Thursday, April 28, 2011

How to help!

One of the greatest parts of an adventure in life is the ability to share it
with others. I thank each and every one of you for your interest in my
adventure, and for giving me the ability to share this with you!

The greatest way for you to join me is by keeping the children, staff, and the work of the Farm of the Child in your regular prayers! Prayers are essential because they allow our mission and our daily work to become larger than just ourselves. Also, please know of our prayers for each one of you! I also encourage you to look into the organization at farmofthechild.org.
Inform others about this amazing opportunity, and ask for their prayers as well!
"The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful" - James 5:16

Another way for you to get involved is by keeping up with this blog. I intend to write regularly over the next three years, and am looking forward to keeping you all updated about my time at the Farm. If you'd like to receive letters, or e-mail updates, please just let me and I'll be sure to write you as well!

A third way for you to support my work is by making a donation. In addition to the 27 month commitment that each of my fellow volunteers and I make, we also pledge to raise the funds to cover our living, travel, and preparation expenses. In my case, these expenses amount to $10,000 for the duration of my commitment. It's never easy to ask for money -- especially from the majority of you who are poor college students -- but even a dollar or two each month, for twenty-seven months, adds up to something great!

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation online...

1. Go to www.farmofthechild.org/donate.php

2. Enter the dollar amount you wish to donate. Click Update Total.

3. If you have a PayPal account, sign in. If not, click Don’t have a PayPal Account to continue.

4. Enter your name, address and credit card information. Click Review & Continue.

5. Click on the link Add Donation Instructions.

6. Include my name, Sara DePhillips, in the instructions section.

7. Click Continue and Confirm Payment

8. You will receive an email confirming your donation and we will receive an email confirming the donation as well, so that we can send you a tax receipt.



You can also mail a check made out to the Farm of the Child to:
Sara DePhillips
9725 Turner Lane
Brentwood, TN 37027

I've been so blessed to have such supportive people in my life, and I'm truly thankful for each of you! Thank you for the support, prayers, and interest that you have expressed! I'm looking forward to sharing this journey with you!

Love in Christ,
Sara

“Never doubt that a small group of dedicated individuals can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
-Margaret Mead

Sunday, April 24, 2011

1 Corinthians 13

"If I have the language perfectly and
Speak like a native
And have not His love for them,
I am nothing.

If I have diplomas and degrees,
Know all the up-to-date methods,
And have not His touch of understanding love,
I am nothing.

If I am able to argue successfully
Against the religions of the people and make fools of them,
And have not His wooing note of love,
I am nothing.

If I have all faith and great ideals and magnificent plans,
And not His love that sweats and bleeds
And weeps and prays and pleads,
I am nothing.

If I give my clothes and
Money to them,
And have not His love for them,
I am nothing.

If I surrender all prospects,
leave home and friends, make the sacrifices
Of a missionary career, and turn sour and selfish amid
The daily annoyances and slights of a missionary life,
I am nothing.

If I can heal all manner of sickness and disease,
But wound hearts and hurt feelings
For want of His love that is kind,
I am nothing.

If I can write articles or publish books that win applause,
But fail to transcribe the Word of the Cross
Into the language of His love,
I am nothing."
Stephen Brown

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Why Farm of the Child?

Farm of the Child is a family-style orphanage on the northern coast of Central America’s poorest and least developed country – Honduras. There is a community of about fifteen volunteers that work to provide fifty children with a home, a family, an education, and Christian formation.

"Many of the orphaned children who arrive at Farm of the Child suffer from malnutrition and other health problems, little or no schooling and a lack of love and affection. At Farm of the Child, they receive a loving, home-like environment in which the children can grow, learn respect for others and become healthy, happy members of a loving family"

Volunteers make a 27 month commitment to serve on the Farm in a variety of ways such as administration, accounting, social work, pastoral ministry, teaching, medicine, maintenance and community outreach. Once arriving on the Farm, volunteers live together and are guided by the four pillars of community, spirituality, simplicity and service.

The purpose of this blog is to keep you updated on my journey to the Farm and to include you in this adventure! I will be keeping up with this as much as internet access in Honduras deems possible, and I am looking to this as a way to stay in touch with everyone, and to share these next 3 years with you all!

Letters and e-mails would also be much appreciated from you all, as I would love to stay updated in your life as well!

You can write to:

Finca del Niño

Apartado Postal #110

Trujillo, Colón

Honduras, Central America


or email me at sara.dephillips@gmail.com...

be sure to include your address! (No internet, phones, or TV on the property makes for the perfect amount of silence to write snail mail!)



Thank you all so much for your interest both in my life and this program! I would not be able to even attempt any of this without the support of my friends and family. Without the support of every single one of you! I look forward to continuing our walk of life together, even from different continents.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

A long coming desire of the heart.


This is my college essay that I found last week... I've been so blessed to be able to follow through with the desires that have been placed on my heart for so long now!

Patrick McDonald once asked, "Why is it that a child's death amounts to a tragedy, but the death of millions is merely a statistic?" I am a child. I am not one of the 640 million children who do not have adequate shelter, but I am a child. I am not one of the 500 million children who do not have access to sanitation, but I am their sister. I am not one of the 400 million children who do not have access to safe water, but I am their advocate. I am not one of the 90 million children who is severely food deprived, but I can help.

I am a child with resources, so I will take action. I am not part of the half of the world’s population that lives on only two dollars a day, but I have the resources to help them. I am not one of the billion people that entered the twenty-first century unable to read a book, or sign their name, but I am a teacher. I am not one of the 210,000 children that has died every week due to poverty, but I will devote my life to saving theirs.

I am a child with a voice, so I will

make my voice heard. Mohandas Ghandi once stated, “If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.” We must not be afraid to take a stand. “Say not ‘I am too young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 2:7-8)

Children hold the future in the palm of their hands: they make up the future leaders of the next generation in power. They will have the ability to make a difference: to end poverty, to shelter the homeless, to feed the hungry. These children must be educated, yet in order to do this, we must have a proper education to help those lacking one. Even Mother Teresa received an education to aid the million of lives that she touched.

I am one of these children who is looking for an education to help the millions who cannot get one. I plan on devoting my life to shaping this world into what God intended it to be, no matter how hard the task. God has devised a plan for all of us, and I know this is the right one for me. With the help of my peers, I will give all I possess to make this world a better place before I join our Heavenly Father.