Free to Live Tour - Helping Children Living in Poverty

Desperation Band, Meredith Andrews, and Tom Davis are the headliners on the Free to Live Tour, sponsored by Children's HopeChest, a ministry dedicated to helping children living in poverty escape sexual slavery and exploitation.  Find dates, cities, and ticket information here.

Jedd Medefind's (the President of Christian Alliance for Orphans), Top 5 Books on Orphan Care

This article is from July's Christianity Today, focusing on adoption and orphan care.

1.  Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches
     by Russell D. Moore (Crossway)
With deep theological moorings, Moore builds an inspiring case for why adoption carries special priority for Christians. Even readers who don't agree with Moore on all points will find it difficult to escape the power of his conviction that God's adoption of all believers is the wellspring for Christian action to "defend the cause of the fatherless."

2.  The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family
      by Karyn Purvis, David Cross, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine (McGraw-Hill)
Built on research and medical expertise, this accessible book provides both compassionate insight and concrete practices that any parent can apply to nurture and connect fully with children coming from difficult backgrounds. Purvis's new study guide and other resources are also invaluable.

3.  There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children
      by Melissa Fay Greene (Bloomsbury)
Greene opens unforgettable windows into the plight of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS with the true story of one Ethiopian widow and the children she took in. Her well-crafted account is both haunting and hopeful, exposing both aching need and the complexity of responding wisely, alongside the beauty found when we do.

4.  Fields of the Fatherless: Discover the Joy of Compassionate Living
     by Tom Davis (David C. Cook)
Weaving together Scripture and compelling narrative, Davis paints a simple yet powerful picture of what it looks like when Christians come to share God's passion for orphans. Fields of the Fatherless offers not only inspiration and provocation, but also practical steps for action.

5.  The One Factor: How One Changes Everything
      by Doug Sauder (4Kids of South Florida)
Focusing on real stories of children from foster care, this slim volume delivers its punch with dozens of poignant reminders why the number one matters more than all the statistics in the world. Sauder helps us turn the tired adage that "one person can make a big difference" into a vibrant, vivifying confidence.

South Africa, the World Cup, and Orphaned Children

Children's HopeChest will be sponsoring a Vision Trip to South Africa for pastors and community leaders who are interested in sponsoring a care point there.  Follow this link for more information about this opportunity-  http://www.hopechest.org/join-our-south-africa-ministry/.

Also, Tom Davis, president of Children's HopeChest is currently in South Africa for the World Cup and is blogging about social justice issues impacting orphans.  He has developed a "Beyond the Game" Devotional that can be downloaded.  This devotional explores unreported facets of the World Cup that impacts children and orphans. 
http://blog.beliefnet.com/redletters/

Win a Free Copy of Tom Davis' Priceless

Tom Davis' new book, Priceless, won't be released until June 1, but you can win a free copy now!  Details here.

Tom Davis Tackles the Issue of Sex Trafficking in His New Book

Tom Davis' new book is now available for preorder on Amazon.   In Priceless, the sequel to Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World,  a photojournalist on assignment in Russia joins a dangerous campaign to rescue girls from the sex-slave trade.

Go to http://www.sheispriceless.com/ for more information.

How to Help Stop Sex Trafficking

Children's HopeChest has a program in Russia to "stop sex trafficking before it begins."
Tom Davis explains on his blog: http://networkedblogs.com/2TS3Y

Further, CHC is selling these necklaces in which the proceeds go to help the victims of sex trafficking. 

"There are a limited number, so buy now to help support victims of sex trafficking in Moldova and the Young Mother’s Program in Russia- give the gift of LOVE to many!

A nice 18″ inch Sterling Cable Chain with a lobster clasp holds a 1″ inch Handmade Sterling circle that is hand stamped with “Love” and it is paired with a sterling flower Charm and a Beautiful Black Onyx Gem that is hand wrapped in Sterling silver."

To purchase:  http://www.adoptionfathers.com/2010/04/11/supportyoungmothers/

April 29 Is Approaching Quickly!

