Religion & Faith

WELCOME TO DUMP DAY 2013 … This is a day that we stop to consider how blessed we are materially. A day we stop to be the “Good Samaritan” in the story Jesus told, choosing NOT to pass by on the other side of the road. We choose to help today. We choose to make a difference.

THIS is the day will WILL make a difference in the people who live, work and eat at the Tegucigalpa dump. They are the people of the dump. Dirty people. People who have names, lives, needs.

We are blessed people. We eat until we’re full. We don’t go to bed hungry. We live in homes that are MORE than adequate. We have an abundance of everything … food, clothing and “stuff.”  Please understand there’s nothing wrong with being blessed with material things, but not sharing what we have is wrong!  Just “realizing how blessed we are” is not enough. Feeling sorry for the hungry and the poor of this world is NOT what Jesus was looking for from us. Poor people don’t need our sympathy or our pity, they need our compassion. The same compassion that the Good Samaritan had, one that took action. For me to sit back and simply say, “How sad,” makes me no different than the Priest and Levite that passed on the other side.

So what are we going to do today?

Let’s give a little. Any amount would be great. Here are THREE ways to give. You can give via snail mail by sending your check to:

Honduras Hope

PO BOX 9222

Columbus MS, 39705 (attn: Dump Fund).

(This is a tax deductible donation)

Also give ONLINE,

You can give safely and securely online by going to Bread For A Hungry World’s website, and on the top right there’s a “Give to the Dump” donation button CLICK ON THE WORD “GIVE”. Bread for a Hungry World is helping partner in our work at the dump.  (This is also a tax deductible donation.)

I’ll also remind you that my PAYPAL BUTTON is always on this page, and while you’re welcome to use it, please understand that my Paypal is NOT going to be a tax deductible donation. So if you’re okay with that … go ahead and use it.

If you donate today, we’d love to keep a running total of donations. So if you don’t mind, leave a comment on this blog saying something like, “The Morgan family gives $100″, or your comment can be totally anonymous by not adding a name.  That’ll give us the ability to say, “We’re currently at … “

We have 2 giveaways this year…

• For a $30 donation will get you a new Dump Bracelet or new Dump Shirt … your choice. The ONLY way you can get it is by sending an email to “i.want.a.dump.band@gmail.com” and give us your address to send you one. Make sure you tell us if you want a bracelet or a t-shirt when you send that email.  There is a limited amount of these so pledge early in the day tomorrow.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” ~ Jesus

Thank you VERY much!

QUESTION: What can I do to REALLY make a BIG difference on Dump Day tomorrow? (3 Things…)

1. Pray and ask God to bless our day.
2. Make a donation.
3. One of the most important things is tell everyone you know. Tomorrow use your Facebook, Twitter, blog, email, etc to spread the word. That is the key to making this work. Post on your Facebook about Dump Day and tell people to come over here and pledge.

QUESTION: How do we give this year? There are several ways to give this year …

1. You can send a check via snail mail to: Honduras Hope, PO BOX 9222, Columbus MS, 39705 (attn: Dump Fund). This is a tax deductible donation. You can also give to the Childress Church of Christ, PO Box 239, Childress TX 79201 (attn: Dump Fund).
2. You can give online by going to Bread For A Hungry World’s, website and on the top right there’s a “Give to the Dump” donation button. Bread for a Hungry World continues to partner in the work at the dump.  This is also a tax deductible donation.
3. I’ll also remind you that my Paypal button is always on this page, and while you’re welcome to use it, please understand that my Paypal is NOT going to be a tax deductible donation.

QUESTION: Why and How do I make a pledge?

• We try hard to keep up with how much has been donated throughout Dump Day (tomorrow), so we always ask you to make a comment on my blog saying that you just pledged (or will give) a donation of “$100″ (or whatever the amount). You can do it anonymously or just make the comment. This is not so we can say, “Look what we’ve given,” or “Look what we’ve done,” but so we can keep up with a close estimate on the total … and give God the glory.

QUESTION: How do I fast?

• I’m encouraging a food fast for 30 hours. I’ll start mine at bedtime tonight and end it Thursday morning when I get up. No food on Dump Day. If you want to do yours for 24 hours, that’s okay. If you want to start and end at a different time than mine, that’s okay. But consider a fast of some kind tomorrow. I will fast from food but will drink liquids. If you can’t fast from food (because of health reasons), fast from something else like television, eating out, driving (walk tomorrow), etc. Use tomorrow to remind yourself how blessed you are materially and how some are NOT so blessed as you and I.

QUESTION: How do I get a Dump T-Shirt and or a Dump Bracelet? 

• For a $30 donation will get you a new Dump Bracelet or new Dump Shirt … your choice. The ONLY way you can get it is by sending an email to i.want.a.dump.band@gmail.com and give us your address to send you one. Make sure you tell us if you want a bracelet or a t-shirt when you send that email.  There is a limited amount of these so pledge early in the day tomorrow.

