On July 4, 2013, Brittany Buttram joined the World Race to care for orphans & widows, fight human trafficking, assist AIDS/HIV affected, feed the hungry and bring hope to the hopeless on a grand backpacking adventure, 11 Countries in 11 Months. Thailand. Cambodia. Vietnam. South Africa. Mozambique. Swaziland. Nepal. Turkey. India. Bulgaria. Romania.  Follow her "Quest to make a difference" here at World Race.

How to Enter! ALL ITEMS LISTED HERE IN ORDER!! Blog Roll of Items

                                                Why & How much is needed? 

* Brittany still owes $830 to World Race, This post contains links to EACH of the ITEMS available. Click on the item/s you are interested in and it will take you to the more detailed post with more information. 

                                   TO ENTER: Each entry is $5. 

1) Donate ONLINE HERE and click SUPPORT ME" THEN FORWARD BRENDA YOUR RECEIPT AND LEAVE A COMMENT SPECIFYING WHERE YOU'D LIKE EACH ENTRY TO GO.
Names will be chosen NOON February 14, 2014 by Random.org. Each entry is $5 PLEASE pass this on to everyone you think would benefit from the products listed. Best of luck to each participant!

FREE ENTRY!!! EVERYONE buys one ticket AND shares this website, the Facebook event page, or forwards this to your friends will be entered into a FREE DRAWING weekly for a $10 giftcard of your choice to AMAZON.com or Itunes) 

1) Excellence in Education Fun Educational Game Curriculum, (by Carolyn Forte) SpeedeeBee, Geo
    Toys Puzzle Click HERE! (Local Only-must be able to pick up in Anaheim)
2) Jubilee's Jewels Necklace donated by Stacy Richards Click HERE!
3) Tears of the Rain (by Ruth Ann Stelfox) Donated by Milestone Ministries/Rod & Staff Click HERE!
4) Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret by Mrs. Howard Taylor donated by Julie Kimani Click HERE!
5) The New Answers DVD's #1,2,3 by Answers in Genesis Click HERE!
6)  Intrepid (2 DVD's pt 1&2) The Zac Sunderland Story! Click HERE!
7)  Wild Eyes (DVD) The Abby Sunderland Story Click HERE!
8)  Guide to Creation Basics Donated by Institute for Creation Research Click HERE 
9)  Mary Kay $25.00 Gift Certificate donated by Josie Forbes Click HERE
10) Motherwear Gift Certificate $25 Click HERE!
11) Thirty-One Trifold Organizer Click HERE!
12) Into the Amazon (DVD) Donated by Vision Forum Click HERE!
13) Given~ Stories and Poetry Donated by Marie's Words Click HERE!
14) Farmer Dillo Counts his Chickens by Jesse Adams, Donated by BJU Click HERE!
15) The Proust and the Squid (The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf
       Donated by Cyndi Coleman @ Ladera Reading Solutions for Dyslexia. Click HERE!
16) When your Child Has Dyslexia by Abigail Marshall donated by Cyndi Coleman Click HERE!
17) Attention Deficient Disorder A Different Perception by Thom Hartman Click HERE!
18) Homeschool T-Shirt Size Adult S Donated by GREAT Products Click HERE!
19) Isaiah 53 Explained by Mitch Glaser donated by Isaiah 53 Click HERE!
20) Year 3 Joshua Thru Solomon Israel United Devotional Study by Lamp & Quill Click HERE!
21) Gary Buttram Lock Smith Service $100.00 Click HERE!
22) Erin Jones Photography Session /Hi Res CD $400.00 Click HERE
23) Thirty Days of Bible Study for Busy Mamas Colossians 2 by Pam Forster of Door Posts donated
       by The Cato Family Click HERE!
24) The Princess Sisters Treasury by Jeanna Young Donated by Jeanna Young Click HERE!
25) Fields of the Fatherless by Tom Davis Click HERE!
26) The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Sterns donated by Julie Kimani Click HERE!
27) Let Us highly Resolve by David and Shirley Quine donated by Conerstone Curriculum HERE!
28) Total Language Plus Study Guide & The Hiding Place book by Corrie Ten Boom Click HERE!
29) CASA Fun Club Music CD Volume 1 donated by CASA Fun Club Click HERE!
30) Guardians of Purity by Julie Hiramine donated by Generations of Virtue Click HERE!
31) The Trojan War by Olivia Coolidge Click HERE! 
32) Child Training Bible Click HERE!
33) Child Training Bible Click HERE!
34) Child Training Bible Click HERE!
35) Child Training Bible Click HERE!
36) Child Training Bible Click HERE!
37) Christian Home Educator's Association of CA(CHEA) 2013 ENTIRE Annual Convention MP3's!
                                Click HERE!
38) Lemon, Rosemary and Clove Bud Doterra Oils donated by Michelle Crecelius Click HERE!

