We are Luke and Callie Walker, the founders of Mercy's Reach. We first visited the Congo in the fall of 2008 on a trip to help support and work with missionaries living and working there. On that trip we learned of Elikia Center and the work that Lee and Becky Ward were doing with street kids in the city of Kinshasa. Out of that trip was born the vision for Mercy's Reach. Having met the children and seen them face to face, hearing their stories, we knew we couldn't forget them and we knew God was calling us to be involved in making a difference in their lives.
We have 3 young boys, and our youngest was adopted from Ethiopia. We have a heart for Africa and a heart for the beautiful kids of this stunning continent.
Our Whys:
So why should we be involved in caring for these children?
Well, let me explain.....
The stories of these children are extremely emotionally compelling
and the statistics are heartbreaking but it wasn’t until we began to study
orphan care out that we realized, that beyond the emotional pull, it is a
command in the Bible that one of our jobs as a Christian is to care for orphans
and widows. Simply put, we should care because God cares.
There are many verses in the Bible that show God’s heart for the
orphan, widow and afflicted.
James 1:27 "Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
James 1:27 "Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
Hosea 14:3 “In you the orphan finds mercy.”
Psalms 10:14, 17-18 “You are the helper of the fatherless. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.”
Psalms 68:5-6 “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.”
Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”
Proverbs 31:8-9 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”
The Lord has used these verses to show us that this is God’s heart
for the orphan and we should have the same heart as God as we are the image of
Christ.
So what should the proper perspective be for the
Christian?
-Christ
said in the gospels that loving God and loving our neighbors are essential
characteristics for Christians. And our “neighbor” is not just the
people around us.
-Our
compassion, based on the truth in God’s word, should compel us to action, not
just to feel sorry for others but TO DO for the glory of God.
-The Lord has led us to couple with the
missionaries in establishing a sponsorship program for these children to help
provide for their basic needs.
-Our purpose in establishing this ministry
is to obey God’s command and to help provide for these children physically
(i.e. food, housing, clothing, schooling) but also to partner with the missionaries
in impacting these children spiritually, through prayer, letters,
correspondence and their knowing that their Heavenly Father cares because we
have shown His love to them.
“The world does not need more people to feel sorry for the poor, the
world desperately needs Christians whose lives have been transformed by a
passion for God, which flows into a passion for others.”
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