Short Term Mission Teams form
Core Strategy for Orphan’s Heart
February 21, 2011
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Pictured is a volunteer with some of the nearly 400 children that were ministered to during a short-term mission trip to an orphanage in Kamonkoli, Uganda that was organized by Orphan’s Heart, the international childcare ministry of the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes. Orphan’s Heart has week-long mission trip opportunities scheduled throughout the year to various locations in the developing world that are well-suited for people of all ages and abilities. See the Orphan’s Heart website at www.OrphansHeart.org for more information. |
LAKELAND, Fla. – Two years ago the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes established its international childcare ministry, now known as Orphan’s Heart. Since that time hundreds of volunteers have participated on one of their many short term mission trips to various locations in the developing world to make a difference in the lives of thousands of orphaned and disadvantaged children.
Ron Gunter, vice president of Orphan’s Heart describes the short term mission teams as their core strategy for improving the level of childcare in key locations in the developing world.
“Our goal is to identify orphanages and other childcare programs in the developing world that would greatly benefit from our partnership. We want to work alongside locals and help them improve the level of care for the orphaned and disadvantaged children they serve.
“Our objective is not to take over existing ministries, but to strengthen and build on what has already been started. Our short term mission teams are perfectly suited to this strategy.“We bring expertise in childcare and provide them with ways to help improve the safety and security of the children and ways to improve conditions to foster better health and sanitation. However, the greatest benefit we bring is the ability to mobilize week-long mission trips throughout the year to provide a vast array of resources and support,” Gunter said.
Gunter said that they need people to help serve the large number of children that have many needs resulting from being orphaned due to AIDS or natural disasters, as well as others that suffer from malnutrition and other ailments due to their family’s inability to properly care for them due to severe poverty.
“Our week-long mission trips are perfectly suited for church groups, families, and individuals. There is a role for everyone on our mission trips. We can use people of all ages and abilities.
“We need people who can help with light construction work, painting, and other similar tasks. We also need people who delight in simply holding babies and interacting with children.”
Gunter says that the local staff they work with are stretched to the limit and simply cannot provide the level of care of what people have come to expect in the U.S. He says that people need to remember that we are very blessed in the U.S.
Orphan’s Heart currently has mission locations in Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, and just added Uganda last fall.
Kevin Kite, Missions Pastor at First Baptist Church of Ocala helped lead their first trip to Uganda and describes the impact of their mission team.“We joined a team of ten people and traveled to Kamonkoli, a village in eastern Uganda. Our team was composed of members of different ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Although most of us had never met before the trip, God quickly drew our hearts together and used our time to reach out to others with the love of Jesus,” Kite said.
Kite says that they reached close to 400 children where they taught them about Jesus, lead them in praise and worship songs, and played games and encouraged them in their Christian walk. He also says that there were many other ways to serve as well including construction work, home visitations in which food and other supplies were brought to children and widows, and hospital visits.
"We were able to minister to several hundred children as we joined them in their weekly Awana program. We helped by leading them in song, lessons, and games. The ladies on our team had a very special time of leading the ladies in a Bible study.
“The men on the team joined with our brothers from Africa to help rebuild a couple of homes.
Our teams delivered food, provided the means for medical care, and shared the Gospel with many people. The most memorable moment came when two people in the village came to know Christ as their Savior,” Kite said. Gunter agreed.“I would encourage everyone to prayerfully consider joining one of our short term mission trips this year. It’s an amazing opportunity where you can truly make a difference in the lives of precious children who are desperate for sweet loving care from God’s people,” Gunter said. Go to the Orphan’s Heart website at www.OrphansHeart.og to learn more about the many different mission trips they have scheduled this year.
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