39) 1 bottle of Juice Plus and Garden Blends donated by Carysa Mendoza Click HERE!

1) Excellence in Education is located in Monrovia, CA is the LAST of the brick and mortar homeschool curriculum stores anywhere in S. California. Check them out at 

2640 S Myrtle Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016 (626) 821-0025 http://www.excellenceineducation.com/ 

                                   

They have donated
* Fun Educational Game Curriculum by Carolyn Forte
* SpeedeeBee,
* Geo Toy Puzzle (LOCAL ONLY-must be able to pick up in Anaheim, WILL NOT SHIP)

2) The amazing talented Stacy Richard's of Jubilee's Jewels has donated ONE necklace of your choice from the following options.

                                    A) Preach the Gospel GO

                                                     B) Preach the Gospel HEART

                       

                                C)Preach the Gospel Fundraiser

3) Tears of the Rain (by Ruth Ann Stelfox) Donated by Milestone Ministries/Rod & Staff.

For Wayne and Ruth Ann Stelfox, the war-torn city of Monrovia, Liberia, was a drastic change from rural Alberta, Canada. But they and their five children accepted the challenge of a two-year mission assignment in West Africa - and found themselves immersed in a world of starving children, extreme poverty, disease, human sacrifice, witchcraft, and violence.

In the midst of this darkness, they found joy, love, lasting friendships, and hearts open to the light of God's love. They saw beauty in the scarred landscape around them, and the tears of heaven in the torrential African rains. As they worked to help change the lives of those around them, their own lives were changed, and the miracles they witnessed increased their awe of the God they had gone to Africa to serve.

In Tears of the Rain, Ruth Ann tells the heart-wrenching story of those two years, and of the lives that were touched and changed, including her own. Ruth Ann allowed her heart to be captured by the Liberians, and she opens her heart - and theirs - to us in this stirring, true story. (Some details may not be appropriate for children.)

4)  Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret book

Compelled to share the gospel with the unreached people of China, Hudson Taylor devoted his life to this purpose. He modeled a life of utter dependence on Christ for both his spiritual and material needs. That was his secret and the reason for his lasting impact on the people of China and missions. This biography by his son and daughter in law has become a Christian classic.

Donated by Julie Kimani

Website	http://isaiah1169.blogspot.com http://mwende-isms.blogspot.com/ http://mwelu-isms.blogspot.com/ http://makingdisciplesofallnations.blogs... http://struggleforsimplicity.blogspot.com/

5) The New Answers DVD's #1, 2, 3 by Answers in Genesis 
This new pack contains all three of the New Answers DVDs, answering 36 of the top questions from the New Answers Book. These extremely popular DVDs are perfect for young adults and anyone who wants truly succinct yet meaty answers to the questions our culture is asking.
Learn the quick answers to questions such as 
“Did life come from outer space?
“Where did Cain get his wife?”
“Does the Big Bang Fit with the Bible?”

6) INTREPID - THE ZAC SUNDERLAND STORY PART 1 & 2 DVD combo donated by        
                                 Marianne Sunderland http://www.mariannesunderland.com
                                                         & Worldwind Productions
Intrepid: The Zac Sunderland Story - Part 1 In July of 2009, Zac Sunderland succeeded in becoming the youngest person in history to sail around the world alone. Against all odds, Zac braved storms, loneliness, mechanical break downs and even suspected pirates - uncertainties that tested him to his very limits. Zac accomplished his dream at the age of 17, sailing 27,827 miles around the world aboard his 36' Islander sailboat Intrepid. In this documentary you will discover how Zac overcame the trials, tribulations and imminent dangers associated with his epic 13 month adventure.

