gogo Grandmother groups gather to pray for the Gogos regularly. The Gogos in Africa are given spiritual encouragement, nutrition training and education in child development and hygiene. This is a fantastic heart-to-heart relationship that brings joy to Gogos in Africa and is an opportunity for LOVE in ACTION here in the U.S.

This is an excerpt from the monthly newsletter called “Kernels” that is emailed out to all who are interested. “The Gogos and children in Malawi remind me of succulents. They are both beautiful and drought resistant! They are able to survive with very little, and — like the rocks in a succulent garden — a gogo’s life is full of hard things, yet she perseveres!

 Even succulents, however, need some water and nourishment or they become vulnerable to disease and die. The same is true for the gogos and children. This year, the lack of rain and poor harvest means there will be hunger and starvation in the months ahead unless food is brought in and made available to the poor. 

Jesus tells us not to worry about our life and what we will eat, but we are supposed to be concerned about what others eat, or IF they eat!”…”One of my favorite things about succulents is that they are so easy to share with a friend. 

One of my favorite things about the gogos is that they are easy to share with a friend, too! You just share a little piece of their story and — like a succulent – that story will begin to grow in someone’s mind and heart, too. Perhaps giving this gogo story to a friend will be what God uses to help feed many gogos and children this year.

 With a little care and love, every garden can be beautiful –even a gogo or succulent garden!”

Let’s share this story about the gogos in Malawi, Africa with our friends. Let’s raise awareness of this terrible famine that will effect many of the orphans and their gogos. Let’s get involved and make a difference. Go to www.gogograndmothers.com and sponsor a gogo or send money to help with the famine relief effort, we are calling it the “Joseph Project”. Take some time to search your heart, reorganize your priorities and GIVE to help those who are less fortunate than you. For $30 a month you can sponsor a gogo and the orphans she cares for, feeds and nurtures. You can also sign up for the “Kernels” monthly newsletter to be kept informed and encouraged. And please PRAY for the gogos and the Gogo Grandmothers ministry as we move forward to demonstrate love in action by raising funds to help supply extra food in this time of need.

How will you reorganize your life and follow your heart to show love as action?