Any other question???

Our 5th annual Dump Dayand 30-Hour-Fast is next Wednesday the 8th.  Many have started giving early, and that is totally okay. If you do give early, please make sure you stop back by this blog next Wednesday and let us know what you gave so we can kind of keep a running total. We’re hoping to use this blog as a place to make pledges and point you to ways to make donations.  Here’s several things I want to let you know … first and foremost … understand that everything you and I give goes to the ministry at the dump. That’s important to know.

GIVEAWAY …

• If you make a donation of $30 or more, I’ll send you a “Honduras Dump Ministry” 1 inch neoprene band (See Picture Below). These aren’t the little silicone bands; these are the nice ones. You can show off your support of the Dump Ministry with one of these bracelets. I’ve been wearing mine for about a month now, and I love it.  There is only a limited amount of these, so it’ll be first come first serve. After you make a donation, the ONLY way to get yours is send your name and mailing address to the following email address i.want.a.dump.band@gmail.com … you’ve got to send me an email to that address to receive one.

Here are your options for giving next Wednesday …

* Send a check to … Honduras Hope, PO Box 9222, Columbus MS, 39705 (attn: Dump Fund)   (This is a tax-deductible donation)

Also give ONLINE,

You can give online by going to Bread For A Hungry World’s website, and on the top right there’s a “Give to the Dump” donation button next to an old woman in a yellow shirt. Bobby Moore and Bread for a Hungry World is helping partner in the work at the dump. We love and appreciate very much what Bread for a Hungry World does throughout the world.  (This is also a tax-deductible donation.)

I’m trying to encourage everyone to use one of these two forms of giving I just mentioned. I suggest the above link of Bread for a Hungry World because it’s the easiest.  I’ll also remind you that my Paypal button is always on this page; and while you’re welcome to use it, please understand that my Paypal is NOT going to be a tax deductible donation.

Dump Day and the 30 Hour Fast for 2013 is right around the corner (May 8th). For the past 4 years we’ve helped raised money for the ministry that takes place at the dump in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Dump Day 2013 is necessary to replenish the dump fund because the dump fund provides…

• Weekly feedings (a hot meal) at the dump.
• In the summer when mission teams are there we do several feedings per week.
• In the past a small scholarship was given to a graduate from a local school that’s in a very poor community just outside the dump. Many of the kids from this community grow up going to the dump and working there. Our goal is to encourage them to finish school (the best change for their future).
• The dump fund provides much of the annual Jesus Banquet where the poorest of the poor are served.
• The dump fund helps sponsor a day care just outside the dump so parents won’t take their children into the dump.  Some of the additional things provided for the day care this year was formula, beds, kitchen equipment, etc.
• One of the things I LOVE is that Marc Tindall uses dump fund to provide several ladies at the dump with milk for the babies. Marc generally tells them, “If you won’t bring your baby to the dump, I’ll help provide you milk,” an essential for a newborn.
• Throughout the year there are needed medical expenses for people from the dump. A $15 antibiotic, which a person from the dump can’t afford, can sometimes make a difference between life and death.
• One of the things your past donations helped with was a young boy named Oscar whose leg was run over by a truck at the dump. The hospital said they were going to amputate Oscar’s leg because he could not afford $400 worth of pins to fix the leg. The dump fund covered the pins. We also helped a lady named Brenda with a c-section and young man who was hit by a truck.

These are just a few of the things that we used the dump fund for last couple of years. There were many others. We’d love to help with a project at Buen Samaritano (the small community where many of the dump workers live) by providing water, school supplies, medical needs, food for a feeding center, etc.

Please pray about Dump Day 2013 that will take place on May 8th and help us SPREAD THE WORD.  We’ll be having a 30 hour fast as well that day.  Thanks so much for ALL your help with the ministry at the dump.

I dare you to click on this picture and look at it closer.

I am thrilled about making my first trip to the Pepperdine Lectureship this year. I will get to present two lessons on “Marriage and Family” while I’m there. Lea and I are excited about making some classes and seeing beautiful Southern California.

If you’re going you might want to check out the follow information and apps that are available. You can find them here:

http://preachermike.com/2013/04/13/the-new-pbl-app

Hope to see you there.

Trey

This is a picture of Sonya and I. She had just come from working at the dump. Marc Tindall met her almost 5 years ago when she was barely 11. She has worked in the dump since she was 9 years old. About 2 months ago, a gang killed Sonya’s boyfriend – to settle a debt or some issue. Sadly, Sonya was with him at the time. Marc helped buried him. Sometimes we have to use funds from Dump Day to bury people. Last year we buried 2 kids and 4 young men who were killed in different ways.

Last Thursday, Sonya stepped on a nail and the next day her foot was about 3x normal size. We have her on some powerful antibiotics so her foot will get better. We also went to buy groceries for the house because she can’t work for the coming days. The Dump Fund is how we are able to provide antibiotics and food for the poor.