Intrepid: The Zac Sunderland Story - Part 2 follows Zac as he experiences an encounter with suspected priates, deals with life-threatening mechanical failures, more storms and near collisions at sea. Part 2 follows Zac from Darwin, Australia across the Indian Ocean to the Cocos Keeling Islands, an emergency stop at Rodrigues Island, Mauritius, South Africa, St. Helena Island, Greneda, through the Panama Canal and chased by a hurricane into port in Puerta Vallarta then home to a hero's welcome in Marina del Rey, California.

Includes exclusive interview with legendary sailor Robin Lee Graham.  

7) WILD EYES - THE ABBY SUNDERLAND STORY   DVD

If you have been inspired by Abby's story of courage and strength in attempting to sail solo around the world, you will love her new documentary DVD. It includes live interviews with Abby and the members of her technical team, affectionately known as Team Abby. Hear Abby speaking from aboard Wild Eyes via her video blog about her struggles and triumphs. See footage from the purchase, preparation and launch of Wild Eyes, as well as behind the scenes interviews and footage that chronicle the birth of Abby's dream to sail around the world and how she planned, prayed and pursued her goal until it became a reality. 

                       Marianne Sunderland http://www.mariannesunderland.com

                                                         & Worldwind Productions

 8) Guide to Creation Basics Donated by Institute for Creation Research. (LOCAL ONLY-MUST BE
     ABLE TO PICK UP IN ANAHIEM)
   Knowing where we came from is extremely important. If natural processes made mankind over billions of purposeless years, then our lives mean nothing, and our ideas about reality are mere chemical interactions occurring inside our brain cells.

But if God made mankind supernaturally, then each day of our lives is packed with meaning. Our Creator set each of us on the stage of an unfolding history to play our parts according to His excellent and loving purposes. And if God made humans recently, like the Bible clearly indicates, then Scripture is error-free, worthy of our complete trust, and authored by a Creator whose Word settles the matter — whatever that matter might be.

Why should we study God’s creation? In short, it’s because that investigation will help answer some of our most significant questions about life, the world, its origin, its purpose, and ultimately why we are here.

"ICR's Guide to Creation Basics is elegantly produced and powerfully presented. The favorite dogmas of evolutionary theory are boldly examined and dismantled with clear logic and simple facts-starting with the obvious truth that God's handiwork is clearly visible everywhere .... This book sets forth a generous sampling of that evidence, making a vivid and compelling case for the biblical account of creation. This is an invaluable resource for students, teachers, or anyone confused by authoritative sounding skeptics." John MacArthur

This comprehensive 120-page guide, authored by ICR scientists and scholars, is loaded with hundreds of full-color illustrations — the one book you need to teach creation!

   •  Build your child's confidence in biblical creation!
   •  Cutting-edge scientific information and full-color illustrations
   •  Homeschoolers have trusted ICR resources for over forty years

Topics include:
   •  The Flood
   •  The Fossil Record
   •  Mount St. Helens
   •  Carbon Dating
   •  Problems with the "Big Bang"
   •  Recent Creation of the Universe
   •  Life's All-or-Nothing Design
   •  Dinosaurs in Scripture
   •  Myths and Fallacies
   •  Genesis and the Curse
   •  Design and Order in Creation
   •  Humans Are Unique

Title: Guide to Creation Basics
Authors: various
Publisher: Institute For Creation Research
Publication Date: May 2013
Audience: General
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 120

9) Mary Kay $25.00 Gift Certificate & FREE ZUMBA class
donated by Josie Forbes
                                Shop www.MaryKay/Forbes4

10) Motherwear Gift Certificate $25!

11) Thirty-One Trifold Organizer w/ Notepad donated by Jill. Keep your electronic tablet protected with this convenient tri-fold organizer. An inside flat pocket with notepad and interior zipper pocket give you room for a few extras. Elastic straps hold a variety of smaller tablets.

Size: Includes 5.5”W x 8.5”H 50-page notepad. Approx. 9”W x 6”L (closed)

12) Into the Amazon (DVD) Donated by Vision Forum
                                   READ comments on the series HERE!

