Coleman Jones stands next to the items he and his troop collected for orphans in Guatemala. (Orphan Outreach photo)

USA (MNN) -- To obtain his Star Rank, Boy Scout Coleman Jones needed to find a leadership service project--and he wanted to find something that would help orphans.

So with the suggestion of his aunt, Jones decided to collect items for the orphans of Ceracaif Orphanage in Guatemala through Orphan Outreach. He then put together a picture box of some of the orphans so his fellow scouts, Troop 72 in Dallas, Texas, could see who they were helping.

When the Scout troop heard about these kids without families and the love and support they knew, the troop enthusiastically agreed to bring in donations. Because of Jones' diligence to the cause, the response was amazing. Toothbrushes, t-shirts, shampoo and socks poured in, filling and overflowing three large boxes over the next three troop meetings.

Additionally, the troop raised $500, and they did not receive any service-hour credits for doing so but gave voluntarily and anonymously. Now, most of the items are at the orphanage, supplying the kids there with much-needed basics.

Through these donations, the troop also demonstrated the love of Christ to kids their age an ocean away. In their actions, they followed Paul's instructions to Timothy: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12).

Organize your own collection drive by visiting the Orphan Outreach Web site and impact other orphans and vulnerable children around the world.

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Thousands of houses collapsed as a result of the January 12 earthquake. (EFCA photo)

Haiti (MNN) -- Just after the five month anniversary of the earthquake that killed 300,000, Haiti is still struggling to come back to life.

The picture of reconstruction in Haiti is not what many might envision. Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless, surviving on limited resources under worn tents, yet Evangelical Free Church missionary Wesley Armstrong says their main focus is not to build permanent housing yet.

"Given the number of people right now who literally have only a tarp and a stick that holds it up for shelter, it just doesn't seem like it's a time to invest in permanent housing for a select few when there are still so many people in a lot more urgent need than that," says Armstrong. He is taking on the heavy task of building transitional homes while working on several other projects.

Transitional housing is a quicker solution than building permanent homes, but that's not the only reason the EFCA has chosen to focus their attention there. Housing that may look temporary to the non-Haitian eye may very well fit the current needs of the Haitians. Armstrong says the trauma experienced by many during the quake will likely keep them from ever living under what Westerners may consider to be normal housing conditions again.

"There is still a lot of fear and a lot of uncertainty," says Armstrong. "People aren't wanting to go back into homes that have concrete roofs on them anymore. So simpler structures, lighter structures, single story structures seem to be, at least with this generation, all they're really interested in living in again."

Throughout the last five months, many have criticized that it is taking too long to reconstruct. Contrary to what many onlookers have said, however, Armstrong says progress is being made.

"There is a difference now from the beginning. There's still devastation everywhere, but you can see some pretty marked changes." Armstrong says rubble has been removed to make streets drivable again, and some schools and homes have gone up.

Even better news, the church appears healthier than ever, raising up leaders who are genuinely excited to set an example and reach out to a still-weary Haiti.

Still, thousands of those weary Haitians remain sitting under tarps while heavy rains come and hurricane season heats up. Armstrong says it's "really difficult and frustrating" to know that when the rain pours hard in Haiti, thousands still have insufficient shelter to deal with it. Armstrong and his team are working as hard as they can to provide adequate shelter quickly.

Pray that the resources would be available to build transitional homes quickly so that Haitians can get out of the rain and back into some semblance of normalcy. Armstrong says they're working alongside Haitians to rebuild, which will help eliminate the risk of dependency in the future.

Short-term teams who are prepared to work in these conditions would be very helpful in the rebuilding process. If you or a group from your church would be willing to help in this way, click here and contact the EFCA's TouchGlobal Crisis Response.

In the meantime, don't forget to pray for the church in Haiti.

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World Hope is collaborating with Sierra Leone's government to create new business venues and jump-start the country's economy. (Word Hope photo)

Sierra Leone (MNN) -- Around the world, the poorest of poor countries have struggling, isolated economies--much like that of Sierra Leone, which is crippled and hindered from developing by weak infrastructure and corruption.

That's why World Hope International created FIRST STEP to "help jump-start the economies of the poorest and most isolated developing economies through public-private partnerships that attract labor intensive, export processing industry to those countries while building the capacity of local institutions to provide services that enhance the developmental impact of the industry and safeguard labor rights and environmental protections," according to their Web site.

Richard Schroeder of WHI puts it in simpler terms: "We have established an agreement with the government of Sierra Leone to build what is technically called a special economic zone, but basically it is an industrial park."

Other than natural resources, Sierra Leone has very few exports, and the ones they do have are immediately shipped out of the country and processed elsewhere. In this industrial park, World Hope is helping workers make fruit juice from the abundance of Sierra Leone's fruit, much of which rots before being eaten. Once the juice is processed and packaged, it will be exported around the world, creating new revenue streams and job opportunities for the floundering country.

World Hope's strong relationship with Sierra Leone's government makes FIRST STEP and these exports possible: "World Hope International is a Christian NGO, and Sierra Leone is largely a Muslim country. They recognize our identity, and they're just happy to work with us," Schroeder said. This relationship has been formed over years of gaining the government's trust, as WHI worked in the country providing humanitarian aid.

This also presents a wonderful opportunity to share the message of Christ with Sierra Leone. They will do so with an emphasis on business as mission, while also continuing the work they already have in the country, such as healthcare, education, rural development and micro-loans. Schroeder said, "It's kind of a marriage of the hard-nosed business investment and the softer humanitarian programming that NGOs do."

Sierra Leone's not the only country WHI would like to help. Through cultivating relationships with other governments, World Hope wants to reach out to Sierra Leone's neighbors and around the world. Additionally, WHI is willing to share the FIRST STEP model with other NGOs, which already have established relationships in specific countries.

Now, World Hope needs people with business backgrounds to contribute to the work ahead, as well as generous donors to provide the finances that make this venture possible.

Click here to get involved today.

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Dave, Carnsey and Sav are preparing for "The 2000 Walk" to raise awareness of the 2000 languages still without Bible translations. (The 2000 Walk photo)

Australia (MNN) -- Did you know there are 2000 languages around the world still without Bible translations? And these languages represent 350 million people.

Australians Dave, Carnsey and Sav have polled over 1400 people, asking them this question, and 66 percent of respondents did not know there is still that much translation work to be done globally.

So, the three mates want to do something to raise awareness and support for the work yet to be completed. Beginning August 25 and continuing for 80 days until November 11, the trio is partnering with Operation Mobilization and Wycliffe Bible Translators for The 2000 Walk. They will walk 2000 km (1242.7 mi) -- one kilometer for every language.

Calculating for rest days, the three will walk an average of 30 km (18.6 mi) each day, with evening meetings at local churches and town halls every other day.

While Dave, Carnsey and Sav realize the Walk will be a long, strenuous journey, they know the same is true of the translation still to be done. Sav said, "It doesn't seem fair that we have not only one but dozens of t versions of the Bible in English. Yet there are millions of people in the world, representing 2000 distinct languages, who don't have a single verse of God's Word in a language they can understand."

Visit the2000walk.com to follow the progress of Dave, Carnsey and Sav. There, you can also prayerfully adopt a language or donate to a specific project.

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