Message from the Founders

March 22, 2011

We were having our weekly church service on a Sunday morning at the Open Arms Village when a 12 year old girl showed up at our main gate.  She told us that she had walked quite a distance in order to reach our Village and she was requesting that we take her in and give her a place of to live.

Nancy told us that her grandmother (who she told us she lived with) had beaten her severely five days earlier and that her grandmother had then left the house to go into town.  Nancy said that she never returned and that there was no food in the house.  In addition, Nancy reported that she had been ‘sold’ to someone in a nearby village to work as a house girl for many months.  Child labor is illegal in Kenya, but the practice continues uninterrupted as the Kenya government lacks the resources to monitor, prevent, and curtail the problem.

Legally, Open Arms is not allowed to simply take in any child who comes to our Village like Nancy did, so we followed proper protocol and we contacted the governmental area ‘Chief.’  Chief Togom quickly agreed to meet with us and with Nancy in order to do an investigation.  We arrived at his home at 3 pm and he began to ask Nancy questions about her home and her situation.  We learned where her home was, we learned that she actually lived with her mother, and her original story began to unravel.  All of us immediately jumped into our truck and drove to her small village.

When we arrived at Nancy’s home and the Chief met her mother he discovered that he knew her. As Chief Togom asked Nancy’s mother questions, she told him that there had never been any beatings or abuse.  She said that about a month earlier Nancy had gone out with some other girls to collect firewood and never came home.  Finally, Nancy confessed that she had not been beaten or abused and that she had not been forced to work as a house girl in a stranger’s home. She apparently had simply run away from home.

Following a brief counseling session and ‘talking to’ by the Chief, mother and daughter were left to resolve their apparent issues.  As a safeguard, and in order to be certain that Nancy wasn’t being harmed in any way, Chief Togom contacted the local village elder and they agreed to monitor Nancy and her family’s situation.

As I have reflected on this situation it has brought a couple of passages in the Bible to mind.  One is in Luke 16:19-21.  It is the story of a poor man named Lazarus who was covered in sores and who was laid at the gate of a wealthy man’s house every day to beg.  The story says that Lazarus “longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.”  For me, Nancy was a modern-day picture of that story of Lazarus.  She came to our gate on this particular day longing to partake of what she saw the children in our Village have.  In a sense, she too wanted to get close enough to taste a bit of what the children in our Village have to eat.  Her longing really didn’t have a lot to do with food.   It was about the environment and the spirit of the Open Arms Village.  I believe she was drawn because of God’s presence.

The other passage is Hebrews 11:13-16.  In this passage it says that God’s people live with a sense of the heavenly kingdom that is to come but in this present life they can only see it and long for it from a distance.  Part of this passage says, “They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance……instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

Little Nancy, coming to our Village gate, seeking a better life reminds me of our desire as human beings to have something other than what we currently have – something that we  hope and believe will be far better.  Whatever your spiritual beliefs, there remains in every human spirit a longing and a hope for something far better than what life in this world has to offer.  We are all beggars in this world longing to eat even the scraps from a far more bountiful table.  Nancy was a reminder to me that in this life we can’t always access and obtain what we want and feel we need.  However, in order to sometimes just make it through this life we need to believe that we can keep a hope alive for something better – someday.

In this existence we call human life, that hope and longing in our soul for something (Someone) far better  is found in Jesus who told us that He would go to prepare a place for us – a place where there will be “no more death or mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 20:4).”  As long as we live in this human body we can’t gain access to that place, but by the spirit of Jesus living in us we have that hope ignited in us which gives us assurance of entrance into that place when this mortal body gives out.  In this life we live now we make the mistake of paying far too much attention to the part of us that is passing and far too little attention to that part of us that is eternal.  As C.S. Lewis once said, “You don’t have a soul.  You are a soul.  You have a body.”

We will make every effort to follow up on little Nancy – to make sure she’s doing OK.  I’d like to see her again.  She reminds me of my own longing for a better place; actually, of my longing for the best place – heaven - that only God can provide.

Looking forward to meeting Him at that gate from which I will not be turned away,

David

Summer 2010

Have you ever had your heart broken?  I have.

• When my grandfather died when I was 12 – and my long anticipated trip to Disneyland was cancelled   (I know – sad to say – I may have been more heartbroken over losing Disneyland).
• When my Dad left my Mom and me when I was 14.
• When my Dad died when I was 16.
• When my first love left me for another guy when I was 21.
• When what I thought was my dream career ended when I was 38.

I could add to the list, but these have been the biggest heartbreaks in my life.   Every one of my life’s major heartbreaks had to do with relationships ending – even the relationship I had with my career. One’s heart breaks when one’s heart is aligned or tied to someone or something else and that significant “other” person or thing goes away.

Allowing your heart to get involved in relationships is a great thing.  It’s wonderful to open yourself up to love – and thus to hurt – but it does mean that sometimes there is a high price.  If you open your heart, you run the risk of a broken heart.  It’s part of the price of love, of engaging your heart.

If you’re struggling with a broken heart, read and listen to these words:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  Psalm 34:18

Broken hearts often do lead to crushed spirits. Are you feeling crushed right now due to a broken heart?  Hold on…..I mean HOLD ON…..to these words: 

THE LORD IS CLOSE AND HE SAVES.

God knows that our hearts will be broken and He knows that our spirits will be crushed.  But He came up with an answer to encourage and heal: Himself.  You are not alone.

Call out to God today if your heart has been broken and if your spirit has been crushed.

Call out to God today if your heart has been broken and if your spirit has been crushed.

He is close and He will save you.