Uncover seven mysteries of the Amazon, and learn about science and God's incredible creation in Vision Forum's new DVD series, Into the Amazon: One Lost World, Thirty Men, Seven Mysteries.

Join Doug Phillips and his team of thirty men on an adventure you will never forget—to the Amazon jungle, high into the Andes Mountains, and to the Great Peruvian Desert—and bring your entire family! Explore piranha-infested rivers and vampire bat caves, discover strange insects and fascinating plant life, fly over the strange Nazca lines, and encounter the remains of pagan civilizations that continue to negatively influence modern cultures. Together your family will discover why the Amazon is one of the most controversial places on earth, and your children will learn the truth in the battle between radical environmentalism and biblical Christianity.

By watching these seven exciting jungle, mountain, and desert adventures, your family will learn why wise dominion and stewardship for the glory of God are the proper response to the spirit of evolutionism and pantheism that is crippling man's approach to the world's resources.

Episode 1: The Mystery of the Meaning of the AmazonHere are the seven episodes/mysteries you will enjoy in Into the Amazon:

• Episode 2: The Mystery of the Lost Legacy of Adventure & Dominion
• Episode 3: The Mystery of the Strange Creatures of the Amazon
• Episode 4: The Mystery of the Plants of the Amazon
• Episode 5: The Mystery of the Lost Tribes
• Episode 6: The Mystery of the Ica Stones & the Great Peruvian Desert
• Episode 7: The Mystery of Machu Picchu and the Mighty Inca Empire
• Over 300 minutes on 4 DVDs, including a bonus disc.

Customer Comments:

Watching Into the Amazon certainly brought South America to life for my kids. They waited with anticipation and excitement as each new episode would load. Thanks for the opportunity for my kids to travel into the Amazon without ever leaving our home! —Gina K.

Our whole family thoroughly enjoyed our 'armchair' travels with "Into the Amazon!" What a rich experience of history, geography, science, culture, art, and spiritual teaching! We'll 'travel' wherever you go! —The Savery Family

We were all glued to the screen for each of the episodes. We loved the spiritual details brought out from the natural setting and fascinating plants and creatures. We felt as though we had gone on a very cheap holiday to Peru! Thank you. May God bless you. —Sandy D.

13) Given~ Stories and Poetry Donated by Marie's Words 
http://www.amazon.com/Given-Stories-Poetry-Nick-Bradvica/dp/1934703435 $75.00 on Amazon!
Follow them HERE on Facebook.

SON HONORS HIS LATE MOTHER WITH A BOOK OF HIS MEMORIES While he was an exchange student in Germany last year, Nick Bradvica began to write about the night his mother died of breast cancer. It was a long time ago, on a balmy summer evening in 2001 at home in Clairemont. Nick was nearly 11 then, and he remembered not quite comprehending what had happened. "I was almost certain that she was just asleep," Nick wrote. "I crept into the room with my brother and sister beside me and peered at the figure on the bed. I saw a ghost." The story, called "The Night," became the opening chapter of "Given," a slim but very powerful and emotional book of poetry interspersed with stories that chronicles a child's memories of happier days, the cancer that took his mother, and how her death helped shape the world view of a young man. "I don't look at it as a tragedy, so much as a different journey," Nick said this week about growing up without his mother. Within each chapter of the slim volume are poems about nature, life, love, religion, sacrifice and death. Nick said he still feels his mother's presence. "She has always been with me," Nick wrote. "She is the angel that watches over me. When the clouds part and sunlight streams through, she is watching me. When the wind presses against my skin, she is guiding me." "Eight years after my mother's death, I regret that I did not tell her every day that I loved her," he wrote. "I believed that I could always eat breakfast with her as she watched her cooking shows. I wish I could see her once again. I want to go back eight years and kiss my mom on the cheek." Nick, his older brother, Michael, and younger sister, Marie, relished frequent camping trips to Yosemite - a family tradition their father, George, built with their mother. A picture of the young family is on the book's back cover. BY BRUCE LIEBERMAN SIGNON SAN DIEGO, SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2009.

