Home, But Not Alone

Sick, but cared for, but not street children …

“…always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people” (1 Thessalonians 5:15, nasb).

Recently my wife talked me into staying home to work from the house. It seems that a cold has hit me with a vengeance. Perhaps the cold is a result of my excessive travel and work schedules these last several weeks. I have had difficulty sleeping because of jet lag, but when I lay down after lunch, I immediately drifted off.

As I lay on the bed, there was fresh air blowing in from the window, the smell of homemade bread, the sheets were warm and clean. Margaret made sure I was eating well and drinking fluids, and to top it off, she brought me chicken noodle soup and bread that you could smell for a block! To say the least, I was well taken care of.

As I closed my eyes, I couldn’t help but see the street children I have come to love. What do they do when they are ill? Where do they sleep? Who cares for them? Believe me, there is no fresh water to drink, no smell of homemade bread, and no chicken noodle soup. There may be scraps from a garbage dump, but they have no energy to forage for it. There is no place for them to sleep in safety, no soft bed, no toilet or fresh air—only the polluted filthy smell of an unfriendly alley.

There are 160 million street children throughout the world. In the major cities in which we work – Lusaka, Lilongwe, Kampala, São Paulo, Bogotá, Mexico City, Phom Penh, Manila–street children simply exist by animal instinct.

Would you pray for ACTION and other ministries which are reaching out to street and underprivileged children with the glorious Gospel of Christ and compassionate care. We are praying for 100 additional missionaries from age 21 to 70 to work on the street with children. Perhaps you sense God’s calling to serve with our team among 160 million street children of the world. If so, just write or call any of us in ACTION. It will mean more to us than homemade soup!

by Doug Nichols

How to Spend $15,000,000

Money down the drain or used to benefit humanity.

Hollywood actor George Clooney recently (May 10) had a fund raising dinner ($40,000 per plate) at his home for his favorite presidential candidate raising $15 million.

People can spend their money the way they like; however, it is too bad that many who talk about concern for the poor seem to throw so much money away.  $15 million was raised for the presidential candidate at this one dinner.  What could George Clooney do with $15 million if he had another fund raising event for the world’s poor?

The following are just a few things:

1. Help care for 200,000 street children for one month ($15 each) in the Philippines = $3 million.

2. Shoes and three pieces of clothing for 300,000 orphans (of the 13 million) in Africa ($6 each) = $1.8 million.

3. Send 2300 older orphans for one year of college full tuition and expenses ($1000 each) in Africa or Asia = $2.3 million.

4. Provide life-saving vitamins for 600,000 orphans in Africa, Asia, and Latin America ($6 each) = $3.6 million.

5. Provide a wonderful “Christmas” (food, games, clothing, medicine) for 400,000 orphans and street children ($5 each) = $2 million.

6. Provide camps (food, clothing, medicine) for 100,000 orphans in Africa (only $8 each) = $800,000.

7. Help with one month of care for 50,000 orphans in loving homes in Africa, Asia, and Europe ($30 each) = $1.5 million.

Total = $15 million.

We may criticize Mr. Clooney for what he spends or raises money for, but what do we use our funds for?  We may not have $15 million, $15,000, $5000, or even $50, but what are we doing with the $15 we do have?  Are we using it to make a difference in the life of an orphan or street child?

Oh No - Cancer!

Recently I was at a luncheon for pastors and a friend said he had heard of my cancer situation and asked what type. When I answered that is was bladder cancer, he said, “Bladder cancer, oh that is terrible! My father died of bladder cancer, and it was really bad. My father died a horrible death!” and on and on he went. Later while eating, another pastor next to me seemed very sad and troubled. He then related a difficult church matter, but then began to say that the Lord had brought him though a serious “bladder” situation. So, what can we learn from God’s dealings? He does as He desires for our good and for His glory! We can trust Him, for, “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is compassionate. The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me” (Psalm 116: 5-6, nasb).

Child Sponsorship (Compassion International – highly recommended!)

by Doug Nichols

ACTION is a mission committed to evangelism, discipleship, and development to street and underprivileged children through the local church in each of the 22 countries where we work. People ask us about various NGO’s and child sponsorship agencies worldwide. There are many very effective small evangelical child sponsorship ministries worldwide.  

The largest evangelical sponsorship ministry which we recommend is Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, USA [http://www.compassion.com/about/aboutus.htm]. 

 The reason we are highly in favor of Compassion is because it has a focus of the Gospel and all of the sponsorship programs (over 1 million sponsored children worldwide) are through “local” evangelical churches.

In the Philippines alone, Compassion sponsors over 60,000 needy children through local evangelical churches.  This helps insure that each child hears the Gospel and receives compassionate care from God’s people.

Doug Nichols' Ministry Responsibilities

" . . . for a wide door for effective service has opened to [us], and there are many adversaries . . . Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men [be mature], be strong. Let all that you do be done in love"  (1 Corinthians 16:9, 13-14, nasb).

