Hard work is the routine for the entire Team whether leading VBS, painting a room, or helping to prepare meals. The payoff:

• The sounds of children’s voices wafting through the mountains singing “Jesus Is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me”
• Two adults standing guard at the bedroom of 4 young girls in an effort to “surprise” those girls with a room makeover done in vibrant pink and a beautiful blue with their own personalized pillowcase.
• Sharing community in the kitchen and dining area with some amazing women, Kim who inspires us all (City of Refuge director) and Norma (our cook who is always ready with a smile and awesome food too).

Four days down: two days of dynamic, boot scooting VBS; 3 rooms completed and children squealing with excitement at their new bedding; teenage girls proudly showing off their pedicures; and, new friendships forged between Texas women and Jamaican children.

Yes…Jesus is the BEST thing that has ever happened to us!

VBS

Boys' Room Makeover

Girls' Room Makeover

Nursery Makeover

Jesus is the Best Thing!

14 Girlfriends departing D/FW

Diversity in talents, skills and giftings…Diversity in age, race and culture…Diversity in personality, habits and walks of life.

Isn’t this what makes a missions trip? Diversity in a group ascends upon another land and another culture to impact – and to be impacted!

The team – 14 Girlfriends from Trinity Church, Cedar Hill TX. City of Refuge Orphanage – our home for seven days. Our mission – a Holy Spirit led Vacation Bible School and a house makeover (paint, curtains, bedding, and bathroom accessories). The results – stay tuned to find out.

The View from the Dining Area

Our journey takes us to Hoi An orphanage. Once again, my senses are assaulted – the smells, the sights. And, I have the opportunity to ponder on another conflict of perspectives. We Americans, arriving at the orphanage, are “armed” with candy and small bottles of bubbles to give to the children. As I pass out my allotment of bubbles, I consider another conflict of perspective. When giving a bottle of bubbles to a child at home in America, in most cases I would be giving the child something to do, something to free up my time and fill up theirs. Here at Hoi An orphanage, I give bubbles to make a connection with a child – to open the door so I can become part of their world. Definitely a conflict of perspective.

At Hoi An, my eyes are riveted to a child in a swinging bassinet peering over the wooden sides. It is evident that a disability prohibits this child from participating in activities as some of the other children are.  As I move closer, what I see is a shock. From my perspective, this child  is a prisoner in her own body. Her limbs are deformed, her head the size of a small watermelon, she is covered in scabies, and wearing filthy clothes (including a handmade diaper). She is the victim of hydroencephalitis (water on the brain) – something easily corrected at birth in America. And then, something happened, she reached out her arms. I picked Hong up and we began a short journey to the courtyard.  Immediately, my perspective changed. Her face broke into a smile as she saw the sun and the other children playing. She began to laugh and move both her hands and feet with giddy excitement. No longer a prisoner in her own body, a simple action of picking up a 12 year old child and carrying her to the courtyard changed her perspective and mine. Today for me – this was a conflict of perspective.

But I wonder….will I experience in my lifetime another conflict of perspective? Will the perspective I have experienced of Vietnamese children suffering from disease and imprisoned in their own bodies one day be conflicted? That is my hope…that one day that perspective will be no more as I see children’s lives in Vietnam full of hopes, dreams and health! I long for that conflict in perspective.

Hong

Just one of thousands!

Thanks to everyone for the support that has been given to purchase blankets for the children of Zimbabwe and for the ongoing needs for the children in Vietnam who need life giving surgeries. Camella and I are truly blessed by your willingness to come alongside of us to help the children of these countries and give them a hope for the future.

Camella is leaving July 2 for Vietnam to work with Giving It Back To Kids through the many programs that we have supported for the past 8 years. She will not only check on recipients that NNMSII has sponsored in the past, but I’m confident she will find more children to help.

Four days after she returns from Vietnam she will lead a group of ladies to Jamaica to work with an orphanage in that troubled country. I’m again very confident she will discover many needs to help the children she will be meeting on this trip as well.