14) Farmer Dillo Counts his Chickens by Jesse Adams, Donated by BJU (bag, ball, book) 

15) The Proust and the Squid (The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf

       Donated by Cyndi Coleman @ Ladera Reading Solutions for Dyslexia

"Human beings were never born to read," writes Tufts University cognitive neuroscientist and child development expert Maryanne Wolf. Reading is a human invention that reflects how the brain rearranges itself to learn something new. In this ambitious, provocative book, Wolf chronicles the remarkable journey of the reading brain not only over the past five thousand years, since writing began, but also over the course of a single child's life, showing in the process why children with dyslexia have reading difficulties and singular gifts.

Lively, erudite, and rich with examples, Proust and the Squid asserts that the brain that examined the tiny clay tablets of the Sumerians was a very different brain from the one that is immersed in today's technology-driven literacy. The potential transformations in this changed reading brain, Wolf argues, have profound implications for every child and for the intellectual development of our species.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Wolf, a professor of child development at Tufts University, integrates psychology and archaeology, linguistics and education, history and neuroscience in a truly path-breaking look at the development of the reading brain-a complicated phenomenon that Wolf seeks to chronicle from both the early history of humanity and the early stages of an individual's development ("unlike its component parts such as vision and speech... reading has no direct genetic program passing it on to future generations"). Along the way, Wolf introduces concepts like "word poverty," the situation in which children, by age five, have heard 32 million less words than their counterparts (with chilling long-term effects), and makes time for amusing and affecting anecdotes, like the only child she knew to fake a reading disorder (attempting to get back into his beloved literacy training program). Though it could probably command a book of its own, the sizable third section of the book covers the complex topic of dyslexia, explaining clearly and expertly "what happens when the brain can't learn to read." One of those rare books that synthesizes cutting edge, interdisciplinary research with the inviting tone of a curious, erudite friend (think Malcolm Gladwell), Wolf's first book for a general audience is an eye-opening winner, and deserves a wide readership.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“[Maryanne Wolf] displays extraordinary passion and perceptiveness concerning the reading brain, its miraculous achievements and tragic dysfunctions.” (BookForum)

“Everything Wolf says makes sense....She clearly knows her stuff.” (Washington Post Book World)

“Brilliant and eye-opening.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

“...intriguing...” (New Scientist)

“Brilliant and eye-opening.” (Albany Times Union)

“Fascinating....Wolf restores our awe of the human brain.” (Associated Press)

“[Wolf’s] conversational style, reflective comments and insights from work with children...create a narrative flow and bright tone.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

“The squid of Wolf’s title represents the neurobiological approach to the study of reading....Given the panic that takes hold of humanists when the decline of reading is discussed, her cold-blooded perspective is opportune.” (The New Yorker)

“A book worth talking about.” (U.S. News & World Report)

“Enjoyable....Wolf, with remarkable agility in a relatively compact book (intended for both aficionados and the uninitiated), transitions seamlessly between disciplines as diverse as linguistics, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and archeology, among others. Her voice comes through clearly; she is fascinated by reading and shares that energy.” (New England Journal of Medicine)

“Wolf’s alarm about the spread of semi- literacy among the young is obviously justified, and her book provokes thought about it as only reading can.” (Sunday Times (London))

“This humane and fascinating book...is a paean to what Proust, über-reader, called ‘that fruitful miracle of a communication in the midst of solitude,’ to all that has been and can be achieved for individuals and for mankind through literacy.” (The Evening Standard (London))

“Blindingly fascinating...detailed and scholarly....There’s a lot of difficult material in here. But it’s worth the effort....For people interested in language, this is a must. You’ll find yourself focusing on words in new ways. Read it slowly--it will take time to sink in.” (The Sunday Telegraph)

“Proust and the Squid is an inspiring celebration of the science of reading....Wolf’s insights are fascinating....Proust and the Squid has much to offer on this important--perhaps the most important--subject” (The Guardian (London))

16) When your Child Has Dyslexia by Abigail Marshall
      Donated by Cyndi Coleman @ Ladera Reading Solutions for Dyslexia

Finding out that a child has dyslexia can be shocking and confusing--and thousands of parents get this disturbing news every day. Appearing as early as when a child is struggling to say "Mama" and "Dada," dyslexia is a condition that will affect a child's ability to read, write, and understand basic language construction--and for a parent, this can be a tough reality to take in. Covering information on every stage of diagnosis, treatment, and growth, this reference will help parents: teach children how to cope with educational, personal, and social difficulties; choose the right school and reduce academic struggles; maintain communication with their frustrated child; and more. Providing parents with the invaluable information and resources they need, this book takes an in-depth look at the reality of the disability and manages to make sense of it for worried parents.

