Latest News

April - June 2010

Articles in this issue:
Teen Leans on God, Arms of Love, in Shooting's Aftermath
Your Gifts Saved this Little Girl from Starvation
In My Own Words: A Testimony by Bryan Dumadag
After Years of Abuse, Angie is Finally 'Home"
Why Your Sponsorship Matters: He's Been Blessed; Now He's Blessing Others
A Senseless Tragedy in a Long String of Heartaches: A Message from Robert Benson, Founder

Teen Leans on God, Arms of Love, in Shooting's Aftermath

Arthur gets plenty of encouragement and support from the staff at Arms of Love like Aziel, his social worker, pictured at right.

Sometimes, it’s courage that gets you through the hard times. Other times, it’s sheer determination.

But when Arthur was accidentally shot in the leg by a stray bullet that killed another teenager at an outdoor basketball game, he says it was his faith in God that carried him through the pain, to a place of gratitude and unfailing optimism.

“I am thankful to God that He saved my life from that bullet,” said the courageous 18-year-old, recovering from surgery to repair damage from the bullet wound.

Though some people might not remember many details after such a traumatic event, Arthur says he remembered everything that went through his mind as he lay bleeding in the back of a pickup truck speeding to the hospital.

“The moment I was hit, I couldn’t open my mouth and I couldn’t speak a word,” he recalled. “But in my mind I was calling out to God to help me be brave. I know it wasn’t just an experience...but a great testimony for me to tell other people of how God saved my life.”

How does an 18-year-old boy who once spent his youth begging for food and sleeping in a cardboard box manage such composure? He says it’s his unwavering faith in God -- faith that has grown deeper and more resilient since Arthur came to Arms of Love 10 years ago.

“I know I’m still alive because God still has a great purpose for my life,” he says confidently.

The shooting was just one more senseless act of cruelty Arthur has had to endure growing up. Abandoned by his mother and abused by his father, Arthur and his siblings would do whatever they could to earn enough money for food: beg, washing dishes, making restaurant deliveries.

“It’s hard to live a life with nothing,” he says. “It seemed that I had no more hope to live in this world.”

Compare that to Arthur’s life now, where he says “they (Arms of Love) give me everything I need, especially the things I need for my education.”

“Now that I’m living here, I can see my future,” he says. “This place has changed my life.”

Growing up in poverty can be dangerous -- even deadly! –- these days. But your gifts are rescuing kids in the Philippines and Nicaragua and making miraculous changes possible.

Please send your next gift to Arms of Love today –- and be a part of the miracle!

Your Gifts Saved this Little Girl from Starvation

Thanks to friends like you, Meyling now has plenty to eat, a safe place to sleep, and new hope for a brighter tomorrow

When Meyling first came to Arms of Love, she had two strikes against her.

First, she lives Nicaragua, one of the poorest countries in the world where one out of every three children suffers from some sort of chronic malnutrition. Second, her family was poorer than most -- so poor that her brother died of starvation the day before she arrived.

But thanks to caring friends like you, Meyling doesn’t live in despair any longer. Now she gets plenty of good food, has a warm bed to sleep in at night, attends school regularly, and loves learning about God.

Is that enough to erase the terrible memories of being abused and abandoned by her relatives? We’re claiming God’s promise for Meyling, believing what the Scriptures say in Jeremiah 29:11 that God has a plan for her life, “plans for welfare, not for calamity,” to give her a future and a hope.

Of course, that doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges ahead. The lasting effects of being severely undernourished has left Meyling with a chronic medical condition that she knows will require future surgery. Until then, Meyling is learning to trust God and the staff at Arms of Love, whom she knows will always be there for her.

We are grateful for the opportunity to share Christ’s love with children like Meyling, and thank God every day for friends like you who make this ministry possible through your prayers and ongoing financial support.

What you do really is making a difference in the lives our precious children. Thank you. May you experience God’s richest blessing for making a difference in the lives of hurting children.

In My Own Words: A Testimony by Bryan Dumadag

Bryan says that before coming to Arms of Love, he didn't have proper clothes, enough to eat, or any knowledge of God.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: What does child sponsorship mean to a youngster growing up in poverty in the Philippines? To Bryan, it means the chance to learn about God, to eat good, grow stronger, and dream about what once seemed impossible. Here, in Bryan’s own words, is how friends like you helped him move from despair to hope...)