David Gallagher

April 14, 2010

As I work to oversee the building of the Open Arms Village in Kenya, I am constantly reminded how deep the waters I’m treading really are.  I truly do find that I’m “in over my head” with respect to the fact that I’m not a professional contractor, I have never developed a piece of property before, and I’m working in a completely foreign culture whose laws and regulations and governance is completely different than what I am familiar with.

There are many times along the way that the weight of a specific situation or problem begins to press down upon me to where I don’t know how I will continue.  Thankfully, wonderful and skilled people from different disciplines have come alongside me and have brought their gifts and expertise to bear upon what to me is this massive work. 
Just recently, one of these weighty situations began pressing down on me when I had the thought to call my friend Anton, who is our British-based architect and project manager.  I called Anton, spoke to him about my problem, and he immediately took the difficulty upon himself and told me not to worry about it and reassured me that he would take care of it.  Immediately, because I know Anton and because I know his expertise and the fact that he does what he tells me he is going to do, I felt the weight lift off my shoulders.

For me, in this situation, Anton became the personification of God Himself.  Psalm 55:22 says:  “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.“  Anton’s presence in my life and his willingness and ability to take things off my shoulders which would otherwise weigh me down – so much so that I might become “depressed” – is an incredible picture to me of what God tells us to do throughout our lives by giving Him our cares and trusting Him to sustain us and keep us going.

I hope you have a friend like Anton in your life.  Even better, I hope you have a friend like Jesus to carry you through the difficult times.  He knows how tough it can get in life and He never intended for you to go it alone.

Throwing my cares back on God so that my steps remain light,

David


March 29, 2010

I was in England last week and had the privilege of speaking to the Lakes Gospel Choir at their final rehearsal of the season.  I felt that my topic was to be “Your Life is Not Your Own.”  The general theme of my talk was that God has created us to be “dependent” beings throughout our lives – dependent on each other and dependent on God.

I noted how interesting it is that our lives begin in dependency because as infants we must rely on someone outside of ourselves to provide our most basic needs and at the end of our lives, we often become dependent once again on those outside of us to provide for our basic needs.  It’s fascinating to me that somewhere in the middle of our lives we foolishly think we can do life all on our own.

I spoke of how sometimes our human familial relationships can skew our concept of God. We are sometimes forced to be independent because the hurt in our own family is too much to bear and we sever ties in order to protect ourselves.  I related the story of Paul Young, who, because of his own family problems, said that his first 50 years of life was spent “peeling the face of his father off the face of God.”

A couple of days after speaking to the choir, I received an email from a woman named Di who was there that night.  She wrote (in part):

“I just wanted to share something with you that happened on Monday night at choir.
I brought along a friend that we as a family are supporting with prayer and friendship at the moment…… she has had a particularly rotten life. She was abused by her step father from the age of 4 years old. She was gang raped several years ago on her way back from work one night and due to circumstances, she became heavily involved in drug and alcohol abuse.

She was feeling very low on Monday, so I invited her along to the choir practice with me as she has just finished eight months of rehab and needs lots of love. David spoke right into her heart and so much of what he said made a huge impact on her. Especially as a few months ago, she said to me "Di, how do you love God as a father when your own experience of a father is one of abuse?"

I told her that only God could deal with her feelings and he would help her to love him as a Father. When David spoke about Paul Young saying he spent 50 years trying to peel the face of his father off the face of God, my friend started weeping and has not stopped since.  God is doing a miraculous work in her……..He spoke to her in a way that only God can!!!!”

We are reminded in the Bible that God is not a man.  We are told that even if our father and mother reject us, the Lord will receive us. 

Jeremiah prayed (in Jer. 10:23), “I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.”

Where do you really struggle to see God for who HE is?  Has a skewed and poisonous perception of Him caused you to separate yourself from Him and forced you to try and live life alone – without His help?  Pray and ask God to peel off the false perceptions and to remove the poisonous toxins.  Read the Bible and find out how dissimilar God is to the worst qualities you see in the lives of others – qualities that make God look a lot like the people who have hurt and disappointed you. 

God IS love; when that sinks in, you’ll want to get to know Him all over again.

David


March 23, 2010

“They went backward and not forward.”

During our staff meeting yesterday – here in Eldoret, Kenya – we had a discussion about some of the challenges they face in their community and culture in being able to consistently be people of integrity and honesty.

When asked what some of the specific challenges are, one of our staff replied, “Corruption.”  She then went on to explain that it is difficult to get anywhere in her country without paying bribes.  As an example, she cited the situation where a set of parents wants to get their child in private school.  When they go to inquire about getting their child admitted, the enrollment person says, “Well, I believe there might be a place here for your child.  It will require a 20,000 shilling (equivalent to $267) deposit.  If you can pay this deposit, I’m sure we’ll be able to find a place for your child here at our school.”

When stopped for a minor traffic infraction, the police offer to settle the matter for a few hundred shillings.  If you don’t settle, chances are good that you’ll be arrested and thrown into jail – you may remain there for weeks or months.  Most people decide it’s just far easier and simpler to pay.

The staff acknowledged that they believe paying bribes is wrong, but it is so ingrained in their culture that almost everyone does it.  And the cycle of corruption continues.

Another pressure is that of telling lies.  “White” lies, they called them.  One staff member said, “For example, if I work in a place and I see a co-worker do something bad against the employer or the company, rather than report that person, my relationship with him or her is so important that not only do I not report them, but if asked, I will lie and say they didn’t do it.”

Now we all know that these problems of integrity and honesty are not unique to Kenya.  They happen in the United States and in every country of the world because lack of morality is a problem with the human heart.

The prophet Jeremiah spoke to God’s people, Judah and Israel, several thousand years ago, saying: “Walk in all the ways I (God) command you that it may go well with you.  But they did not listen or pay attention; instead they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.  They went backward and not forward.”

