I don't even know how to do this: Camp LIFE Support letter

This is the current draft for the support letter I will be sending out to lots of peoples very soonlike. Please let me know if you have any ideas for revisions. There isn't much room to add much more to it, though

December 2010

To my Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am so excited about the amazing ministry opportunity God has given me recently! I have felt led to go on a trip to Zambia, Africa to minister to orphan children next June! God has given me a love for children, and now He has provided this wonderful opportunity to reach out to children in need through this camp in Zambia.

Zambia

is a landlocked country located in south central Africa. Zambia has a population of 12 million people, but a full 1 million of these people are, in fact, children who have been orphaned due to the ravages of AIDS and other extreme poverty-related diseases. The U.N. says that

Zambia

has the highest per capita orphan rate in the world, and ABCNEWS recently did a whole documentary on the plight of these children. And although

Zambia

is some 10,000 miles away and seemingly forgotten, these children are ever before the heart of God. And as such, God has now laid that burden on my heart.

I will be going to minister to the orphaned and vulnerable children of Zambia through an organization called Family Legacy Missions International based in Dallas, TX. Family Legacy Missions International (FLMI) is a federally qualified, tax-exempt public charity whose mission is to alleviate the suffering of children on the other side of the world in Africa, while bringing the Good News of the Kingdom of God to them. They do this through a program called Camp LIFE. We will be working directly with the orphans each day: playing games, teaching Bible lessons, singing songs, and just plain hugging and loving the kids. Every day, we will bus all of the orphan children into a giant recreation facility and give them an incredible day of discipleship, counseling, food, fun, and love – all in the name of Jesus! My prayer is that this time spent with the kids will result in changed lives for Jesus Christ. I am so excited to see what amazing things God has in store for this trip.

I am writing you today to ask you to partner with me on this incredible investment for eternity. God has called me to go and I have committed to trust Him and follow His lead. But going is only part of the investment required to serve these children. Those who can’t go, but can pray for and financially support those who do go are fully equal co-laborers in this ministry project.

First of all, I ask that you pray for me. Please pray that God will provide the financial means for me to go, and also that He would work through me on the trip to win some lives for His Kingdom! While I am on the trip, please pray for the safety of the kids, the other counselors and staff, and myself. Please also pray that God would make the trip a successful ministry and testimony to His love and mercy. Next, please pray about supporting me yourself. The trip is a total of 17 days long, from June 9^th through the 26^th, and the total cost for it is $5,390. I need to raise $1,000 by January 15^th, and then the rest by April 1^st. Because I know that God has called me to go to Zambia, I am confident that He will also provide a way for me to go, but I very much want you to be involved with me on this project so that you, too, will be blessed as a result. Proverbs 19:17 says, that “when you give to the poor, you are lending to God, and that God Himself will repay you”. Helping me to help these kids is an investment for which God will surely repay you – maybe in this life, but definitely in eternity. After praying about it, if you feel led, please consider making a financial donation towards this trip for me.

I know that you probably receive many letters similar to this one asking for support for one mission trip or another. I also understand that even if you can’t support me financially at this time, I will still have your prayers while I go. From the testimonies of those who have gone on this trip in previous years, I know that I truly will never be the same for having gone and I will be forever grateful for your willingness to invest in me and in the orphans of Zambia. So, if you feel led to give, please send your tax-deductible gift in the enclosed envelope, and be sure to write my name in the memo section. You can also donate electronically, if you prefer, by visiting www.camplifezambia.com/brandon.