Heartwork...Living James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. ~James 1:27

I ran across this a couple of days ago while doing a YouTube search for a song I was looking for.  As soon as I was done watching the first video, I searched for another, and then I googled "Desperation Band" and "Heartwork" to see if I could find even more information.  While reading and watching just about everything I could about Heartwork and Desperation Band, I sat bawling.  Ok, so pretty much anything can set me off these days but that doesn't mean that this is anything less than amazing!  


**Warning: Stop here if you don't want your heart to be touched or if you would rather not end up like I did....on the floor bawling.

Here is a paragraph taken from Desperation Band's website that explains what I found:

In 2008 God connected a group of passionate young people from a local church in Colorado Springs eager to fulfill God's purpose in their generation, a silver haired, soft-hearted businessman with a vision for orphans, and an organization with a mission to rescue orphans around the world. Something called Heartwork was born.

The challenge God issued to these young people was to live James 1:27. If they could give $60,000 for orphans in Uganda, the businessman would match it dollar for dollar. The end result would be $120,000 dollars, 4 orphan homes built, and countless lives changed. Challenge accepted.

They prepared for their first offering. They talked of sacrifice and fasting. They gave up cups of trendy coffee and overstuffed burritos with friends to feed kids who had no food at all. They refused to buy designer jeans in order to clothe children who dressed everyday in rags. They committed to providing family for those whose families had been ravaged by war and AIDS.

The day arrived and students came with hearts full of hope and offerings in hand. On that first night as worship ascended into Heaven, a group of high school students descended upon the altar and gave over $15,000 dollars. With great excitement they realized what just happened. One orphan home built. 8 weeks to go.

For the next 2 months high school kids worked extra hours. Junior high girls walked door to door to scoop dog droppings out of yards. Seniors drained savings accounts created when they were elementary kids. Public school clubs partnered together with the local church. Students who graduated years earlier sent checks in the mail. Friends and families, inspired by the vision, joined in and gave freely.

After 8 weeks of sacrifice these junior high and high school students gathered to give one last offering for these kids they had never met but already loved so much. The result was $67,000 dollars given freely by a group of 12 to 18 year olds. With matching funds, they gave over $127,000 dollars in 2 months to build 4 orphan homes. But they found that as they gave to rescue the destinies of orphans, their destinies were being rescued as well. Destiny rescuing destiny. This is a story of sacrifice. This is a story of worship, This is a story of Jesus at work in a generation without fathers. This is Heartwork.

And the story has only just begun......

I am in love with these kids and this song!

http://www.destinynetwork.com/


Heartwork and the Destiny Network are working together to make a real, tangible difference in peoples lives.  As focus is shifted away from a self-centered society and towards empowering others, cultural barriers are overcome and students get the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus...

My kids would LOVE to be a part of a youth group that actually DID things on a regular basis that made a difference....especially things like this:

Coming this summer  

Tour 2010

1000--Orphan Projects

1000--Youth Groups

1000--days

And if you spend yourselves 
in behalf of the hungry and 
satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
       then your light will rise in the darkness,
       and your night will become 
like the noonday. ~Isaiah 58:10

Heartwork from Desperation Band on Vimeo.

I'm so glad that you decided to continue on to learn about this wonderful organization and the unbelievable things that they are accomplishing.

May your heart be broken for the Orphans and Widows.....

Wendy