This is a reminder that there is still time to register for Christian Alliance for Orphans' annual Summit!

http://www.christian-alliance-for-orphans.org/summit/

Children's HopeChest "Young Mother's Program"

For Mother's Day 2010, Children's HopeChest is selling beautiful, handmade, one-of-a-kind necklaces to raise funds for girls in their Young Mothers Program. Keep an eye out for the "Love Goes Around" necklace and their Breaking the Chain Mother's Day gift campaign.

About the Young Mothers Program: When orphans are released from the orphanage in their early teen years, they enter a critically vulnerable time. In the case of these women, they found themselves pregnant and alone. Still children themselves, they had nowhere to go. That's where HopeChest comes into the picture.

Learn more:  http://tomdavis.typepad.com/HopeChest-YoungMothers.pdf

Registration is now open for the Christian Alliance for Orphans’ Summit VI in Minneapolis, MN!

Featured speakers will include John Piper, Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, Al Mohler, Patricia Arzu, Tom Davis, Stephanie Fast, Doug Sauder, and others!

For more information and to register:
http://www.christian-alliance-for-orphans.org/summit/

Today is Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Every 2 minutes, a child is forced into slavery somewhere in the world, robbing them of their childhood forever.
One of the girls we were able to help, Sveta, has grown up to become a veterinarian. But her life started with an unthinkable choice...her parents decided that they had enough girls already and abandoned her to the orphanage.
Read more about Sveta: http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2010/01/htad2010.html
Please encourage others to take action against trafficking, and let others know that you are doing something to fight for the millions of children who have lost their childhoods to human trafficking.

For the Fatherless,
Tom
CEO, HopeChest

Famine Crisis in Ethiopia - You can help!

From Tom Davis' blog:

URGENT: Millions Starving in Ethiopia
Today's news out of Ethiopia is not new. Millions starving. Millions without food or water. Millions trapped in extreme poverty. Millions is a concept we've accepted in our news reporting. If everyone in Colorado Springs was starving, we wouldn't quite get to "millions."

Hard to comprehend. Here's what I know. CHC's (Children's Hope Chest) kids don't starve. They don't drink dirty water. They are protected from abuse. They are sheltered from child labor. They are put through school to help develop their potential. Our kids are numbered in the thousands. And guess what? I've got 5,000 more who are waiting for a home.
This Christmas, CHC is going to launch a dynamic campaign to bring 5,000 new children into our CarePoint's throughout Africa. But with today's news of "millions" starving in Ethiopia, we've got to step up our plans a bit. I need to get the feeding centers up and running as soon as possible.

To read more and to find how you can help: http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2009/10/urgent-millions-starving-in-ethiopia.html

For more on the Ethiopian famine from the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8321043.stm

November 8 is Orphan Sunday

www.orphansunday.org
On November 8th from 4:oo to 6:00 pm CST, join voices with Steven Curtis Chapman, Jim Daly, and Dennis Rainey to reach the nation with God’s call to care for orphans. Through excellent music and the sharing of the heart of God, we hope to give a megaphone to the cries of the millions of orphans around the world. Other guests include Geoff Moore and the Children of the World Choir.



Tom Davis writes about Orphan Sunday on his blog: http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2009/10/watch-out-for-the-firestarters.html

Get a Free Copy of Scared Right Now!

Scared can be downloaded for free until July 10th, simply by going to www.scaredthenovel.com

For more information, a free pdf download, or a free copy of the first chapter, visit Tom Davis' website:

http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/

Caring For Orphans - Tom Davis (Preview)

Tom Davis interviewed by Jim Cantelon


http://100huntley.com/video.php?id=lfdv4tvQ21Q

Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World

Tom Davis' first novel, Scared, was released this month.

