One Stranger. 30,000 Children 💚

Last year, I was flying from Uganda to Kenya with two friends—Paddy Brady of H2O Malawi and Jason Miller of The Bucket Ministry.

It was a short, two-hour flight, but the conversation was anything but light. We were locked in a passionate debate about the Irish film The Banshees of Inisherin.

Paddy, being Irish, staunchly defended the movie. Jason and I? We were baffled by it.

A man cutting off his own fingers to settle a grudge? It made no sense to us. Paddy accused us of lacking cultural nuance.

Somewhere during this debate, a woman seated behind us chimed in, agreeing with us. But Paddy would not be moved.

Later, as we got off the plane a gentleman introduced himself to us. His name was RJ Johnson — President of the Children’s World Hunger Fund

www.theworldorphanfund.org.

👀 Now, if you know me, you know I don’t treat chance encounters casually. Two questions always come to mind:

- God what do you what me to know?

Followed soon enough by:

- God what do you want me to do?

RJ handed me his card. And that conversation—sparked by a raucous movie debate—set off a chain of events that continues to ripple out in remarkable ways.

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So What Came From That “Random” meeting.

1. A $50,000 Grant to Ethiopia

In an earlier journal, I wrote about how the National Portable Storage Association awarded a $50,000 grant to A Hope For Children in Ethiopia. That opportunity? It came directly from RJ’s endorsement of the organization. Without that introduction, it may not have happened.

2. A Life-Changing Collaboration

I have a friend in Phoenix, Dr. Diane Matsumoto—a pediatrician with a deep passion for serving medically underserved women and children. She leads The Butterfly Collaborative, a ministry committed to holistic care and outreach.

Earlier this year, after a sudden cut in USAID funding, Diane and I spoke about her concerns. I thought of RJ and his organization. A few months later, I received this note from her:

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“I recently realized I never thanked you for the connection to World Orphan Fund and RJ. They have been such a blessing for us. 

Today we are doing a collaborative project with them in Ukraine. RJ and Bobbie (our trauma therapist) are on the ground doing trauma recovery treatment for Ukrainian therapists taking care of war victims . They are currently on the ground in Ukraine and could use prayers for safety. 

Rj’s team has helped us start 10 feeding programs in Malawi, buy a Landrover for medical outreach and employ Bobbie. 

Our team is signing MOUs with Malawi Ministry of Health, Medical School, and Love Justice.

We are currently running vaccine, malaria, malnutrition, HIV, Human trafficking treatment and cervical cancer screening programs for 30,000 orphans, vulnerable children and women all in the name of Christ.”

💡 Small Spark, Big Flame

I’m struck—again—by how a seemingly casual introduction or word of support can turn into something that genuinely impacts lives.

It’s humbling. It’s challenging. And it’s a reminder: never underestimate the power of a conversation, a card, a question, or even a disagreement about a strange Irish film.

In a world chasing grand gestures, sometimes it’s the quiet introductions that do the most good.

My prayer is that you enjoyed this and are challenged to be more generous. And I would appreciate it if you would share this post with friends. 

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