Today we received requests for several thousand more blankets to “cover up” the children of Zimbabwe who are infected with HIV. We have committed to purchase all of the blankets that our friend, Dr. Andrew Reid, has identified. We need to show these children that God loves them, knows their need and has a blanket of love to cover them. We have agreed to purchase a minimum of 1,000 blankets each month but that amount will not be nearly enough. The temperatures in Zimbabwe are now freezing at night and thousands of children have no blanket!!

Over the past 3 years you have helped us distribute over 10,000 blankets!! Thank you!!! But many more thousands are needed and we will not stop doing what we can to “cover up” every child that needs a blanket! Blankets are only $5 each! Just think what $10 could do – or $100 – or $1000!

The needs are huge but our God is bigger than we think!!

Please prayerfully consider helping us to continue funding these urgent needs that help give these precious children a hope for the future by showing them God’s love for them.

May God bless you as you bless others.

Sincerely,

Bruce and Camella

One little boy, named Noah, who had just celebrated his 4th birthday decided to get involved personally with Operation Cover-Up. He prayed about a blanket goal and then decided to earn money to purchase 10 blankets all on his own.

Making a poster for his goal of 10 blankets!

Noah decided a money making project would be to bake cookies and sell them. He even prepared a bag of cookies that he took to his neighbor’s home telling his Mom that he wanted to do it on his own! (probably an interesting sight to see Mom hiding in the bushes as Noah made the delivery).

Noah making the cookies!

Packaging the cookies.

Noah reached his goal of 10 blankets! Just imagine, 10 children in Zimbabwe now have a warm blanket to cover them up all because of one four year old little guy deciding to make a difference.

10 Packages of Cookies ready to delivery!

To Donate to Operation Cover Up:

Click on “donate” button for information

Or, donations can be mailed to:

New Name Mission Society Int’l     507 Ashburne Glen Cr.     Ovilla TX 75154

Pastor Wilson is a friend in Mutare, Zimbabwe that we have known for 10 years. He writes..

“Hi Pastor Bruce,

Am coming from a distribution and I felt I needed to communicate with you right away. I was requested by Mutare Girls High School Headmaster to consider some of the orphans from her school. I asked her to compile a list and she only considered forms 1 and 2 and from there she came up with 83 names. We only managed to give one blanket per child but I could see that there was a great need.

Talking to the Headmaster, I discovered that the school has over 200 orphans and most of them have challenges in school fees. From these children some are looking after their siblings. After school, they look for vegetables for a meal.

With this in mind Pastor Bruce, I wanted to thank you for your heart for the children. I was in tears as we were distributing the blankets.

God bless you.

Wilson Katumba”

Blanket Distribution in Ruwa

I am also in tears as I search for ways to provide more blankets. Pastor Wilson has distributed 1,000 blankets so far and has requested another 1,000. At this time I know of over 3,000 blankets that are needed and winter has not yet arrived.

We thank you for the help many of you have already given to cover up children who need warmth through Operation Cover Up. The need is great and we would greatly appreciate you continued help in passing this information on to others to assist with funds, or any gift that you could give for Operation Cover Up. Just $5 will buy a blanket – no gift is too small to help a child.

Blessings,

Bruce

Donations can be mailed to:

New Name Mission Society     507 Ashburne Glen Cr.     Ovilla TX 75154

Or give online by clicking the “Donate” button

The temperatures are FALLING in Zimbabwe as winter approaches and the desperate need for blankets to “cover up” the children is quickly RISING!

While in Zimbabwe in March, we purchased the first 1,000 blankets and distributed them to our local contacts in less than a week. Most of these blankets were covering children before we left the country.

We made contact with many of the groups that have helped us for the past two years with this project and without exception they all needed a greater number of blankets than last year. In fact, local groups that used 100-200 blankets last year are asking for 400-500 this year.

Our friend Pastor Wilson in Mutare, in rural eastern Zimbabwe, asked for 1,000 blankets! Because of your generous help we purchased those blankets and had them delivered last week! This week hundreds of children received a warm blanket from you through “OPERATION COVER UP!”