It’s easy to give in to peer and cultural pressure to act and live a certain way.  But all too often, that “way” is completely contrary to what God has instructed, and there are consequences to giving in to ways of living that are contrary to what is outlined in the Scriptures.  By “going with the flow,” it may feel like you’re moving forward when in actuality that stream is carrying you backward.

Desiring the courage and strength to make choices that keep me moving forward,

David



March 16, 2010

As happens somewhat regularly here in Kenya, I had some exciting and unexpected news this week.  I’m not sure it’s welcome news at this point, but I’ll find out soon.

One of my coworkers casually mentioned that a dam is being built farther down the Kipkaren River from the Open Arms Village.  Incredulous, I said, “Excuse me?”  “Yes, there is a small dam being built down the river from here.”  I couldn’t believe it.  Part of my shock came from the fact that not too far upstream from the Village is a dam and reservoir already.  As I asked around the community, most people were aware of the development, but no one was consulted.  In the US or the UK there would have been better communication with the community and the assurance that thorough environmental impact studies had been done.

I found myself getting worked up and anxious all week not knowing whether there would be any potential negative impact on our Village.  I think it’s far enough down the river from where we’re located, but I don’t know.  I’ve started to investigate the project to make sure that environmental studies were carried out and that the process has been handled legally.

This week’s events have been another reminder to me to not be anxious and unnecessarily stirred up about things and, at the same time, trust that God will indeed work all things together for good as we stay committed to him, love him, and stay true to carrying out his purposes for our lives.

Have you received any surprising or unexpected news recently?  Are you worked up about a situation?  Is there an unexpected dam being built that you weren’t aware of? 

If we don’t turn things over to God in prayer, we will remain anxious about them, and they will begin to block the flow of God’s power and blessing in the situation.  It can be difficult to let go, give things up, and turn them over to God, but it’s necessary to do so in order that the weight of those things – like a 100-ton dam – don’t weigh us down, depress us, and cause untold damage.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  - Philippians 4:6-7

I don’t know what will happen with the dam here in Kenya, but I can trust that God will take care of the situation.  Who knows?  Even though I’ve been anxious because I immediately see the dam (or the glass) as half empty and assume it’s going to have a negative impact, I might also thank God one day for that dam.  For all I know, a drought might be coming, and that dam might just continue to water the crops that will feed the children in our Village.

Allowing God to stop the floods of anxiety,

David Gallagher


March 8, 2010

Surrender.  That can be a really difficult word depending on which side you’re on.  If you’re the one barking that order to another human being, then it can feel pretty good because it is some indication that you happen to be on the winning side.  You feel powerful, strong, and in control.

If you’re on the other side of surrender, and you’re the one that has to throw your hands up and maybe fall on your knees and bow your face to the ground, then that’s another story.  That can be a lot more difficult.

When I came into a relationship with God through Christ, I not only had to learn how to surrender, but I also learned that I had to practice it – continually.  As mortal men and women, we try to gain control of things and then try to desperately maintain that control because control brings a sense of security to our otherwise fragile existence.  I have found that I practice surrender by remembering that it is OK to NOT be in control.  I practice reminding myself that I am no more or less a man when I’m not in control.  We tend to think that those who surrender are weak (sometimes they are if they surrender for the wrong reasons), but I would postulate that most often they are the strongest people you’ll ever meet. 

I actually believe now that those who know when and how to surrender for the right reasons are probably the strongest – and healthiest – people in the world.

There is a church in another state that one of our board members and I have been “courting” for more than two years now.  Our desire is that we might become a mission partner with this church.  Every time we visit this state (two to three times per year), we make an appointment with one of the associate pastors who we have formed a friendship with and try to further the relationship.  Recently, this pastor was reassigned and no longer has the influence with the key decision makers in the church that he once had.  We have been trying to contact the key decision makers directly, but to no avail.

My friend, Bria,n has taken this task of forming a partnership with this church very seriously.  It has become a personal mission and he is like a dog on a bone.  I just laugh now and tell him to surrender.  I can tell he doesn’t want to.  He is upset because he doesn’t feel it is right for this church to simply shun us and ignore us.  But that’s what they’re doing, and we can’t do anything about it.

When I’m not in control – as hard as I try to be – I have to remind myself to “Trust in the Lord with all my heart and not lean to my own understanding.”  I must remember to acknowledge God in all my ways knowing that He has promised to direct my paths (Proverbs 3:5,6).

So, don’t be afraid to fall on the “losing” side of surrender.  Throw your hands up, fall on your knees, and bow low.  God is an expert at promoting those who humble themselves before Him.

Doing my best to surrender,

David



March 1, 2010

Sometimes a dead end can lead to a divine appointment.

None of us like to have our respective journeys interrupted by blockades or walls or anything that remotely poses a threat to our intended destination.  We are oh so quick to assume that our intended destination was the right one or that our well mapped-out route in getting there was the definitely the highest and best.

I was on a flight a few days ago and although my destination (the lavatory) wasn’t exactly the most noble, for me it was very important.  The risks and threats of humiliation and embarrassment were staggering if I didn’t get there in time.

I got out of my seat and just as I neared the door to the bathroom the flight attendants pushed a serving cart across my path and said, “Oh, sorry, you just missed getting into the bathroom.  The pilot is taking a break and we can’t let anyone up here right now.  However, you can go to the back and use the toilet back there.”

Bummer.  A dead end.  I thought to myself, “Drats!  Just a few seconds earlier and I would have made it.  My journey wouldn’t have been interrupted and I wouldn’t have been sent on a detour.”  I hate detours.  They take time.  They can be bumpy.  They can be confusing.  OK, they can be downright irritating.

