Toward the end of this year, Julie took one of the biggest steps of faith of her life for the sake of the children Julie’s Heart Cry serves every single day in one form or another.
We serve children living on the streets in Bangui, Central African Republic, with absolutely nowhere to go. We serve children who feel wanted by no one. We serve children with epilepsy living on the streets with little hope of receiving the medication they desperately need.
Our feeding program has been an incredible blessing. We feed these precious children, clean them up, care for the many wounds on their bodies, and share the Gospel with them.
MORE THAN JUST A NAME
Over time, these children have become more than names on a list or faces in a crowd. We know their stories. We know their struggles. We see the hurt in their eyes and the hope that comes when someone takes the time to care for them.
We have watched them come hungry and wounded, and we have watched them leave with full stomachs, clean clothes, and smiles on their faces.
But then comes the part that has become increasingly difficult: sending them back to the streets time and time again.
As a follower of Christ, a mother, and a grandmother, Julie knew she needed to step out in faith and do something. She did not have all the answers, and she certainly did not have all the resources. But she knew that feeding these children and then sending them back to the streets could not be where our responsibility ended.
She also knew that whatever this "something" would become, it would cost us. It would require faith, sacrifice, prayer, and the body of Christ coming together.
STEPPING OUT IN FAITH
So she took the step, trusting that if God was asking us to make room for these children, He would also bring alongside us those willing to step out in faith with us.
We have learned that faith does not begin with knowing how everything will work out. It simply begins with saying yes to what God has placed before us.
We don't know all that lies ahead for The Shepherd’s Ranch, but we know these children are worth whatever this journey requires. And we trust that God, who sees every child and knows every need, will provide each step along the way.
Will you pray with us for The Shepherd’s Ranch—a Christ-centered place where youth will be loved, discipled, educated, and taught a trade so they can have a brighter future?
Please pray for wisdom, provision and God’s direction. Most of all, pray that every child will know the love of Jesus and discover that their past does not have to determine their future.
Thank you for praying with us as we begin this journey of faith.
