A Well In Memory of Josh

He was born with only a brain stem and the doctors said he would live only a few months. Joshua David Allen not only lived for months, he lived for years, almost seventeen of them. The Doctors said he couldn’t hear, but he could. They said he was blind, but he responded to movement.

Walter and Linda Allen with Josh Christmas 2000

Walter and Linda Allen brought Josh home as a baby and adopted him as one of their own. They, their family and nursing staff loved and cared for Josh until he graduated to glory on February 18, 2010.

 Memorial gifts given in Josh’s memory will now be used to give life in his death through a well to be drilled in Dono-Manga, Chad, in April. A plaque will be placed on this well so all who come to drink will be reminded of Josh and the importance of his life here on earth.

 What a fitting way to honor those in death who have meant so much to us through their life.

New Board Members At Hope Springs

Hope Springs is pleased to announce the appointment of two new board members: Phil and Kim Barnes. Phil is the senior minister for the Madison Church of Christ, in Madison, TN. He is a graduate of Harding University and received his master’s degree from David Lipscomb University.

Phil’s wife Kim has served as an assistant to the Development Officer for Friendship Christian Schools in Lebanon, TN and brings a wealth of clerical knowledge with her to Hope Springs. Both Phil and Kim love missions and are equally committed to expanding Hope Springs’ influence throughout Africa.

Madison Church Responds To “The Hole In Our Gospel”

Both campuses of the Madison Church of Christ took the month of February to read and share lessons based upon the life changing message of the recently published book, “The Hole in Our Gospel” by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision. During services on February 21^st worshippers at the main campus in Madison were given the opportunity to leave their seats and pass by a well model that had been constructed in the mall area of the building and drop in their change, dollars and checks to fund drilling wells in Ethiopia and Dono-Manga, Chad. Projects in both of these countries are sponsored by Healing Hands International and Hope Springs International.

 

On February 28^th, a similar scene took place at the Knox Doss Middle School in Hendersonville, TN, where the NorthField campus of the Madison church meets for worship. At the beginning of services children passed by a “Pack and Play” draped with a mosquito net. The children’s classes during the month of February were collecting their change to provide mosquito nets for children in the same countries where the wells would be drilled. Teens at both campuses were involved in raising money for bicycles to provide preachers transportation as they spread the message of Christ.

Both campuses gave a total of fifteen hundred pounds of coins along with thousands of dollars in cash and checks. Between the two campuses over $20,000 was given for wells, mosquito nets and bicycles.

The wells that will be made possible with this money will not change the world, but it will change the world for the people who are blessed by the clean water that will soon begin to flow.

If you or your congregation would like more information on how you can make a difference in a small part of a world filled with suffering, contact us. We have villages and small cites waiting for some one to say I can’t change the world, but I can change the world for someone.