"Released by Cook Communications June, 2009 under “Novels with a Conscience,” Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World, follows the story of U.S. photojournalist Stuart Daniels and a young Swazi girl, Adanna. Like many in her country, she finds herself as the head of her household in a land with little to offer anyone in need. Termed “Nation of Orphans,” Swaziland has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
The themes of the story are not easy – disease, hunger, death, and man’s basest evil toward his fellow man, even children. Reality in Swaziland isn’t easy for anyone. In fiction, as in life, the characters show a resilience of spirit in the face of unthinkable adversity. In the same way, their stories display the power of relationship, human and divine, to heal and restore. "

http://www.scaredthebook.com/

trailer for the book: http://vimeo.com/4151141

Note: for some historical and cultural background on Swaziland, watch the documentary, Without the King.

URGENT NEED: Forumla Needed for Malnourished Babies in Ethiopia

UPDATE: YOU DID IT! We raised all $12,500 as of this morning. Thanks to everyone who made this happen. We'll keep this post up for now and send you additional details on this project. Thank you Thank you! We can now provide 400 cans of Nutramigen to malnourished babies in Ethiopia.


From Tom Davis' blog -
http://tomdavis.typepad.com/

Famine and poverty are increasing the rates of malnourished infant babies in Ethiopia. Children's HopeChest has worked with the America World Adoption Agency (AWAA) on projects in Ethiopia and Russia over the past five years. This request came to us from their transition home where they are receiving severely malnourished babies into their care. This month, in honor of mother's day, I want to raise $12,500 to provide specialized baby formula to this transition home for these malnourished babies. (Please put "Ethiopia Formula" in the note section of the donate page.]
To kick this off, a friend of Children's HopeChest has offered a matching gift for the first $500 we receive toward this project.

Tom Davis in Ethiopia

Tom Davis is currently visiting orphanages in Ethiopia. You can follow along on his blog - http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/

Tom Davis Event

There was a terrific turnout for the CGC -sponsored event to hear Tom Davis.

Tom reminds us that:

- The apostle James wrote that caring for orphans and widows is the very essence of religion. (Pure and faultless [religion] is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress. James 1:27)

Christians have been remiss in their duty to care for the fatherless. He cites as proof:

There are 143 million orphans in the world today. Every 5 seconds a child dies due to hunger. More than 1 million children are trafficked every year as sex slaves and another 8.4 million are enslaved. There are over 2.3 million children living with HIV. Yet Evangelical Christians are less likely than are non-Christians to give money and assistance to AIDS-related causes. There are 2.1 billion professed Christians living on earth. In the U.S. 159 million claim to be Christians. If only 7% of professing Christians responded to God's call to care for the fatherless, all 143 million orphans would have a home.

You don't need to be rich or powerful to help the poor. There are many, many little things you can do to help the widows and fatherless. In fact, as a Christian, Gods expects this of you.

There's another chance to see Tom tonight (Saturday, April 4) at 6:00 pm
at Westwood Church, 4412 N. Apopka-Vineland Rd. in Orlando.

You are invited to Hear Tom Davis Speak

There will be two opportunities to meet Tom Davis and hear him speak when he comes to Orlando next month.

1. Friday, April 3 at 10:00am

CNL Center II
420 South Orange Ave.
Orlando, FL
Naval Center Conference Room, 13th Floor

2. Saturday, April 4 at 6:00pm

Westwood Church

4412 N. Apopka-Vineland Rd.

Orlando, FL

Tom Davis is the president and CEO of Children’s HopeChest, a global orphan advocacy organization serving children around the world. He travels worldwide encouraging individuals, families, and churches to fulfill the biblical mandate to love and care for the orphan. Tom is the author of four books; Fields of the Fatherless, Red Letters, Confessions of a Good Christian Guy, and Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World (to be released June, 2009). He is also a teacher, a pastor, a professional leadership development trainer (of Fortune 500 CEO’s and their executive staffs), a husband, and father of five children.

Tom Davis coming to the Orlando area

Tom Davis, acclaimed author, fantastic speaker, and president of Children's Hopechest (http://www.hopechest.org/), will be in the Orlando area in April. CGC and Westwood Church have him tentively scheduled to speak Saturday night, April 4, 6pm, at Westwood Church. Save the date!
























To hear Tom Davis talk about his new book, Fields of the Fatherless:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euSXS7ZaRU4