Yesterday we received a request for 500 blankets from our friends in Kadoma. This city is about a 2 hour drive from Harare and has an estimated 15,000 orphans. There is only 1 orphanage in Kadoma with 11 children that we have supported for several years.

Our children at this orphanage are 16-18 years old and looking for ways to help others. These children will be the “hands” that deliver the 500 blankets to the orphans in Kadoma!! Their heart is to help others by giving them HOPE! Orphans helping other orphans…..

Orphans helping other Orphans in Kadoma

We have committed 400 blankets that will be distributed to children with HIV next Saturday in Harare by our good friend Dr. Reid at his ”Champions for Life” Camp.

Our Champion Dr. Reid with blankets ready for distribution.

The need is very real and growing very quickly. Thanks to you “Operation Cover Up” is working!!!

Please tell your friends and even those that are not yet your friends about “Operation Cover Up“! We would also welcome the opportunity to share the need with anyone who might need more information.

Our current need for blankets exceeds 2,000 and it is just beginning to get cold. We fully expect to need over 10,000 blankets this winter in Zimbabwe.

We have a great blanket available this year for just $5!! We have thousands of children who need a warm blanket. We have the “hands” to deliver the blankets to the children who need them. All we need is the money to buy the blankets!!

The children in Zimbabwe need our help and we need your help for them.

No gift is too small and every $5 will “cover” a child. Their blanket will serve as a reminder that God covers them with His love. A blanket will give these children a HOPE for their future! 

You can give a child like this Hope for $5.

Thank you for helping us to show God’s love though “Operation Cover Up“!

May God richly bless you as give to these children!

Bruce and Camella

Donations can be mailed to:

New Name Mission Society     507 Ashburne Glen Cr.     Ovilla TX 75154

Or give online by clicking the “Donate” button

We purchased the first 1,000 blankets and immediately began distributing them through the coordinators who had organized distribution efforts last year. The interesting thing is that those who helped “cover up” 300 kids last year are now asking for 1,000 blankets this year!

As I  start back home today we have distributions planned for all 1,000 blankets already purchased plus hundred more! 

Saturday I was involved in giving over 300 blankets to children. Their excitement is very difficult to describe. In most cases they have never had a blanket, much less one so colorful, soft and warm!

Operation Cover Up started 2 years ago, but there is something different about it this year! As I was preparing to talk to the kids about the blankets I was reminded that God is a lot like a blanket to all of His children. He covers us up! He protects us, provides for us, shields us from the elements and most of all shows us that He knows us and what we need! He knows our name! As I talked to the children, their caregivers, and others in attendance, I encouraged them to remember these  attributes of  God every time they are wrapped up in that warm blanket. I told them to think of their new blanket  as God’s arms wrapped around them because He loves them and knows their name! It turned into a wonderful time of “hugging” kids to show them that God loves them and knows where they are. He knows their name!

Thank you so much for all you are doing to help us show the love and concern of a Father God to fatherless children. We have no idea how we are affecting the lives of people by giving them a measure of hope - but it is significant.

I was asked at one point how long we were going to provide blankets for the orphans. My response was as long as there are children who need blankets, there are blankets to be purchased, and money to make the purchase. There are over 1 million orphans in Zimbabwe and we believe that everyone of them deserves a blanket that will be a life-long reminder that God loves them and knows their name!

Please continue to help us help “cover up” the kids. The kids are there to be covered, the blankets are available for purchase at a phenomenal price, and we are asking God to bless our efforts. For those who helped us purchase the first 1,000 blankets – your giving was multiplied already by the phenomenal purchase price of $5!

Your dollars will make a huge impact – just $5 for a blanket – just $5 to make a significant impact in a child’s life. You can be part of an impoverished child feeling the warmth of love, the warmth of God. Never underestimate the significance of the seemingly insignificant things. COVERING UP a child is significant!

You can give on-line by clicking on the “donate” button or gifts can be mailed to:
New Name Mission Society      507 Ashburne Glen Circle      Ovilla TX 75154