17) Attention Deficient Disorder A Different Perception by Thom Hartman

      Donated by Cyndi Coleman @ Ladera Reading Solutions for Dyslexia

As many as 20 million Americans may have Attention Deficit Disorder. In the five years since Thom Hartmann first published his pioneering book, "Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception," new findings support his theory linking ADD to the genetic makeup of men and women who hunted for their food in prehistoric times. Now, Hartmann has revised his groundbreaking book to include the latest research along with surprising information on studies that link second-hand smoke to disruptive behavior. This edition has a new introduction by famed Harvard psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell, MD, co-author of the best-selling "Driven to Distraction.:

18) Homeschool T-Shirt Size Adult S Donated by GREAT Products!

19) Isaiah 53 Explained by Mitch Glaser donated by Isaiah 53 Click HERE!

Do you have questions about the meaning of life and spirituality? Maybe it is time to go right to the source and rethink your relationship with God the Creator? "Isaiah 53 Explained" will help kick start your personal pilgrimage and introduce you to a chapter in the Scriptures that has the potential to revolutionize your life! "Isaiah 53 Explained"makes the story of the Bible understandable, practically and simply explaining how you can have a soul-satisfying relationship with God and revealing the surprising key that makes this relationship possible.

20) Year 3 Joshua Thru Solomon Israel United Devotional Study by Lamp & Quill

21) Gary Buttram Lock Smith Service $100.00, MUST be LOCAL to North Orange County!

22) Erin Jones

Photography Session /Hi Res CD $400.00!
Erin is an incredible photographer that will capture the essence of each member of your family. She does stunning whimsical pregnancy,  newborn, child, family wedding shots and more! Must be local to Orange or San Diego County.
Erin Jones Photography 
YELP REVIEWS 

23) Thirty Days of Bible Study for Busy Mamas Colossians 2 by Pam Forster of Door Posts donated
      by Colleen and the Cato family!

It's not easy, getting into the Word when your house is full of little ones who need you twenty-four hours a day.

But it's essential.

The goal of this book is to offer special encouragement and help to busy mothers who need the nourishment of God's Word in their demanding lives. 30 Days of Bible Study for Busy Mamas: Colossians 3 will help you slow down and really study the Bible, even if you can only study for a few minutes at a time.

Here is a simple but deep approach to Bible study, divided into five-minute portions that will leave you encouraged and excited as you discover that you can study the Bible, even when your house is full of children!

So here's the challenge: Set aside just five to ten minutes a day - even if it's just one minute at a time - to study the Bible. This book will help!

Includes thirty days of Bible study directions in Colossians 3, plus extra sections like:

Ideas for marking in your Bible

How to make time for Bible study when you have small children

How to study more on your own after you finish the 30 days in Colossians 3

24) The Princess Sisters Treasury by Jeanna Young

Share the adventures of five princesses in this five-story collection of the Princess Parables I Can Read books. Join Princesses Faith, Hope, Charity, Joy, and Hope as they learn what it means to be daughters of the King. Join the charming princess sisters as they learn how to be daughters of the king. In this three-book collection of level one I Can Reads in the Princess Parable series, readers meet the princesses through the following adventures:
Princess Grace and the Little Lost Kitten
Princess Faith’s Garden Surprise
Princess Charity’s Golden Heart

25) Fields of the Fatherless by Tom Davis donated by Rodriguez Family

Fields of the Fatherless By Tom Davis

In Biblical times, God maintained a special provision for the less fortunate. As His people harvested their fields, they were instructed to always leave a portion of the crops for those in need.

Today, God’s heart continues to beat for the poor, the widows, and the fatherless. And as His children, our divine commission remains the same, a directive that’s nothing less than the heart of the Christian message.