A. Weekly and Regular Publications
1. Tuesday News & Views for Information, Prayer, and Action.
2. Thursday's Notes to God’s people worldwide to assist with information for life, ministry, and servant leadership.
3. Friday Info for pastors, missionaries and Christian workers.
[* Note: News & Views and Thursday’s Notes go to about 1900 weekly. Been encouraged to expand the address lists of both publications and would appreciate prayer.]
4. Key Servants and Leaders Worldwide: This special email is sent quarterly to key Christian leaders worldwide for encouragement, challenge, information, and research. This goes to pastors, NGO, and mission leaders (such as John Piper, Alistair Begg, George Verwer, Harold Sala, Stuart Briscoe, and over 214 others).
5. Notes from the Founder: These emails are for special projects, emergency relief, announcements, current events, Nichols’ Newsletter, and so forth.

B. Other Areas of Ministries and Responsibilities (for praise and prayer)
1. Speaks many weekends in churches and conferences as an advocate of missions worldwide and ACTION. I have limited ministry travel to the USA, Canada, and the Philippines because of age, health, and lack of strength.

2. Advocate for Christian Growth Ministries (CGM), Children in Crisis (CiC), Pastoral Leadership
Development (PLD), and Filipino International Network (FIN).

3. Works daily on ministry correspondence. Much is dictated while driving. These are typed by two excellent ministry assistants in the office. Two other assistants work from home.

4. Works regularly on research and needs for CGM, CiC, PLD, and FIN.

5. Writes and sends “bulk mailing” development letters weekly, such as CiC, PLD, CGM, missionary projects, etc. The main projects at present are the Life Application Study Bibles (LASBs) for the Philippines ($22,000) and the Shalom Christian Birthing Home in the Philippines ($169,000 balance of a $555,000 budget).

6. As an advocate for PLD BookShare and CGM, helps supervise 12 to 25 book publications annually for CGM/CLAIM (Christian Literature for Asians in Ministry) in the Philippines. Also writes and helps adapt books for BookShare, a ministry of PLD.

7. Helps arrange publications and book and LASB shipments for 1100 pastors attending the Purpose and Passion Pastors Conferences (PnP) yearly in the Philippines. Over 20 books are planned for this June’s PnP.
8. Advisor and member of Filipino International Network (FIN) (and International Board of Advisors, Global Diaspora Network - Lausanne Movement). There are 100 million people in the Philippines with 8 to 9 million Filipinos in other countries, such one million in Saudi Arabia.

9. Other ministries involve shipping book and relief supplies in large LBC shipping boxes to the Philippines; several boxes monthly. Last year 95 boxes (shipping cost at $60 per box) of books and supplies were sent out of the Mountlake Terrace office. This year the Founder’s Office goal is 100 boxes. As of April, 60 boxes of books, study Bibles, and ministry items have been sent at a value of $ 60,000. Praise the Lord!

Why Does ACTION Work in Crisis Relief? (updated 2/22/11)

by Doug Nichols Someone asked us recently “Why is ACTION involved with crisis relief? Why not just let large NGOs like World Vision handle it?” A brief answer is that we want to follow Jesus by loving our neighbors (Luke 10: 25-37). ACTION works with evangelical missions, workers, networks, evangelical churches, and local ministries who are often near the place where crises occur. These believers have a desire to reach out in compassion to those in need in the name of Jesus Christ. They know our heart is the same as theirs so we are invited to serve with them. ACTION is an evangelical mission committed to working in ministry (such as crisis relief) through local evangelical churches -- churches which minister compassionate care and the Gospel. It is true that ACTION is not a relief agency and it is not easy taking on added burdens of those in distress. However, Christ would have us do no less and we embrace His wish as our pleasure. Most relief agencies from our observation and experience are not integrated with local churches and ministries the way ACTION is. We conduct our relief and mercy projects alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ as the Lord leads. It is our privilege to contribute resources and personnel toward their initiatives or mutually envisioned relief efforts.

Godly Christian Sports Figures

by Doug Nichols

Bubba Watson won the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, on Easter Sunday afternoon. He made a fantastic shot on the second hole of the Sudden Death round.

I saw an interview with Bubba who shared about his love for his wife, his newly adopted son, and his faith in the Lord Jesus. He gave thanks to God, special honor to his mother who was at the tournament with him and father who died a couple of years ago. His wife was not at the tournament as she was with their newly adopted son of six weeks.

In the interview Bubba was very appreciative of others, his fans, his fellow golf colleagues, and was very gracious and kind to the interviewer. What a wonderful testimony of a man whose work is golf, but seeking to play for God’s glory!

It is interesting how several recent sports figures who are godly Christian men and are prominent in their sports, such as Jeremy Lin of the Nation Basketball Association, Bubba Watson of the Professional Golfers Association, and Tim Tebow of the National Football League.