I went to the next bathroom where there was one other person already waiting and I glanced over to see the flight attendant who had been serving me sitting on her jump seat.  She saw me and asked, “What were you reading in the Bible?”  I had been having my devotional time when I first boarded the plane and she had seen me reading.  We spoke for a few minutes and she asked me what I did – whether or not I was in ministry.

I began to tell her about Open Arms and our work in Africa.  I then pulled out a picture of Belle – one of the children who had been on the streets of Eldoret – and she began to weep.  She started crying and turned her back toward the aisle so that others wouldn’t see her crying.  We ended up talking for about 30 minutes and she was desperate to make her life count for the Lord and she told me that she has always dreamed of going to Africa.

Dead ends aren’t enjoyable, but they do sometimes play an important part of God directing our journeys.  In the Bible, in Acts 16, it says concerning Paul and his traveling companions, “When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.  So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.”

Don’t be too quick to get irritated or upset by dead ends.  God may be redirecting you so that you can have a divine appointment.

Appreciating that some dead ends actually result in life beginnings,

David



February 22, 2010

I won’t ever forget the day that little baby Belle came to us from off the streets of Eldoret, Kenya, at only one month old.  The District Children’s Officer (DCO) had talked her mother into giving Belle up as the streets are no place for a newborn baby.  We got the phone call and 90 minutes later, we had baby Belle in our home.  As our other two staff members in the house were already caring for two other babies that we had taken in, Rachel looked at me and asked, “Can we take care of this baby?  There isn’t anyone else to do it.”  She was right – there wasn’t anyone else to do it, so we instantly became Mommy and Daddy.

When Belle came to us, her little face was broken out in small bumps, her clothes were filthy, and she smelled pretty bad.  She had glue bottles shoved up inside each of her pant legs where her mother had hidden her stash of glue hoping that the DCO wouldn’t find it.  The first thing we did was to strip Belle’s clothes off and prepare a warm bath.  The water was quite dirty when we finished bathing her.  For many days afterward, we washed dirt from her ears. 

The second night we had her, she began her withdrawals from the addiction to alcohol and glue.  Like clockwork, for eight to 10 hours per day (4 or 5 hours in the morning and 4 or 5 hours in the evening) for almost three months, Belle went through withdrawals.  She had the shakes, the sweats, convulsions, and inconsolable crying.  All we could was hold her and try to reassure her that she was going to be OK.  It was terrible to watch as we felt completely helpless.  If we could have instantly taken her pain away, we would have both gladly done so in a moment.

There are no guarantees in life that we won’t hurt or be in pain.  Sometimes our pain is the result of our own circumstances or our own choices, and then sometimes, like in Belle’s case, it is the result of someone else’s choices.  Either way, if you’re going to break out of the cycle of dysfunction and hurt, it is often going to require having to do so by experiencing some pain.

One thing I do know: in the same way that we chose to love a little girl that we didn’t even know and chose to hold her and embrace her through some very painful times, God does that for us.  Even as Belle was so young and immature to even know who we were, we still chose to love her and to cradle her toward health and healing.  I believe that even though we are sometimes so immature to recognize God’s presence in our lives, it doesn’t negate the fact that He is actually right there to hold us and to carry us through difficult and painful times. 

God is a father to the fatherless.  He is a shepherd to those who are lost.  He is a physician to those who are hurting.  He is a companion to those who are lonely.  Go ahead and thank Him for carrying you – even when you mistakenly thought you could walk on your own.  That’s what faith is all about.

David


February 8, 2010

I’ll never forget the first time I stepped off a plane and onto the continent of Africa.  It was January 2002 when I began what was a very long and surreal descent down a set of stairs and onto the tarmac at Jomo Kenyatta airport in Nairobi, Kenya.  I distinctly remembering thinking to myself, “Oh my, what have I done?!  I’m definitely not in Kansas anymore.”

Bearing Kansas in mind, I suppose I felt like Dorothy stepping out of her house and into Oz.  A completely different experience, obviously, but probably the same shock and wonder at stepping into a new world.  There’s no way to avoid it when you leave the familiar and immerse yourself into the unfamiliar.

I distinctly remember two people who have come on teams with Open Arms to Africa for whom the shock waves were significant.  Both left the comfort of their homes in the West and traveled to Africa to work with us.   The first one, Linda, was riding just behind me in the back of our van when I heard muffled sobs as we drove through the streets of Uganda.  I turned around and asked her, “Are you O.K.?”  She shook her head no and said through her tears, “I don’t know if I can do this.”  The impact of what she was seeing through the windows of the van just minutes after we had left the airport was overwhelming her.  I encouraged her that she could do it and that it would all make sense within about 24 hours as she rolled up her sleeves to help and pour out love to people like the ones she was seeing outside the van window.

Another traveler, Helen, was overcome with emotion several times as she would visit the Open Arms feeding program in the Kambi Teso slum and as she would work with some of the orphaned children in our Village.  I remember consoling her and encouraging her that she, too, could make a huge difference in the lives of the people she was serving even though she found the work a challenge to her own emotions.  The biggest source of her struggles was that she had so effectively insulated her own life back home and protected herself from the possibility of any discomfort or pain, that now by coming to Africa the floodgates of reality were crashing against her soul.

Comfort. Ease. Seclusion. Peace.  And the desired result from all this, our own happiness, is what keeps us safely tucked away from anything that might just rock our worlds.  From anything that might just unsettle our souls.  The pursuit of comfort, ease, seclusion, and peace is what we often want and strive for, but it isn’t what God wants for us.  The very things that He gave up by coming to us in the form of His son, Jesus, so that we could be helped and healed are the very things that He wants us to give up so that others can be helped and healed.  If God had decided to preserve His own comfort and well-being, we would have all been in big trouble.  He loved us too much to do that.  Linda and Helen, with the power of God’s Spirit inside them animating them, both gave up their comfort and peace – and it cost them dearly emotionally – so that they might extend love to others and make a difference in their lives.

