David Essuman, our friend from Ghana, Africa is visiting with us this week. David is the director of Westgate’s preacher/leadership training school in Ghana. The school has trained many men to preach the gospel and several churches have been established by the students there. One of the things I love about David is that he is always taking in orphans and raising them. Usually these orphans are the children of preachers who pass away. In Ghana, it is very difficult for women to raise children on their own.

The church of our Lord has established an orphan home about 30 miles from where the school is located and they take in many of these children. When they are full, the children wind up with David. Several years ago one of the graduated preachers died unexpectedly  leaving a wife and two boys. The mother was not able to take care of the boys. The orphanage took the oldest boy and David contacted us to see if Westgate would provide for the second boy as there was no more room in the orphanage. The church did and for several years we have provided for his welfare and schooling.

Douglass is now ready to go to high school. His mother is able to provide him a home now and so all he needs is funds for the school. He will need $3000.00 for the next three years of school. I am confident that the members of Westgate will provide for Douglas.

There are so many Douglasses in this world and not enough Westgates. When Paul told about his visit with the apostles he said they had one request of him in his work, remember the poor. It was the wish of Jesus that his people take care of the poor. He even used it as a criteria for judgment. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless is what Christianity is all about. It’s not about big buildings and exhaustive self-programs. Its not about us. Its about them, the poor. It’s about the Douglasses  who are hungry and without proper clothing and no homes. Its about sharing the good news of Jesus with those who are needy of good news and good things.

Today and tomorrow, those of us living in a land of plenty need to stop building our barns for a few hours and “remember the poor.”