True, the 40 members of our group seemed disparate. First Baptist Church of Zavalla sent 18 members on what Pastor Jacob Fitzgerald says is the first mission trip for the congregation in the church’s 100 years of existence. Joining them were three members of The Running Back, a contemporary Christian band based in Little Rock, Ark., and about 20 others from diverse areas, backgrounds, ages and ethnicities.

David is a businessman from Moline, Ill. Maurice is a minister from Chattanooga, Tenn. Carolina is a teacher who came from Phoenix. Lindsey and Lauren are both freshmen at Texas A&M who met for the first time on the trip. Likewise, Marjorie, who I had never met, lives a block from me in Arlington, Texas.

Our common denominator for the June 9-13 Shoes for Orphan Souls trip was, of course, shoes. Tennis shoes, dress shoes, casual shoes, red shoes, white shoes, cartoon-character shoes, flowery shoes. Hundreds of shoes collected by volunteers nationally and sent to the Buckner Humanitarian Aid Center in Dallas before being shipped to the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Despite the reason for the trip, we all discovered quickly that our time in the Valley was not about the shoes. It was about the children who received them. We worked and distributed the shoes among the children living in colonias, a border phenomenon that defines complete poverty, right here in our own country.

In a season where Buckner needs more shoes than ever before, I prayed that our efforts to place new shoes on little feet would reflect the life-changing message that goes with them – the message that someone cared.

Russ Dilday is director of public relations for Buckner International.

By Samantha Soto

It’s day five of the Peru trip and God is definitely at work.

The first children’s home we visited posed a little bit of a challenge. A lot of the kids there had special needs and I know that I was a little concerned that we’d have to change it up a bit to accommodate them. But, of course, everything went well. The gospel was shared and shoes were given.

This home had babies. I went in to visit them and picked up the most adorable little boy with big brown eyes and beautiful eyelashes. He must have been about a year old. I talked to him and he smiled. I carried him around for quite some time and then decided that I should probably head back outside. As I put him back in his crib, he started to cry. It broke my heart so I picked him back up. I hugged him, kissed his head and told him that I loved him, but God loves him even more. He smiled and giggled. I didn’t want to put him down. As I put him back in his crib, he started to cry, but I just walked out because I started crying too.

Samantha Soto plays with girls at an orphanage in Peru.

Even though we aren’t here very long, it makes a difference. Look around. It makes a difference.¨

The second home we went to had approximately 20-25 boys ages 10-16. They welcomed us with open arms as all the other kids have. I met the sweetest boy today. Since we had about a 1:1 ratio, I didn’t fit multiple boys for shoes, just one. After trying on a few pairs, we finally got a pair that fit him perfectly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile as big as his. He hugged me, said “Gracias” and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Then I tied his shoes and he hugged me again. When we left, he must have given my at least three more hugs as I was walking out.

Our presence here means the world to these kids. While I’m heartbroken and find it difficult to leave, I must remember the positive. I can still praise God that He is providing for them. I can praise Him for providing shelter, food, and shoes for them. I can praise Him for allowing us to spend time with these kids. I can praise Him for making it possible to share the gospel with them. I can praise Him for being more than enough. He is everything that they need. He is everything that we all need.

Click on the links below to learn more about how you can go on a Shoes for Orphan Souls mission trip to deliver shoes to orphans and vulnerable children in Romania, Mexico, Honduras or Ethiopia.

My heart was broken by the honesty had just encountered with a gorgeous 6-year-old girl.

Her name was Jennifer, and I had been talking to her while she was playing on the swing set, just after receiving her new pink shoes from Shoes for Orphan Souls. She was absolutely ecstatic when she saw that the shoes were pink and had been proudly displaying this new gift.

I asked her where she was from, and she told me a little town near Zacapa, and then I asked the question that will forever be imprinted on my heart. I asked her why she was in the orphanage and her response, “Porque mi madre no me quiere” which means, because my mother doesn’t want me.

It was like a knife to my heart. The way she stated the situation, so matter-of-factly, tore me to pieces. How could any child, let alone a 6-year old, deal with the realization that her mother doesn’t want her and gave her over to a government institution? Throughout my travels with Buckner, I have encountered immense sadness, devastation, and hurt, mostly involving teenagers in a similar situation. I was not, however, ready for this sweet, little girl to tell me the same scenario that I normally hear from a 15-year old.