Take a risk and give up your own comfort to help someone else.  Your life might suddenly turn from black-and-white into full color.

You’ll survive the tornado when you know Oz is on the other side,

David Gallagher



February 1, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, we received word that a 4-year-old girl named Mary had been identified by one of our partner organizations in Eldoret, Kenya, as an at-risk child due to malnourishment and serious illness.  Mary was living with an aunt who was providing little care or food and who didn’t believe in the medical treatment that Mary desperately needed.  This organization asked us if we could take Mary into our Open Arms Village.

We said we could take Mary, but when our partner went to get her, she wasn’t at home.  Her aunt wasn’t at home either, and we began to fear that Mary had been hidden so that she wouldn’t be taken. 

When our staff in the US was alerted, we began to pray.  We prayed that Mary would be found quickly and that her aunt would willingly allow us to take Mary in so that her life might be spared and so that she might have hope for a better future. 

Well, last week we got word that Mary had been located and that she was in the custody of Open Arms.  When we got her she was indeed severely malnourished (with a distended stomach), very sick, and had a severe case of jiggers (small parasites that burrow into one’s feet and lay eggs; the egg sacs grow and become very painful).  We learned that both her parents had died of AIDS.  The District Children's Office released her into our care and today Mary is living with Peter and Stella (her new parents) and the family of children in Upendo House at our Village.  

I am grateful that God answers prayer.  We are told in the Bible to ask Him for things in prayer and that He listens to and responds to our requests.

I believe God heard our prayers on Mary’s behalf and that He answered them.  God delights in caring for the weak and vulnerable, and I’m so glad that Open Arms can be a small part of bringing health and wholeness to a little girl who has been suffering.

Thank you for partnering with us to change Africa one life at a time.  There are many more Marys out there needing our help.  Thank you for partnering with us to touch as many as possible. 

We all have a name,

David



January 18, 2010

I had been staying in a hotel with friends for a few days last fall.  Early on in the stay, while in the hotel dining room for breakfast, I ordered eggs Benedictine (the fancy French way of saying “eggs benedict”).  I was fascinated when they came to me with whole English muffins under each egg.  I don’t know what it is with me, but I like my eggs benedict a bit more flat – like my pillows.  Not being used to having entire muffins under my eggs, I carefully removed them and cut them in half.  I then jacked the ham and eggs back up off my plate and carefully slid the muffin halves back under my Benedictine delight.

Well, I was at breakfast again the next morning with my friends, John and Rose, and I ordered eggs Benedictine once again.  When the very nice waiter took my order, I requested of him that I only have one-half of an English muffin under each egg.  He replied that they only come served with half an English muffin under each egg.  I laughed and said, “Well that’s how I’ve always had them, and that’s how I like them, but here in your restaurant the other morning they came with full muffins under each Benedictine mound.”  He then laughed and told me that they had simply served them incorrectly.

About 15 minutes later, here came my Benedictine delight and they appeared to be quite high again.  When I looked closely, I saw that they again had full English muffins under them.  I quickly pointed it out to the waiter and said, “See – your restaurant is serving them with whole muffins underneath!  Can I get this with just half an English muffin under each one?”  Now, I thought I was being quite nice about it and I thought that my tone of voice was friendly.  I’m sure I was also a bit excited to prove my point to the waiter that his restaurant indeed was serving eggs Benedictine with full English muffins underneath.  The waiter, seeing that what he had told me was not true, quickly removed my plate and whisked it away to the world where eggs Benedictine are created in order to do immediate surgery for an apparent birth defect.

No sooner had he left than my friend Rose looked at me and said, “David!  That was quite arrogant!  What you just did was awful.”  I looked back at her quite shocked and surprised because in my heart, I don’t think I’m an arrogant person and I certainly didn’t think what I did was awful.

We had a somewhat uncomfortable conversation – most uncomfortable for me – because I was being challenged on how I had spoken and how I had come across to the waiter.  I didn’t think I had spoken or behaved in a rude manner, but Rose thought I had.  So, we spent a few minutes talking through it.

The interesting dynamic in this situation is that Rose is British and I’m American.  We laugh all the time because Americans are more direct than many other people groups around the world and sometimes we are perceived as arrogant because we can be so direct.  Rose told me that had she been in my situation with those failed muffins, would have said nothing about it and would have simply cut them in half herself just like I had done on my first Benedictine day.  Rose acknowledged that there are times she needs to be more direct.

I think that in this situation my drive and desire to be “right” must have outweighed the demands for graciousness.  Again, I didn’t think or realize I wasn’t being gracious, but someone other than me looking on – a dear friend, no less – saw something that didn’t come over very well.  I knew – as uncomfortable as it was – that it was something I couldn’t ignore or dismiss, but that it was an observation coming from a dear friend (who loves and cares about me) that I needed to pay attention to. 

The Bible says in Proverbs 27: 6, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”

Do you have people in your life who will speak the truth to you – about YOU – even when it hurts?  I hope so.  The scripture here in Proverbs 27 is really saying that people who only kiss up to you and never talk with you about the hard stuff they see in you really aren’t your friends.  I know that the word “enemy” is a tough word, but if your friends aren’t in your life to help you improve – and improvement never comes without some pain – then are they really your friends?  And if they aren’t your friends, then what are they? 