Jesus said whatever you do for the least of these you have done it for me. I guess we took care of Jesus wounded foot and bought him some food. He just happened to be in the form of a 16 year old girl living a very difficult life.

Dump Day is May 8th. I hope you’ll help again this year.

Wendy is only 28, has 5 kids and rides a bus 3 hours a day so she can work at the Tegucigalpa dump. She spends her day digging through other people’s trash searching for things she can recycle … it’s her job and the only way she can support her 5 children.

On top of ALL that … Wendy just learned that she had cancer. A public health doc told her that she could start free treatments in about 8 months, but her cancer doctor told her that if she didn’t start treatment now, she would be dead in 8 months.

Private treatment cost $2500 and is impossible if you only make $25 or $30 a week working in a dump and have 5 children to support. My friend Marc wept with Wendy as she told him her story. They also prayed for a cure and that these 5 kids won’t be orphaned. It was then that we stepped out in faith and decided to help her get treatments. The money we are using is money dedicated to building our mission house because we believe that Wendy’s life is more important.

The annual Dump Fund contributions that are given help with needs like Wendy’s. We believe helping and serving the poorest of the poor is something God wants us to do. Food, shelter, medicines and many other needs are met through our Dump Fund donations. This year’s Dump Day will be May 8th. Be praying about how you can help on Dump Day.

“Famous Celebrity Cheaters” was the article I saw this morning about famous people who had been caught cheating in their marriage. It bothered me to see the list of famous names like Tiger Woods, Bill Clinton, Arnold Swartzenager, Koby Bryant, David Letterman, LeAnn Rimes and others.

Affairs.

Some call it sleeping around … some call it cheating or being unfaithful. God calls it adultery … which is sin. No matter what you call it, it’s pretty clear on how God feels about adultery.

He doesn’t like it!

Here are a few things I took note of from the book of Proverbs this morning…

“Adultery is a brainless act, self-destructive … And a reputation ruined for good.” Proverbs 6:32

“…He who sleeps with another man’s wife, or even touches her will never go unpunished.” Proverbs 6:29

“Be faithful to your own wife… don’t give your love to just any woman. Be happy with the wife you married when you were young. Let her love always make you happy and hold you captive. My son, don’t be held captive by a woman who takes part in adultery. Don’t fondle a woman who is not your wife. The Lord sees everything you do, and he watches where you go. An evil man will be caught in his wicked ways … He will die because he does not control himself…” Proverbs 5:15-23

Here is what I take from this text in Proverbs 5, “Seek wisdom, delight in your own spouse, and keep your pants zipped around others.”

I’m not sure anyone ever sets out thinking, “I want to have an affair.” It just slowly happens. Sadly the consequences are far worse than you ever imagined. Think about this when it comes to having an affair …

1. It’s wrong! Plain and simply … you know better. It doesn’t matter if it feels “right” … it’s wrong. It doesn’t matter how bad your marriage is … it’s wrong! Don’t do it. It’s a sin in God’s eyes, and He won’t take it lightly.
2. You will hurt MANY people in your life. You will hurt your spouse. It will damage your children. They will pay a HUGE cost emotionally, relationally and psychologically. Your family will suffer … greatly.
3. You will regret it .… plain and simple.
4. It will bring you more pain than it ever will happiness.
5. You promised to be faithful. You made a commitment and covenant to your spouse and to God. He expects you to keep that. If you are having marriage problems, seek professional counseling. If your spouse isn’t meeting your needs, seek professional counseling. Just don’t listen to satan, others or the world … an affair is wrong.
6. It will wreck and destroy your reputation. No one, including your peers, family and children, will respect you.

Instead of pursuing a relationship with someone other than your spouse … just pursue your spouse. If you will expend the same amount of energy into your marriage as you would an affair, it would be a wonderful relationship. If the grass LOOKS greener on the other side of the fence … WATER your own lawn. Make magic in the relationship that already exists.

Don’t have an affair … it’s wrong.

“Adultery is a brainless act and self-destructive … and a reputation ruined for good.” Proverbs 6:32 (Message)

Lea and I will be in Tulia Texas THIS SATURDAY – March 2nd for a Stronger Marriage Workshop. JOIN US.

Here’s the schedule:

8-9 Breakfast in our Java Cafe
9:15-9:45 – “Debunking Marriage Myths”
9:45-10:30 – “10 Things for Husbands”
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-11:30 – “10 Things for Wives”
11:30-11:55 “Don’t Bankrupt Your Love Account”
12-12:45 Lunch
1-1:30 – “6 Ways to Kill your Marriage”
1:30-2:30 – “Making Your Love Life SIZZLE”
Q & A

Here’s a list of our upcoming Stronger Marriage workshops …

http://www.facebook.com/StrongerMarriageWorkshops/events

If you follow our blog for marriage posts and updates, we’re doing most of those now on Facebook that you can find by clicking here…

http://www.facebook.com/StrongerMarriageWorkshops

Stop by and hit the “like” button.