That afternoon confirmed my calling to serve the children of God. My career is to serve orphans and vulnerable children around the world, starting by meeting their physical needs and then, sharing with them the glorious love of our Heavenly Father. I was able to share with little Jennifer, that her Creator will never leave nor forsake her and that He loves her, no matter what.

Through the work of Buckner, those in need across the globe are able to hear the good news of our Lord and Savior. There is no greater gift!

“…his name is the Lord – rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of the widows, is God in his holy dwelling” (Psalm 68:4-5).

Brynn Anderson, from Dallas, Texas, serves as coordinator for Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls.

By Andrew Crowson

Southern Ethiopia is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Banana trees, palms and ferns make this jungle region feel like a tropical oasis. The only thing more breathtaking than the beauty of the landscape is the poverty.

Our bus, which bore close resemblance to the “Mystery Machine” from Scooby-doo cartoons, was at least 20 years old. This steel cage took us on roads most people would only tempt with the latest in four-wheel-drive trucks. The driver, who we affectionately dubbed “Moe,” was ever-capable and knowledgeable of the roadways and dirt-pathways of rural Ethiopia. However, somewhere between Addis Ababa and Awassa, it appeared that neither Moe, nor our porters “Larry” and “Curly” knew where we were.

This situation would have been much funnier if it didn’t coincide with my first experience of the African version of nighttime. The darkness that envelops the African landscape at night is hard to explain. Envelops is the wrong word, though, suffocates is more apt. Nothing stands in the way of the black cloud of African night. It is the darkest place on Earth. If you put a blindfold on and then shoot out your circuit-breakers on a moonless night, you might come close to a normal evening on the Dark Continent. Eventually Larry, Curly, and Moe found their way to our hotel in Awassa.

The razor-wire surrounding the walls of the hotel in Awassa let me know what kind of neighborhood it was in. Most of Africa is in a bad neighborhood of one kind or another. Every time the Mystery Machine would roll into town in southern Ethiopia, it was surrounded by people. I worried these people would be disappointed when they found out the Beatles weren’t inside, but when we stepped off we were greeted as if we actually were John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

Arbe Gona and Bona were two towns we visited where we were the first group Buckner had ever sent. These people were so excited to see us it was almost overwhelming. Several times on our treks over dirt roads, the Mystery Machine would inexplicably have to stop in the middle of the road. Either it would break down or the truck following us would need a pit stop. We were never really told the reasons for these stops, but we didn’t worry. We knew Curly would take good care of us. When the Mystery Machine would stop, people would show up out of nowhere. Literally dozens of people would materialize around the bus mere seconds after it stopped. I don’t know where they came from, but they were always there to stare at the Americans.

These schools we visited are full of children. We put shoes on the feet of 800 kids in the three days we spent at the schools. Each pair of shoes was met by an ear-to-ear smile of a child who previously might have never known what a new pair of shoes looked like. In a country where the poverty is as asphyxiating as the injera bread, every kid needs all the help he or she can get. These orphans wouldn’t have a chance if someone didn’t give them one.

While some kids roam the streets of Addis Ababa begging for food, these kids are in schools breaking the cycle of poverty with education.

National schools teach high-school-age kids to become plumbers, carpenters and hairdressers, among other jobs, which are in high demand in a developing nation like Ethiopia. Buckner is changing the face of Ethiopia by equipping young people with the skills they need and with the unfailing love of Christ. Feeding, clothing, and equipping kids are what Buckner does as well as, if not better than, any organization out there.

(CLEVELAND, Ohio) — WCRF Radio conducted its fifth Shoes for Orphan Souls drive from June 15-Aug. 3, collecting more than 1,100 pairs during its July 31 drop-off day at Joe’s Fine Deli and Restaurant.

“It is the most they have ever raised in a single day,” said Rachel Garton, director of Shoes for Orphan Souls. “It’s exciting to see the program grow each year and to know that what they do means so much to children who have almost nothing.

“We had 432 participating radio stations this year, which is amazing. Shoes for Orphan Souls would not be able to do what it does without their help.”

Garton said the shoes collected by WCRF will go to orphan and needy children served by Buckner International in Latvia.

“I was touched by the commitment of everyone who was involved in the shoe drive,” she added. “Ed Zeager, the chef for Joe’s, took his vacation days so he could be focusing on shoes rather than food during the drop-off day.”

WCRF’s first shoe drive, held in 2004, benefited children in Romania. The next year, the shoes went to Guatemala and the last three years, the shoes have been collected for Latvian children.

