God’s Work Takes Root and Blossoms Over Time

Breath of Heaven began as a response to the AIDS/HIV endemic that was sweeping sub Saharan Africa in the early part of 2003. My wife and I visited the country of Zambia where we witnessed the devastation taking place. There were 1.2 million orphans and 20% of the population of 12 million people were infected with the virus. Death was everywhere and the life expectancy was just 39 years old  and the poverty rate was 60%.

As we asked God what we could do, we were given a very clear call and mandate to lay down the rest of our lives to rescue and minister to the orphans of Zambia. In addition, we were given a very large vision to build a children's village consisting of 14 homes, a church, school and medical clinic. We had no funding. Our only equity would be our faith. Jesus said, If you have the faith of a mustard seed, you could speak to a mountain in His name and say,

"Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you." LUKE 17:6

All He required of us was to say yes.

My wife recently described the faith God required to our friends and co-laborers Micah and Alicia Orloff.  It's like being at a large olympic pool and given directions from the Lord to climb up to the highest dive and being asked to jump. Then I said,  "Lord, there is no water in the pool." Then God said,  "I know, jump, trust me. I will fill the pool on your way down!"  And honestly, each challenge He has placed before us seems to be a higher dive but, we have had the glorious blessing these twenty years living a life of adventure in seeing the Lord fulfill His vision He has given to us. Our guiding Bible verse says, 

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27 NLT 

It has been a walk of faith, from the purchase of the first eight acres in 2006 to the building of our first two homes in 2010; then the elementary school, the church, the clinic and then the Technical Secondary School and the Vocational Training College opening in 2023.  In addition, along with the care of nearly 200 children over the past 14 years in our family homes and 80 staff, 600 chickens every 12 weeks, 3,000 tilapia from our aquaponic project, we stand in awe of God and His provision.  Our belief and experience is that where God guides, He provides through the many people He has brought alongside of us in a journey of faith.