Thankful for friends who are brave enough to get their files out when the Benedictine muffins cause me to get a bit too sharp,

David


January 11, 2010

I had just taken a shower and was getting dressed when our little toddler, Diana, who is 17 months old, walked into the bathroom.  Now, Diana’s favorite thing in all the world is to pull out Mommy Rachel’s tampons from the bottom cupboard and strew them all over the floor.  She just loves doing that.  She giggles and laughs as she throws them around the bathroom floor.  Of course Rachel and I think, “Yep, you’d better enjoy them now while you can because the day will come before we all know it that they’ll not be nearly as much fun.”

Anyway, on this particular day, as Diana headed for that cupboard, where, incidentally, I keep my deodorant, I said to her, “Diana, can you bring Daddy his deodorant?”  Now, at only 17 months, I didn’t really expect her to know what deodorant is, but to my shock and surprise, she pulled a small travel-size deodorant stick from the cupboard and toddled over and handed it to me.  I really was amazed. 

As amazed as I was, I had a thought flash through my mind.  The thought was, “Oh, this deodorant stick hasn’t been used…..I’d rather have the other stick that has already been opened.”  I was on the verge of telling Diana to take the deodorant back and to ask her to bring me the other one when I stopped short.  I then also thought about taking the small stick back to the cupboard myself – in front of her little wondering eyes – to exchange it for the other one, but I again  stopped myself short.  Thankfully, in that moment, I had some wits about me to simply think through what was most important and that was to just go ahead and use the small, unopened deodorant stick that Diana had brought to me.

There is no doubt in my mind that this seemingly very small decision, to affirm Diana and congratulate her for getting the right item and to not confuse her or send mixed signals by then returning that deodorant stick only to pick out a different one, was the right decision.  In my heart, I just knew it.  You might think, “David, you’re thinking too hard about this – for crying out loud, Diana’s only 17 months old.”  Maybe you’ve got a point and maybe you’re right, but in that moment, I think I made the right decision.

The whole point of this story is that I think we all need to be listening to our hearts moment-by-moment so that we make wise decisions.  I believe that it was God’s Spirit who brought me up short and caused me to pause and consider my response to Diana’s actions.  My normal David reaction would have been to either have her take it back to get the “right” deodorant (I qualify the word ‘right’ because it would have been “right” according to my view, but not necessarily according to God’s view) or to take it back myself and somehow negate the affirmation I had already given her.  Someone outside of me – God’s Spirit – had quickened me to make a God decision (which ultimately is a good decision) and in the process everyone came up a winner.  I let go of a minor, insignificant issue and Diana was encouraged and her actions were not undermined.

The Bible says in Psalm 32:8, “I (God) will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

In Proverbs 2:6,9, it says, “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding . . . you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path.”

Are you poised and ready to change your game plan when the Spirit of God stops you short?  Are you ready to surrender what you would do in any given situation in order to take a different path when you feel that sudden prompting?

Pay attention when that little voice inside you urges you to say something other than what you normally might say or causes you to make a different decision than you would normally have made.  You might just be adding building blocks that will form the core of who someone will become someday or alternatively you might unintentionally be tearing building blocks out that can demolish the core of who and what they’ll become.

Listening so that I don’t sweat the small stuff – especially when it comes to deodorant sticks,

David


January 4, 2010

The other night, I went out onto the streets of Eldoret to assist Morris, the director of our feeding program for street kids.  I arrived at the designated location where the street kids would be gathering only to find a riot breaking out.  When I pulled up, the police were there chasing the kids and whipping and beating some of them.  The kids, in turn, were gathering to taunt and hurl abuse at the police.

I parked the truck, took a deep breath, and thought to myself, “Oh boy, here goes,” as I headed across the street directly to where four of the police officers were standing.

I nicely introduced myself (with God’s help I remained surprisingly calm and upbeat while all hell was breaking loose around me) to the officers and explained that I was with Open Arms International.  I explained that I was there for the same reason they were: to do something about getting the street children off the streets (although our tactics are worlds apart from each other).  I told them about our feeding program, and I pointed out Morris and asked them to please remember him and to register it in their minds that he is the leader of our program.  I explained that we didn’t mean to cause any trouble and asked them if they would allow us to meet briefly so we could feed the kids.

One of the officers was quite drunk and kept blowing his alcohol breath into my face.  Thankfully, he was nice to me, and along with the other three, agreed to allow us to meet briefly with the kids.

Once we had the kids reassembled, I got to tell them how much we love them and care about them.  I told them how sorry I was that the police were treating them so terribly (the police had left by this time), but I also reminded them that the police had orders to follow and those orders were to keep the kids from congregating in that particular part of the town center.

Many of the kids were very upset and terribly shaken – one girl in particular screamed and cried for some time.  After I had gotten them calmed down, I told them to fight the temptation to allow bitterness and anger well up in their hearts.  I explained to them that if these two poisons were allowed to fully take root in their hearts, they would be the ones to ultimately suffer, not the police.  I explained that anger and bitterness – if they continued to feed them – would eventually kill their souls.  I told them that neither God nor I wanted that to happen. 

I promised the kids that we would be working on programs to get them off the streets if they really wanted to be done with that life.  They clapped and cheered – it was very sweet.  I told them that for now, until we have greater resources to start other programs, we are doing what we can by simply providing them with a bread roll and a carton of milk.  They were truly grateful.  I can’t begin to describe the simple but profound sense of satisfaction when a destitute, tattered street kid looks you in the eye and says, “Thank you, God bless you.”

As I’ve had time to reflect on the situation I encountered, I thank God for His favor with the police that night.  I also thank God for His favor with the street kids that night who listened attentively to what I had to say – speaking the truth from God’s Word, the Bible.