“This year, we were authorized to hold back 10 percent of the shoes to give to inner-city ministry in Cleveland,” said Mark Zimmerman, WCRF Radio morning host who was on air asking listeners to make donations in one of the more than 25 drop-off locations.

Zimmerman said he has traveled twice with Buckner and is preparing to take a third trip this October. His 18-year-old daughter is currently serving as one of Buckner International’s interns in Peru.

“What I hope, when someone brings a pair of shoes, is that some day they will be like my daughter and take a trip because until you actually leave the United States and take a look at what poverty really is you can’t appreciate what we have,” Zimmerman said. “You can’t experience how much joy there is in the world that you don’t even know about. We may have all the money, but these folks have all the joy. I love going because I love experiencing that.”

To learn more abot taking a Shoes for Orphan Souls mission trip, contact Buckner Missions at 1-877-7ORPHAN or visit www.ItsYourMission.com.

(DALLAS, Texas) — Shoes for Orphan Souls is usually the first to tread on new soil for Buckner ministries. And whether shoes are used to spread the Gospel directly or indirectly, they always help get a foot in the door.

“Meeting people’s physical needs allows us to share the Gospel,” said Rachel Garton, director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. “And whoever delivers these shoes to our kids does it in the spirit of God’s love. The shoes are prayed for many times before they ever reach a child.”

Garton said SOS has allowed Buckner to establish relationships with many governments in countries around the world, building the framework for long-term support and a more committed form of evangelism.

“This is ideal in that we are able to make our evangelistic efforts a commitment rather than a one-time thing,” she said.

Garton recalled her meeting with the councilwoman to the president of Honduras:

“Her face lit up. I knew that by meeting one need for them, it allowed us to sit down and discuss with them further how we could help meet more needs for children in their country, which means we’d be able to have a number of developed ministries there that give us a chance to talk about God.”

Leslie Chace, director of ministry development for Buckner in Latin America, said that the first thing Buckner does when it enters a new country is send humanitarian aid and shoes.

“This immediately gives us a favorable introduction, as shoes are usually a huge necessity among children in third world countries,” Chace said.

“In Honduras, when we first walked into the Nueva Esperanza Home, we were surrounded by young children who were all barefoot. I thought that perhaps they were having a swimming activity but when I asked the director of the home, why the children were barefoot, she said, ‘They don’t have shoes.’

“Immediately Buckner put an order in to send 5,000 pairs of shoes so that the children living in the orphanages in Honduras could have shoes. Because of the lack of resources, shoes don’t seem to be a priority in these countries.

“Jesus gave us the example of his own ministry by supplying the physical needs of the people he was trying to reach. It’s a manifestation of the Lord’s love to give and it opens opportunities to bring them to receive Jesus.”

Garton said that it’s the ability to share the Gospel which makes Shoes for Orphan Souls different from other humanitarian aid organizations.

“The first thing every child will ask you is, ‘Will you remember me?’” Garton said. “That’s our opportunity to tell them that there’s always someone with them. That Jesus is with them always.”

Garton said 166,751 shoes were distributed in 2007 and 900 shoe drives have been held in 2008. Each of these shoes is an opportunity for a child to know the Gospel.

“We also encourage churches that raise shoes for us to keep some of the shoes they collect to use on their own evangelistic mission trips,” she said.

Shoes for Orphan Souls gives many of the shoes it collects to other Christian organizations who share the gospel in a very direct way. These organizations include Campus Crusade for Christ, Family Legacy, Convoy of Hope, Mercy Ships and Operation Care.

In 2009, Shoes for Orphan Souls will celebrate its 10th anniversary. More than 1.6 million pairs of shoes have been distributed to more than 60 countries to date.

For more information on donating a pair of shoes, going on a short-term shoe trip with Buckner or hosting a shoe drive, visit www.shoesfororphansouls.com or call 1-866-774-SHOE (7463).

Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls went from being a Dallas-based shoe drive in 1999, to expanding throughout the country.

Now, 10 years later, Buckner prepares to launch its first-ever international shoe drive.

“We have heard from numerous radio stations from other countries who want to conduct shoe drives to benefit children in their country,” said Rachel Garton, director of Shoes for Orphan Souls. “Reaching out to other countries will allow us to help encourage people around the world to help those within their own community.”

Last year, Shoes for Orphan Souls saw a number of triumphs. It was Christian radio K-LOVE’s ministry of the month in August, which meant that the Shoes for Orphan Souls message was broadcast throughout 400 stations in 44 states.

