Success from Youth Homes in Kalispell

With five children of their own, the house was full. More than full. But Sarah and Michael felt called. That is the way they describe it. Michael’s work brought him in contact with a lot of brokenness and the biggest hurt that caught him at the heart-level was kids without families. Michael knew a bit about families. He had experienced first-hand how siblings and parents are core in the formation of kids’ lives and without that core, kids often floundered through life.


Michael and Sarah don’t do anything in small ways. They are wide open and gracious; full of life and energy. In their life together, they have cared for over 60 foster children. They’ve taken in kids that have been determined ‘unadoptable’ - sometimes because of age but more often because of a physical, emotional, or mental issue that made them high needs.

The past several years have taken their toll. It has been a series of programs and professionals, institutions, counseling, and incarceration. The knowledge that loving like that – opening your heart and home, over and over and over again, can also mean having your heart broken. Still….Michael and Sarah continue to say ‘yes’.

Success stories

Epworth UMYF began sponsoring Wendy in March of 2002 when she was 8 years old.  She is now 16 and a sophomore in high school.  We are committed to sponsoring her through her graduation.  She lives with her mother and siblings in Honduras.  Our monthly contributions support her through educational and Christian learning opportunities, health care and hygiene training and supplementary food if needed, as well as educational supplies.  We also support her through our letter writing, Christmas and birthday gifts, and with our prayers.  She supports us as well with many letters, drawings, and her prayers for us.  If you are interested in supporting your own Compassion child, you can find more information about Compassion International at compassion.com.

Listening to Moses and the Prophets

This week’s Scripture text is from Luke 16:19-31 in which we have the story of the rich man (unnamed – any or all of us) and the poorest of the poor, Lazarus, “covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.”


There are lots of statistics out there demonstrating that fact that humankind still tends to be hard hearted and self centered - not necessarily mean, but simply blind to those beyond our gated communities and countries. Some of them are embarrassing for the U.S.:

On that league table, the US ranks twenty-second of the 22 most developed nations. As former President Jimmy Carter commented: 'We are the stingiest nation of all'. Denmark is top of the table, giving 1.01% of GDP, while the US manages just 0.1%.

In Jesus’ story it is too late for the rich man to change but it is not too late for the rest of the world.

Luke 16:31 He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

Guess what. We not only have Moses and the prophets. We have someone risen from the dead! And we can and are listening.

Our focus this week will be on the good news of the ways we are responding. I commend to you our own United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor) for stories of success and as you come to worship we will lift up many others.

As I find inspiration in others I’ll also be placing them on my blog page.