Responding to the Call
When I moved to Peru to serve with Food for the Hungry more than 10 years ago, I didn't imagine that I would stay for so long. Like many traveling young people, I left several boxes of treasures from my childhood in my parents home. Finally, last year since we were living with my parents in the US, I had the opportunity to clean out several boxes of those collected treasures. In one of them I found a sealed envelope written in my 10 year old hand "To: God in Heaven." This is the letter I found inside:
When I usually tell the story of how God called me to work in Peru and with Food for the Hungry, it usually starts of with my first overseas mission trip when I was a freshman in college. Finding and reading this letter, I realize that the story started long before my university years. In 1988, I prayed to God to please let me help people in need (facing conflict and starvation). God has been faithful to answer that prayer (a prayer and a desire I have no doubt He placed in the heart of my 10 year old self).
Today, prolonged conflict in Syria, South Sudan, Yemen and other locations along with a severe drought in East Africa have created a crisis situation where millions of people are facing starvation. The UN believes this is the worst humanitarian crisis since WWII. When I hear about this suffering my heart breaks and I a moved once again to call out to God for his mercy and love to reach these hurting people. Food for the Hungry is responding to this suffering in the world through projects to meet the needs of people in South Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen, and support refugees in the Middle East and Northern Uganda. In my current role serving with the Relief and Humanitarian Affairs unit of Food for the Hungry one of my jobs is to support these emergency response projects by helping to write proposals and review and edit reports. I am blessed to be part of a team of fellow servants who are reaching hundreds of thousands of people in need.
When I was 10, God gave me his heart for those suffering in the world, and He began to call me to His service. Today because of the support of churches and many individuals I am able to respond to that call as I serve with Food for the Hungry.
May the Lord continue to give us His heart for those who are suffering, and may we continue to respond to that call, each as the Lord shows us.
Blessings,
Lauren
Lauren
Matthew 25:34-40
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’