Author Tom Davis encourages us to move beyond words and become Christ to those in need. Join Tom as he shares a journey from around the world and our own backyard as people’s lives are changed through the power of compassion. Filled with remarkable stories of hope and mercy, Fields of the Fatherless will inspire you to love “the least of these,” and discover the joy found in becoming the hands and feet of Christ.

http://www.christianalliancefororphans.org/resource/fields-of-the-fatherless-by-tom-davis/

26) The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Sterns
      donated by Julie Kimani

http://isaiah1169.blogspot.com http://mwende-isms.blogspot.com/ http://mwelu-isms.blogspot.com/ http://makingdisciplesofallnations.blogs... http://struggleforsimplicity.blogspot.com/

Elijah photobombs! ^
                                |WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF US? 

Is our faith just about going to church, studying the Bible and avoiding the most serious sins—or does God expect more?

Have we embraced the whole gospel or a gospel with a hole in it?

Ten years ago, Rich Stearns came face-to-face with that question as he sat in a mud hut in Rakai, Uganda, listening to the heartbreaking story of an orphaned child. Stearns’ journey there took much more than a long flight to Africa. It took answering God’s call on his life, a call that tore him out of his corner office at one of America’s most prestigious corporations—to walk with the poorest of the poor in our world.

The Hole in Our Gospel is the compelling true story of a corporate CEO who setaside worldly success for something far more significant, and discovered the full power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to change his own life. He uses his journey to demonstrate how the gospel—the whole gospel—was always meant  to be a world changing social revolution, a revolution that begins with us.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stearns, the CEO of World Vision, says Christians have a huge hole in their lives, an emptiness that comes from ignoring the plight of the poor. He details his own quest to fill this hole by leaving Lenox Inc., where he was CEO, to run a not-for-profit that helps feed, clothe, and educate children worldwide. Unlike many evangelical Christians, Stearns believes poverty is explained by something more than choices, and lifting cultures from the systemic causes of poverty requires a multi-pronged approach. This accessible book will make it into the hands of evangelical Christians who may not pick up one of the many ABA books on issues of hunger, access to clean water, malaria and AIDS. Readers of Rick Warren, Jim Wallis and N.T. Wright will find Stearns synthesizing thoughts from them as well as from economists and missionaries.This is a passionate and motivating magnum opus from the leader of one of the most recognized aid organizations in the world. The book is a surprisingly no-holds-barred prophetic voice in the wilderness crying out to rich Americans, "Repent and help your world neighbors."(Mar. 10) 
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Rich Stearns calls us to exhilarating obedience to God's life-altering, world-changing command to reflect his love to our neighbors at home and globally. The Hole in Our Gospel is imbued with the hope of what is possible when God's people are transformed to live radically in light of his great love." ----Gary Haugen, President & CEO, International Justice Mission<br /><br />"With passionate urging and earnestness, Rich Stearns challenges Christians to embrace the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ by embracing the neediest and most vulnerable among us. After reading the moving stories, the compelling facts and figures, and Stearns' excellent application of scripture and his own experiences at World Vision, you will no doubt be asking yourself: What should I do?" ----Chuck Colson, Founder, Prison Fellowship<br /><br />It's 1998 and Richard Stearns' heart is breaking as he sits in a mud hut and listens to the story of an orphaned child in Rakai, Uganda. His journey to this place took more than a long flight from the United States to Africa. It took answering God's call on his life, a call that hurtled him out of his presidential corner office at Lenox-America's finest tableware company-to this humble corner of Uganda. This is a story of how a corporate CEO faced his own struggle to obey God whatever the cost, and his passionate call for Christians to change the world by actively living out their faith. Using his own journey as an example, Stearns explores the hole that exists in our understanding of the Gospel. Two thousand years ago, twelve people changed the world. Stearns believes it can happen again. "Read this compelling story and urgent call for change-Richard Stearns is a contemporary Amos crying 'let justice roll down like waters….' Justice is a serious gospel-prophetic mandate. Far too many American Christians for too long a time have left the cause to 'others.' Read it as an altar call." -- --Eugene H. Peterson, translator of The Message, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, BC

"Rich Stearns calls us to exhilarating obedience to God's life-altering, world-changing command to reflect his love to our neighbors at home and globally. The Hole in Our Gospel is imbued with the hope of what is possible when God's people are transformed to live radically in light of his great love." ----Gary Haugen, President & CEO, International Justice Mission

"With passionate urging and earnestness, Rich Stearns challenges Christians to embrace the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ by embracing the neediest and most vulnerable among us. After reading the moving stories, the compelling facts and figures, and Stearns' excellent application of scripture and his own experiences at World Vision, you will no doubt be asking yourself: What should I do?" ----Chuck Colson, Founder, Prison Fellowship --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

ECPA 2010 Christian Book of the Year Award Winner!