The whole situation with the street kids seems so hopeless at times and yet we will continue to do what we can.  I am reminded that I must – and Open Arms as an organization must – encourage myself in the Lord because otherwise we might easily throw our hands into the air and give up.  It would be easy to surrender to the hopelessness that would want us to stop reaching out to those kids.  I just have to remember the hope that I see in their faces when we hand them the bread and the milk.  I have to fix in my mind the expressions of gratitude from kids who live on a mound of garbage.

David, in the Bible, knew desperate and seemingly hopeless times.  He was often tempted to give up.  He wrote this in Psalm 13:1-6:

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?  How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.  Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”  and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

“Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.”  What a simple but powerful prayer.

What situations are you facing that seem hopeless?  Are you ready to throw the towel in and give up?  Ask God to give light to your eyes.  When I’m out with the street kids who have very little hope, it’s their enthusiasm that one day there might be a way off the streets and it’s their simple thank yous that provide me with the light to keep going.

Tough and difficult times are part of every human life.  It varies person to person, but we all have them.  No one has a free pass from difficult and sometimes hopeless situations.  Just remember: God can keep the lights on so that death’s darkness won’t creep in to suffocate hope.  Just ask Him to.

I WILL sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me,

David


Silent Night, Holy Night, All is Calm, All is Bright . . .

What a wonderful refrain as we come upon the Christmas season and I recount for you God’s faithfulness to Open Arms International, but most importantly, to those we are serving in Kenya at our Open Arms Village.

In the movie "The Soloist," the lead character – a troubled, schizophrenic young man locked in the deprivations of street life in Los Angeles – looks up into the moonlit night sky and says longingly and earnestly, “I hope the whole world sleeps well tonight.”

That phrase really stuck with me – “I hope the whole world sleeps well tonight.”  It stuck with me because my prayer for that part of the world we work in – Eldoret, Kenya – is that the people we serve there would sleep well tonight.

Let me tell you about three of them.

Eight-year-old Rachael came to us from the Kambi Teso slum where we met her through our feeding program.  Her parents both died of AIDS and she went to live with her grandmother, who forced her to go looking for food and water at night.  Between the ages of 5 and 6, she was raped two or three times as she was simply trying to survive in the darkness of night.  We are grateful that she is now in our care at the Open Arms Village.  Thanks to your support, Rachael is sleeping well tonight.

Five-year-old Gad came to us after his mother died of AIDS.  He remembers her going in and out of the hospital.  Finally, she came out of the hospital in a box.  On that day, Gad quit speaking.  He came to live in our Village and didn’t utter a single word for three months.  Now he is happy, smiling (as you can see), and we can’t get him to be quiet.  Gad is sleeping well tonight.

Twelve-year-old Mercy grabbed her four-year-old brother Robert in a tight hug after their mother died and, through desperate tears, cried out, “Who is going to be our Mommy now?”  As I spoke to the children in the Village this summer about our God who “sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68), Mercy began to weep.  She was crying because she suddenly realized that God had answered her question by giving her Stella – our house-parent and now her mother – in our Village.  Mercy and Robert, thanks to your generosity are sleeping well tonight.

As this year comes to an end, we have twenty-six children – and three beautiful babies – in our care in the Open Arms Village.  With the completion of our first four children’s homes this year, the number of children will grow next year to between 60 and 70 – all with stories much like Rachael, Gad, and Mercy.

Can you please help us with your financial support now, at year-end, so that we can go into the New Year strong and ready to receive the children who need to know that they are sons and daughters and brothers and sisters?

When you give generously, the Bible says you, yourself, will not only prosper, but that you will also be refreshed (Proverbs 11:25).  When you give, it’s not only the children you serve who will sleep well, but you will too.  God has promised it. 

Jesus is not only the center of the song "Silent Night," but He is also the center of who we are at Open Arms International.  Ultimately, our children will sleep well at night because He has healed, and will continue to heal, the hurts in their hearts.  We take every opportunity to tell them how much He loves and cares for them.  We give Him the credit for giving our children a loving home and family.

All is calm, all is bright……….sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Thank you for your generosity that makes things calmer and brighter for a few kids who desperately need a good night’s sleep,

David & Rachel Gallagher



December 7, 2009

Four-month-old Belinda – we call her “Belle” – was born on the streets of Eldoret, Kenya, where we work and have our Open Arms Village for AIDS orphans.  When the District Children’s Officer (DCO) called three months ago and asked us if we could take her in, we readily agreed.  Her mother, a 19-year-old street girl, had multiple opportunities to get off the streets with her baby, but had repeatedly decided to return to the streets.  The DCO knew that baby Belle’s life was at risk, so with some persuasion, he was able to get her mother to agree to give her up.  We already had her 3-year-old sister living in our Village and no one wanted to split the siblings up.  However, as an infant, she couldn’t immediately live in our Village.  With one family at the Village having 14 children, and the other family having 12, the difficulty of caring for an infant would be overwhelming to our house-parents.

So, with nowhere else to go but to the house where Rachel and I live, I immediately became “daddy” David.  Unfortunately, because Belle’s mother was addicted to alcohol and glue (street kids sniff glue not only because it puts them into a hallucinated state to forget their troubles, but also because it reduces the severity of their hunger pangs), Belle was also addicted and had some detoxifying to do. 

The first eight weeks or so with Belle were extremely difficult as Rachel and I just held her and cuddled with her as she went through her withdrawals. The convulsions, sweating, screaming and crying were almost too much to bear.  As much as our hearts burst with empathy and compassion out of our love and care for her, we couldn’t imagine how we would feel any differently even if she had been our own biological child.  We prayed a lot for her as we took turns holding her close during those painful first two months.