In October, Shoes for Orphan Souls conducted its first shoe trip to the colonias in El Paso, Texas and neighboring Juarez, Mexico, where 750 shoes were distributed by 24 volunteers to children in one of the poorest areas of the United States. Families living in colonias often have no running water or electricity.

2008 also saw the beginning of the Birthday Club, which makes it easy for children to collect shoes for children around the globe during their birthday parties. And the Greek Orthodox Church approved Shoes for Orphan Souls as a recommended service project of their women’s group — the Philoptochos Society.

In total, more than 390,000 shoes were distributed in 2008, Garton said, and she hopes to beat that amount in 2009.

“It was an amazing year,” she said. “But it is something difficult to report. There are big numbers and flashy new programs, but the point is that more children were served. It’s not the multitudes, but rather, the many individuals, each with a name and a dream for a better future, who now have a smile on their faces because someone loved them enough to give them a new pair of shoes.”

Sign up to host your own shoe drive today! Click here to learn more.

By Analiz González Schremmer
Buckner International

(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) — Without shoes, Mexican children can’t go to school.

Harvest Field Ministries knows that. That’s why they partner with Buckner International’s Shoes for Orphan Souls.

For the past four years, Harvest Field Ministries has distributed Shoes for Orphan Souls to indigenous and rural children in need of support in Mexico. Karen Klassen, co-founder of the ministry, said that when they first began serving, things were a lot worse than they are now.

“We had seen some Indians who cut tires in the shape of their feet,” Klassen said. “Then they would pull a piece of leather in between their toes and wind it around their legs until it got so bad it began to grow into the skin of their legs.”

Klassen, who is also a nurse, said that they once had to cut makeshift shoes off a child’s feet because they were bleeding. The foot had grown through and around the tire rubber, but the parents wanted her to go to school.

“We had to present them with new shoes before they would let go of what they had put on her feet and give the child anti-biotic medication for the infection.

“These shoes are a huge blessing. We take pictures of what we see. I sent (Buckner) some pictures, but a picture doesn’t do justice. You can’t see everything that’s happening around you. You can’t hear the noises or smell the smells or show the things the people are feeling.”

This year, Harvest Field Ministries distributed 583 pairs of Shoes for Orphan Souls and 121 pairs of socks in December 2008 and March 2009. Some of the shoes went to children living in an Aztec mountain village called Acachquatitla. Others went to children in the Harvest Field Sponsorship program.

You can also help Buckner put shoes in the feet of a child by making a $25 online donation that will pay for shoes, socks and shipment.

At first I thought the hardest thing was actually going to Vietnam. The trip was originally planned to go to China, and when we were re-routed for Vietnam due to a swine-flu fear in the other country, I felt rushed and not sure if I was spiritually ready to give my all to the Vietnamese people.

That feeling left as soon as we touched down in Ha Noi. The hardest thing was leaving Vietnam while knowing that the need is great and yet not knowing when I, or another group of Christians, would go back.

It was amazing to watch the children patiently, obediently wait to receive something of their very own, a gift, totally free. They did nothing to receive it besides just be themselves. It was such a joy. It mirrors our free gift of salvation that Christ offers to all. It is hard to explain in words what it was like to watch each child wait with hope and anticipation and then see their face light up when you bring the shoes and put them on their feet.

It’s better than a toy or candy. The shoes will last for a while and each step they take in them can remind them that they are loved, they are important, they are special, just because they are who they are.

I was able to learn so much on this trip. We were blessed with many people along the way who helped us learn the Vietnamese culture and this was a great help in knowing how to reach and to work with, play with, and love the children, elders, and teachers/directors.

This trip also opened my eyes to see a great need and how I personally may be able to do more for the people of Vietnam. I believe we were stretched and strengthened in many different ways, but especially learning how to show and live Christ without being able to say his name because it’s a communist country.

I strongly believe the people there knew there was something different about each one of us and I pray as other Christian groups visit Vietnam, we will see more and more hearts open to receiving the Word and this dark land will begin to shine brightly for Him. May we continue to remember the people of Vietnam and the government, that they will one day (hopefully soon) allow christians to share and teach about Christ. But until such time, let us serve faithfully and lovingly in obedience to the agreements that have been made with the Vietnamese government, so the doors and opportunities will remain open and increase.

Janet Gerow is from Orlando, Florida and traveled to Vietnam in September 2009 with the Shoes for Orphan Souls team to distribute shoes. Take a trip to deliver shoes with Buckner!