“Read this compelling story and urgent call for change—Richard Stearns is a contemporary Amos crying ‘let justice roll down like waters….’  Justice is a serious gospel-prophetic mandate.  Far too many American Christians for too long a time have left the cause to ‘others.’  Read it as an altar call.”

--Eugene H. Peterson, translator of The Message, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, BC

“Rich Stearns calls us to exhilarating obedience to God’s life-altering, world-changing command to reflect his love to our neighbors at home and globally. The Hole in Our Gospel is imbued with the hope of what is possible when God’s people are transformed to live radically in light of his great love."

--Gary Haugen, President & CEO, International Justice Mission 

“Richard Stearns is quite simply one of the finest leaders I have ever known.... When he became president of World Vision I had a front row seat to witness the way God used his mind and heart to inspire thousands.... His new book, The Hole In Our Gospel will call you to a higher level of discipleship.... Now is the time...Richard Stearns has the strategy...your move!”

--Bill Hybels, Founding and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, IL

“Rich Stearns has given us a book that makes absolutely clear what God hopes for and expects from each of us.... He reminded me of my personal responsibilities and the priority I must give them and also where life’s true rewards and fulfillment are to be found.”

--Jim Morris, former executive director, United Nations World Food Program

"World Vision plays a strategic role on our globe. As the largest relief organization in the history of the world, they initiate care and respond to crisis. Rich Stearns navigates this mercy mission with great skill. His book urges us to think again about the opportunity to love our neighbor and comfort the afflicted. His message is timely and needed. May God bless him, the mission of World Vision and all who embrace it."

--Max Lucado, author of 3:16—The Numbers of Hope, Minister of Writing and Preaching, Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, TX

“Rich Stearns has penned a passionate and persuasive book aimed at Christians who find themselves absorbed with their own existence, pursuing the American dream of health, wealth and happiness.  Rich traces his own spiritual journey from having it all, to sacrificial living on behalf of those who have nothing.  Not only is Rich eloquent, he’s right.”

--Kay Warren, Executive Director HIV/AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA

"An urgent, powerful summons to live like Jesus. Stearns weaves solid theology, moving stories, and his own journey of faith into a compelling call to live the whole Gospel. Highly recommended!"

--Ronald J. Sider, President, Evangelicals for Social Action, Author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger

“With passionate urging and earnestness, Rich Stearns challenges Christians to embrace the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ by embracing the neediest and most vulnerable among us.  After reading the moving stories, the compelling facts and figures, and Stearns’ excellent application of scripture and his own experiences at World Vision, you will no doubt be asking yourself: What should I do?”

--Chuck Colson, Founder, Prison Fellowship

“This book is a clarion call for the church to arise and answer the question, "Who is my neighbor?"... If you read this book, you will be inspired, but if you do what this book is asking, you will be forever changed. Rich Stearns' book is like a safari for hurting souls that cannot be written in the safety of an office suite.... If you have been feeling something missing or an aching emptiness inside, read The Hole in our Gospel.  It will show you how to fill that void!”

--T.D. Jakes Sr., The Potter's House of Dallas, Inc.

“Rich Stearns’ book is showing us through stories and examples how it is better to see a sermon rather than hear one.  This is an important book for all of us!”

--Tony Hall, US Ambassador and former US Congressman

“This is much more than “just another book” from a Christian leader.  It’s a message to Christendom that we all need.”

--Dr. Tony Campolo, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University, author of Red Letter Christians 

“This book represents a powerful personal story; face to face experiences with the poor which changed the author's life, plus, an insightful scriptural commentary.  As happened with Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision; Richard Stearns' heart has been broken with the things that break the heart of God.   Now, Stearns is using his considerable CEO skills to serve the poor and oppressed.  I highly recommend this book.”

--John M. Perkins, President, John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation & Development, Inc.