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In one of her last visits to the United States, Theresa Bojaxhiu came to Washington D.C. As she was walking into a church, someone asked her, "What do you hope to accomplish here?" Here response was, "The joy of loving and being loved," she smiled. Someone else in the crowd said, "That takes a lot of money, doesn't it?" Because everything in Washington costs money and "the more it costs, the more important it is." Theresa responded, "No, it takes a lot of sacrifice." You see, Theresa Bojaxhiu was better known as Mother Theresa. (1) "The joy of loving and being loved." Wow, doesn't every child conceived have that right? Thank you for being part of the rescuers! You may recall that in January, we reported on the need for funds for college education for 2 girls in Managua, Nicaguara. Those funds have been received and we are putting them to work. You may recall that in February, we reported on how music students in Belti, Moldova were learning and excelling with the instruments provided by Horizons Foundation during 2003. One of the readers of this newsletter, a gentlemen in Texas who is also an accomplished musician, sent Al an e-mail saying that he knew something about trumpets, saxophones and the like, and that he was going to begin to collect used instruments around his town and suggested that he would love to hear some anointed trumpet players around the world honing their craft. Al responded that if the instruments are collected, Horizons Foundation will find a way to get them to willing students. Our mission is to help the helpless, abandoned and homeless. We need your ideas and insights to rescue kids and help people help themselves. You are making a difference, one life at a time. "It takes a lot of sacrifice." It is our pleasure to announce an exciting joint venture with Go Ye Ministries (GYM) in Pacasmayo, Peru to build a multi-story Children's Home within the compound owned by GYM. This Home will be at least 4 stories high and will have 3500 square feet per floor. There will be at least 6 condo-type apartments for childless couples to bring into their new home up to 12 abandoned children per condo. Each condo will have approximately 1750 square foot. On March 8, 2004 Horizons Foundation made the commitment to fund at least $52,160 for the first two floors to be built. Mrs. Avis Goodheart and her husband started Go Ye Ministries in 1997. They felt called to go to Peru and "help the helpless, starting with their spiritual needs." This couple wanted to do something significant for God. Since they were not 'sponsored missionaries' by any church, they mortgaged their house and took the proceeds to Peru. Somehow they landed in Pacasmayo, which is located near the Pacific Ocean and about 14 hours by bus from Lima. Peru had been the site of a communist uprising by the group known as the Shining Path. Several years ago, these ruthless rebels began organizing an armed resistance against the government at the time. Up in the mountains men were selected to join this resistance and were given a choice: to be for 'em or against 'em. In the ensuing armed combat that followed, many men were killed and their wives and children fled the mountains and walked many miles out of the mountains and continued going west until they came to the ocean. These refugees stopped at the waters edge in a very arid, windy and dusty section of Peru. The village of Pacasmayo became a town of thousands of desperate people. Outside of town was the city dump where the poorest of the poor searched thru the trash and garbage looking for something to sell and something to eat. This city dump is where the Goodheart's settled in to "help the helpless, starting with their spiritual needs." They took the money from mortgaging their house in Springfield, Missouri and purchased a small piece of property near the dump. On this property they quickly realized that if they wanted to keep anything of value, that they would be required to build a high wall around their compound. So they did, 13 feet high. Then they started to build a church - a multi-denominational church. I think Mr. Goodheart died while this church was being built. So, Mrs. Avis Goodheart went back to Springfield, buried her husband of many years, but her desire to "help the helpless" never waned. In fact, it intensified! She talked her brother into mortgaging his house, and giving the loan proceeds to Go Ye Ministries to complete the church and build an orphanage on the site. Al met Mrs. Avis Goodheart (who prefers to be called Avis - not Mrs. Goodheart, although isn't that a beautiful name for a missionary?), in November 2003, when Avis spoke at the St Louis Christian Businessmen's monthly meeting. Immediately after the meeting Al approached Avis and told her that he felt that Horizons Foundation should come alongside Go Ye Ministries and help pull the load. Not to direct or to dominate, but to help pull the load. After many emails and phone calls between Avis, one of her board members and Al, a written agreement has been prepared and agreed upon. As part of this process Al explained the success HF has had in working with reliable partners in Moldova and Ukraine to establish new Children's Homes for kids instead of orphanages for kids. Avis agreed to modify her plan, and agreed to build a Children's Home instead of an orphanage thereby creating separate apartment condos for the new families to live in. Due to the devastation wreaked by the Shining Path, many of the families living around the dump are fatherless. Please pray with us that Godly, moral couples will be found to commit to the tough, tough job of raising abandoned children! Even though the building has not been built yet, Avis has brought at least 3 children into her living quarters because they were living in such unbelievable squalor in their former mess. One of these children is severely mentally retarded and has many special needs. She really needs a special mom and dad! Avis has only one gear, and that's the high one! She took her brothers loan proceeds and finished the church and started her 'orphanage' in November 2003. When she began to run out of funds, she started buying building supplies on her credit cards. Then she persuaded her banker back home to give her another $4000. It is in this environment that our joint venture has taken place. HF has agreed to fund the entire cost of the first two stories and that "HF will make this project known to it's supporters and will prayerfully request funds to complete additional floors above the 2nd. GYM understands that above the 2nd floor, this is a faith pledge and that the pillars supporting the building should be finished in the same fashion as the church, in that a couple feet of rebar sticks up above the roofline, for future expansion . . . until God provides." Each of the floors above the 1st floor will cost about $28,000 and will save 24 lives. Isn't that a miraculous cost/benefit analysis? If you or your family wants to purchase an entire floor, a 2' X 2' bronze or brass plaque will be placed inside the building identifying your generosity and how your legacy started in Peru in 2004 by saving 24 lives. One gentleman in Southern California has already pledged $10,000 toward one of these floors, to be forwarded this fall. With the cost of steel jumping upward, we need to purchase a bunch of rebar now and save a bunch of money, later. Isn't this an outstanding opportunity?! Come and meet Avis at the next Eagle Premier seminar to be given by Dr. Tom Hill in St Louis on June 2nd. For more information on this seminar and others like it, go to www.eagleinstitute.com. Years ago, one of the greatest coaches that ever lived, the former coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi addressed his team before a game. He said, "In two hours, you will come back with reasons or results." The team did not want to come back to face his iron-will with reasons for failure and you know the rest. Results. Tangible, quantifiable results. We're involved in achieving a much more important destination. Thank you for vibrantly accomplishing the "joy of loving and being loved." Remember, sharing this kindness may "take a lot of sacrifice." There are many little kids; kids who before the age of six beg in the streets and learn to steal to survive. Children try to escape their pain by turning to drugs, prostitution and crime. Unless they are rescued, kids' lives are ruined by the time they are 15. We have the solution, let's do it! Thank you and Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow! In His Service, Al Lockhart Past Newsletters: 30 November 2003 31 December 2003 01 January 2004 01 February 2004 01 March 2004 01 April 2004 31 May 2004 30 June 2004 01 July 2004 01 August 2004 30 September 2004 31 October 2004 30 November 2004 31 December 2004 31 January 2005 28 February 2005 31 March 2005 02 May 2005 02 July 2005 31 August 2005 11 October 2005 18 December 2005 02 April 2006 30 June 2006 31 October 2006 |
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