By Bryan

When I was young, my parents separated. We were left with my father but he often went out and got drunk, leaving us with no food in the house. Sometimes, my grandmother would try to get food to us, but because of her age and limited resources, she couldn’t help much.

Many times, it got so bad my three siblings and I would beg for food around the neighborhood. My two older sisters, meanwhile, started going out early in the evening and would come home late at night. Only later did we find out that they were working as prostitutes to feed us kids.

Before coming to Arms of Love, I didn’t have proper clothes to wear, enough to eat, or any knowledge about God. Now, I don’t worry about such things. I get help with my studies, I’m surrounded by lots of other kids, and most important, I feel like I belong to a family. Because of what I’ve learned, I feel like I know God better, in a deeper, more meaningful sort of way. Where would I be if it wasn’t for this place?

Probably hanging around with my friends, who smoke and have lots of other bad habits. They have no future. But I do, and because I’m getting help going to school, I know I’ll be able to get a good job.

After Years of Abuse, Angie is Finally 'Home"

Angie (back right) and other girls from Arms of Love cutting the ribbon officially opening Heather's House

When Angie helped cut the ribbon at the official opening of Heather’s House this spring, it was like this young teenager finally found the loving home her heart had been yearning far.

Thanks to your gifts, Angie now has a loving, nurturing place to live where she doesn’t have to worry about getting enough to eat, having a safe place to sleep, or who will help her with her schoolwork.

“This is the family that God has given me,” she grins.

Who would have thought that Angie’s life would be filled with such hope, especially after such a traumatic childhood.

Growing up, Angie was physically abused by both her mother and a live-in uncle, who sometimes would beat her and force her to cook dinner for him. After years of mistreatment, Angie ran away and for months lived on the streets in Nicaragua.

Four years ago, she came to us and in May became one of the first young girls to live at Heather’s House.

“I owe all this to God, and Arms of Love,” she says simply. “They have made it possible for me to have a future.”

Heather’s House was established in memory of little Heather Brobeck, an eight-year-old who suffered a terrible accident and spent 29 years in a coma before passing away in 2006.

Today, it is home to 12 young women who have been abandoned and abused. Without friends like you, and the Brobeck family, these girls would have little hope for a better tomorrow.

Thank you for believing in them, and showing you care by giving to support Arms of Love.

Why Your Sponsorship Matters: He's Been Blessed; Now He's Blessing Others

Colin says visiting his sponsored child, Christopher Serna, makes him feel like “extended family.”

Colin is grateful for the life God has given him.

He has a good education. Works for a software firm in the heart of Silicon Valley. And attends a solid, Bible-believing church every Sunday.

But he takes none of it for granted.

“God had blessed me with abundance, but also given me the responsibility to be a good steward,” he says. “I’ve learned that even my small contribution can make a big difference.”

Since signing up to be a child sponsor in 2006, Colin has traveled to the Philippines four times to visit his sponsored child, Christopher Serna. Now he’s taken his commitment even further, joining Arms of Love’s board of directors.

“Thanks to this organization, Christopher will finally get a chance at a happy and productive life,” he says.

The future success of our children depends entirely on God’s grace, and regular support from churches and caring individuals.

If you’d like to become a child sponsor, check the appropriate box on the enclosed response card, or visit us online at www.armsoflove.org.

A Senseless Tragedy in a Long String of Heartaches: A Message from Robert Benson, Founder

Robert Benson, Arms of Love Founder

Arthur should be in school right now, excited as he begins his first semester of college.

Instead, he’s back at Arms of Love, recovering from surgery after he was shot in the leg during an outdoor basketball game where another teenager was killed. Had the bullet hit a blood vessel rather than bone, Arthur would be dead as well.

Thankfully, doctors say Arthur should make a full recovery. But the haunting memories of those few terrifying moments – witnessed by his brother and sister and a dozen other kids from Arms of Love -- will take a lot longer to heal.

Scripture tells us that our enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Pet 5:8, NIV). That day, he devoured one young man. But by God’s grace, Arthur’s life was spared.

Had this happened 10 years earlier, Arthur’s life may have spiraled down so far he might never have recovered. But instead of being angry or depressed, Arthur takes every opportunity to tell others how great God is for saving his life. Because of his growing faith -- and your unwavering support of Arms of Love -- this young man’s future remains filled with promise and purpose.

Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support. They mean so much to our kids!

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