Dear friends, God's word has much to say about the blessings we receive when we care for the poor. What an amazing God we serve who loves us and rewards us as we go about His business. We are rewarded here on earth and in the eternal life to come. Be encouraged. Ask God to lead you on paths of righteousness for His names sake. We can live expectantly for God's blessings as we pursue His will in our lives. Melody “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of
True friendship
True friends are a gift from our generous God. He is a loving father who knows what we need in the trials and triumphs in our life. In my life, God has gifted me with a true treasure in my friendship with Cheryl Williams. She "appeared in my life" by contacting me when I lived in Africa. For years, I heard about her because of her care for babies in our community before they were placed in forever homes. She contacted me when we were living in Kenya after seeing my blog posts and
A touching welcome
By Tess Frost A few months before hearing about the summer 2016 Go Near trip, I was getting very tired of my status quo. I was tired of being comfortable. For a long time, I had felt called to Africa but had no clue how I would get there. So, when I randomly came upon a garage sale raising money for the trip, I knew that God was not going to let me leave without asking about going. So once I found out that I could go with only two months notice, I started thinking about what would
God’s call to care for the vulnerable
One of my favorite books is Fields of the Fatherless by C. Thomas Davis. It is a quick read and yet has been pivotal in setting the course for my life. The scriptures in this little book gave me the courage to abandon the familiarity and comforts of our lives in the States to make our two moves to Africa. God's call to speak up and care for the fatherless, the widow and the stranger continue to set the course for my life. As I reread this book today in my early morning time, I thought I would
Meet our Go Near Board Chairman-Amy Gaydos
At Go Near Ministry, we enjoy celebrating birthdays of our team members. Today, we celebrate Amy Gaydos. Amy is a mother of five children, wife of Mark Gaydos and our newly elected chair of Go Near Ministry Board. She is God's gift to our ministry. Amy graduated from Vanderbilt and completed her masters in Social Work. She traveled to Kenya with Go Near Ministry to serve on three trips. This year, she accepted the position as our Go Near Ministry chairman. She also stepped up to lead 31
Tribute to Marsh White
Today's post honors Marsh White, a dear friend and #1 mentor during my college years at the University of Arkansas. Marsh was a former Razorback, former NY Giant and former Kanakuk Kamps counselor. During my college days, Marsh worked at a bank in Fayetteville, Arkansas and taught God's word and mentored a group of college students every Sunday afternoon. He abided closely with Christ. His life and words offered spiritual nourishment in a way that impacted countless students. Marsh died today
A beautiful & warm welcome in Maasai land
Words cannot adequately describe the beautiful and warm welcome by the community in Maasai land. Watch this video to experience a taste of heaven on earth. The community walked from far to attend for the day. The chief and other community leaders came to show support for the launch of their school in their area. Hundreds stood in a circle welcoming our arrival singing "Jesus is my Savior". They stood in a reception line to give a personal greeting and handshake to every visitor. The school
Visiting the prisoners
Isaiah 61:1-3 reflects the beauty and power of God toward the broken and captive. He uses people on earth to bind up the brokenhearted. Stitch by stitch. Slowly over time. He may use one person, and then another, to give a word of encouragement, a gentle touch or look of love to bring comfort. Hearing the truth from God's word may be just what is needed for that moment. A very personal moment that assures us that God cares even when we find ourselves in the darkest of days. We trust that God's
Go Near days in Kenya are overflowing
Our team of volunteers have had full days. There is so much to absorb if it is your first time in Kenya. The sights are in vivid color. The sounds of automobiles and traffic is juxtaposed with the laughter and voices of children. Lack of sleep and discomforts are a given, but the smells and taste of the food cooked fresh daily, the warmth of the hospitality compensates for the differences. The worship experienced among our friends in Kenya is energetic and real. Prayer is vital. Essential. We