The other night, I just stood beside her crib and watched her as she slept.  I watched her eyes twitch and roll as if she was having an intense dream.  I watched as her little mouth and lips contort and pulsate as if she was drinking her warm bottle.  I watched as her little hands reached out and then landed up beside her head – sleeping a lot like “mommy” Rachel who tends to put her arms up by her head too.  I watched as she stretched and yawned – still in her sleep – and took great delight and pleasure in the fact that on this night she was safe, warm, fed and cared for.  My greatest delight and pleasure in all of this, though, was the fact that I stood there watching over her so intently because I love her. I love knowing that she is loved.   All the protection, feeding, warmth and tender care that she is now experiencing is because Rachel and I love her.  We see that all her needs are met because we love her.

As I stood just watching and delighting over her, I knew that in some small way, I understood how God looks on us and watches us and delights in us.  I could imagine God standing over my bed at night doing the very same thing I was doing with baby Belle.  Watching and taking in every sound (yep, even the snoring), every movement, every twitch and even every roll of the eye as we dream of some far away place.  Watching and taking in every movement when the dreams occasionally turn into a nightmare.

Did you know that God watches you with the same intensity and care as I was looking at Belle in her crib?  Did you know that, like me with Belle that night, He works the night shift to make sure you’re taken care of?  Did you know He takes great delight in seeing that you’re safe (protected), warm (sheltered), fed (provided for), and cared for (attended to)?  Did you know that He delights to do all these things for you and He delights to see you resting well – yes, even snoring soundly – for one simple reason: because He loves you.

David (of Bible fame) wrote in Psalm 4:8, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”  Sometime later his son, Solomon, wrote in Psalm 127:2, “[God] grants sleep to those he loves.”  I can imagine David, with eyes full of love, bending over Solomon’s crib to watch him as he slept.   How wonderful that many years later the son, Solomon, learned from his father about the tender love of God that encompasses us and surrounds us even when we’re asleep. 

Somehow, we sleep better knowing that the same One who has tenderly loved and cared for us during our waking hours is the same One who stands by our bed – when it’s the darkest – and keeps watch over us with the same loving intensity as when the lights are on.  We sleep well when we know that someone much bigger and more powerful than we are is right there with us to keep watch while our eyes are closed and we are vulnerable.   

Be assured today that God loves you and cares about the things that affect you.  Belle’s pain came from someone else’s troubles and poor choices, but we are so glad that we have been there to rock her, cuddle her, embrace her and pray over her as she has struggled through the healing process.

What are you going through right now?  Are you experiencing some painful things that cause you to sweat and shake, cry and possibly even scream? 
Let me assure you, you have a heavenly Father who is watching over you – even during your worst nightmares – to hold you, embrace you and carry you into wholeness.  He works the night shift and keeps His eye on you for one simple reason: He loves you.  

Resting well knowing that my Dad is watching me, even in the dark,

David


November 30, 2009

We live in truly interesting times.  Increasingly, in the more developed and prosperous western countries, I am seeing the warning expressed in Isaiah 5:20 - 23 becoming more and more relevant (and ominous):

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.  Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.”

It seems that much of mainstream media likes to cover the stories of people whose lives and the choices they make are anything but good.  Simply by giving them press coverage, there comes a glorification of those poor – and yes, sometimes evil – choices and attitudes that then become more and more acceptable, especially to a younger and more impressionable audience. 

I think of all the wayward business professionals the past few years, the wayward athletes and the wayward celebrities.  I think of the prominent New York real estate developer (he’s a celebrity with his own TV show) who I’ve heard say (this is paraphrased) that in a business deal, grab all you can get and get all you can grab no matter the cost to the other party.  It’s all about who is smarter and savvier and who has the ability to take the other person down.  What he’s doing is telling us all how much smarter and savvy he is and what a masculine, viral man he is by his ability to win battles in board rooms.  Nonetheless, we tend to idolize the wealthy – especially those who are celebrities in the media – and we increasingly turn a blind eye toward their shortcomings and poor choices.  In fact, we continue to be enraptured by their prideful personalities and poor choices, and we keep watching them and reading about them, and without really thinking about it, we keep supporting them by OUR behavior.

OK, it’s going to get better now because I’m going to get positive. I’ve been on my soapbox, but I’m not getting off.  I’m just going to step up onto a higher soapbox. 

I want to simply give some press coverage – in my own, little way – to someone who really deserves some coverage.  I’ve laid the groundwork in my rant above for one, simple reason.  I want to contrast those we hold up as celebrities with someone who I consider a celebrity even though you have possibly never heard of him.  He’s my best friend Matt Tallman.

Today is Matt’s 50th birthday, and I want to honor him.  We’ve been best friends for 45 years, so I think I know him pretty well.  There are a number of definitions of the word “honor,” but the three that apply in Matt’s case are:

1.  A good name or public esteem: REPUTATION
2.  A showing of merited respect: RECOGNITION
3.  One whose worth brings respect or fame: CREDIT

If I had to summarize these three definitions, I would simply say that I want to recognize Matt today on his birthday and give him credit for his outstanding reputation. 

In contrast to those the media idolizes and, by doing so, honors in our society, I want to tell you about Matt so that you can honor him with me today.

Here are the qualities of Matt’s character that cause me to find it a privilege to honor him today:

1.    He is unconditionally loving (he’s been MY best friend for 45 years….does that say enough?)
2.    He is forgiving – he doesn’t hold grudges toward those who have hurt him (again, I raise my hand here)
3.    He is caring
4.    He is without guile – there is nothing false or deceitful in him
5.    He is generous
6.    He works harder at relationships than anyone I know and will do whatever it takes to keep them intact and healthy
7.    He is selfless
8.    He is a servant

OK, I could go on and on.  When I think of Matt, I think o