This is Why-Field of Dreams

In rural Kenya, there sits a field. It is flat, and as of now, void of much structure. It is surrounded by a make-shift fence, and in the center there are trenches dug into the soil and a concrete and rock foundation protrudes from the soil.

It has no apparent significance at this point. Nor is there anything apparently special about it. But looks can be deceiving; because it is special. Very special. For very soon it will become a place filled with dreams. A Field of Dreams.

Now, all dreams have a seed of origin. Planted in our minds by someone or something of great personal influence. Dreams, though, are fueled by something else if they are ever to be believed as being something of potential substance. Something other than a fantasy. That fuel is hope.

When I was a kid, I dreamed of being spiderman. That’s not the kind of dream I am writing about. Even my young mind knew there was no reason to believe or even dare to have hope that I would ever have spider powers. And I wasn’t eager to seek out a radioactive spider and let it bite me to test the theory either. Those kinds of dreams fall into the fantasy category and are a common playful escape from reality for children the world over.

I am talking about the kind of dreams that have the potential of becoming true. Perhaps a young child dreams of becoming a doctor one day because of a personal experience in which a doctor saved their young life. Or mended a broken arm; even something as simple as medicine for a cold that made them feel so much better. A significant, personal, influential moment in time.

These are the other kinds of dreams that children have about their future. About who and what they will become. But for millions of children, such dreams are as much a fantasy as my dream to become spiderman. In fact, I may have held out more hope of actually becoming the webslinger than many children in the world do, as they contemplate even surviving to become an adult.

Yes, in many parts of the world, the fuel that is hope is in short supply for a significant part of the citizenry. Particularly within the vast cultures of poverty that exists in much of the world, wherein there is little governmental social-infrastructure in place for those who suffer daily and struggle just to survive.

Hope, the fuel of dreams, is the component of the dream, that is grounded in some sort of reality. It is based upon evidence that such a dream could really come true. For children, that evidence is often the example of the achievement of their parents or other family members or peers within their community. But, in cultures of poverty such evidence is in short supply.

Many of the children are fatherless. No good example or evidence there. No hope there. Many have no mothers either. Again, no good example, evidence or hope. Those that do have mothers still live a life in which there is no reason to believe that even the next meal is assured, let alone the hope that something much better is headed their way, for their mothers suffer right along with them. Begging, stealing and digging through the trash for scraps to fill their distended bellies. When they lay their heads down on the cold, hard ground at night, there is little reason to hope. Little reason to dream.

Dreams never come true without action either. The dreamer must have the opportunity to act upon their dream. Then, based upon their own actions and blessed by their own hard work, and in some cases, even a bit of good fortune, dreams can and do come true. But the key word here is opportunity. We must have the opportunity to act before we can act. That is a simple truth. Those of us that are blessed to live in developed nations often squander many opportunities without even considering for a moment how precious they really are. And in the countries we work in and for the children we care for, those opportunities would be rare indeed if it were not for a single mitigating factor…you.

We, working together, are the ones acting on our compassion for these innocent children that are creating those opportunities. These opportunities could be easily divided into two categories.

The first category of opportunities requires little action on the part of these children, and is in fact the least that any human deserves. Within this category are: The opportunity to be safe. The opportunity to be healthy. The opportunity to be loved and cared for.

The second category of opportunities does require action on the part of the children as they grow, but is still the least any child deserves and is in fact a category of critical opportunities. One could even make the argument that without them, the first category will not be enough to sustain them in the long run. Not even close to enough. This category includes: The opportunity to know God and read His Word. To learn about His son and the steps to salvation. And the opportunity to have an education that allows them to break the cycle of poverty that has imprisoned their family for generations.

I’ll say it again. The opportunity to break the cycle of poverty that has imprisoned their family for generations.

For many years, we have worked hard to expand our programs to include an educational component that goes beyond basic education to the point where every child has an opportunity as a young adult to attend either college or a vocational program based upon their own achievements and capabilities. To facilitate this means an ever-growing and expanding program for educational opportunities for every age of child, from toddler to young adult.

One such opportunity is becoming a reality in a one-acre field in rural Kenya where cows and goats once roamed freely. Where the grass and weeds once grew, now there is a foundation. The beginnings of what will become the Coulter McCall Memorial School. It will initially be a school for the very young children in our programs there through Acts of Charity. Over time it will expand to provide education through the secondary grades. It will be the foundational learning component for children that will one day become eligible for Higher Learning in college or trade school. This school is only possible because of the loving parents of Coulter McCall and their gift in his honor; and their belief of the importance of education. This school will also provide daily Bible School for the children through teachers from the local Church of Christ.

Without it and the quality education it will provide, this rural area would struggle to provide a safe and adequate education for these young children. This is one end of the spectrum

In another field of dreams, on the same continent in Liberia, The David Board Memorial Vocational Training Center has entered its 3rd phase of construction. When it is finished, it will become an opportunity for young adults that struggled in school or had little to no formal education, to learn a trade so that they can support themselves and their family.

And in between, are our dozens of young adults attending college in several different countries. Future electricians, nurses, engineers, teachers, and social workers, just to name a few of the dreams that will come true in just a few, short years. These are young adults who would probably have not even survived without your help, let alone have become successful, educated professionals that will give back to their own community and the world as a whole. It’s truly amazing. All because you gave them hope. All because you gave them this opportunity and they took action. All because you showed God’s love in your actions.

But this is just the beginning. There are so many more dreams that need to be fulfilled. So much more hope to give and the resulting opportunities for the ‘least of these.” So many more opportunities for us to turn a field of dreams into reality. Whether it be a school we build, or just the simple dream of a life well lived in the mind and heart of an innocent young orphan, we can be a part of making that dream come true.