$100
In todays society of big ticket purchases it doesn’t always seem like much, so what can $100 buy you? Well, lets see….
4 haircuts
2.5 tanks of gas
40 pairs of Old Navy flip flops
20 pints of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream
10 decorative pillows
1 suitcase
20 Starbucks frapaccinos
1/5 of an Ipad
200 packages of Crayola crayons
But these purchases all have one thing in common, they’re temporary. Gas runs out, hair grows, flip flops break and caffeine highs wear off, these are just facts of life, but what if $100 could do something so much greater? Something that doesn’t deliver temporary satisfaction but instead has an eternal pay off?
Nearly a year ago, during my third month of the World Race I had the privilege to partner with Hospitals of Hope, a rural Bolivian hospital near Cochabamba, a city in the Andes Mountains of western Bolivia. Bolivia is considered the poorest country in South America, and with more than 80% of the children there living in poverty help is needed in every way imaginable, and that’s where Hospitals of Hope steps in, being able to meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of Cochabambas rural poor.
During my month spent with Hospitals of Hope God began to do a great work in me. Beginning the race I doubted I would find a country I could love as much as Thailand but Bolivia surprised me with an instant connection. I loved the ministry, I loved the people, I loved the city, I loved it all.
As the month went on and my teammates began to count down the days until we headed out to our next country and our next continent I began to mourn leavening, tears flowing from my eyes the morning of our departure.
As the race continued on I couldn’t get Bolivia and Hospitals of Hope out of my mind. As the months went by I prayed consistently for God to show me what his plans were for me after the race, what I should pursue with my life, and finally the confirmation came during a long bus ride in my beloved Thailand. God told me that he had given me a heart and passion for Bolivia and Hospitals of Hope for a reason, and that’s where he wants me to spend my next season.
So, in mid-September I will be moving to Cochabamba to begin serving as a long term volunteer with Hospitals of Hope. I will spend the mornings running the hospitals coffee shop, Cafe Xelda, which reaches out to the local community, giving patients free coffee or tea, as well as allowing opportunities for prayer and relationship building with the patients and medical students. Then, in the afternoons I will be journeying out into the greater Cochabamba community to help with clinics, at orphanages and to assist Hospitals of Hope volunteers in several other ministries.
I will stay in this role for at least a year, and then after that time I will reassess as to whether God wants me to continue building a life and ministry in Cochabamba or if he would like me to serve him elsewhere. I don’t even attempt to make plans anymore, I know he will show me what he wants in his timing, but between you and me, I think I could be in Bolivia for quite a while.
Now here’s the good stuff, what $100 can really do…
God has given me the passion to be his hands in the world, to go out and really try to change things, but my task is impossible without “senders,” people who are willing to partner with me on the home-front to make sure this opportunity for change really happens.
I need to have $7,500 raised or pledged by my departure day. If I don’t have this amount raised by mid-september my departure date will get pushed back, subsequently forcing my ministry to be put on hold.
With every dollar raised I am one step closer to bringing the passions God has given me to Bolivia and one step closer to being a light in this lost place.
This is a situation where $100 can really make a difference. If 75 people supported me with $100 I would be fully funded. If 10 people pledged to support me with $75/month for 10 months, I would be fully funded, or if 75 people pledged to support me with $10/month for 10 months I would be fully funded.
It may mean sacrifice, but that temporary sacrifice has potential to do big things, the potential to change lives forever.
If you would like to support me you can do so in a couple of ways,
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You can send cash or checks to:
Hospitals of Hope
3545 N Santa Fe
Wichita, KS 67219
Please make checks out to Hospitals of Hope. IMPORTANT! Do not write my name anywhere on the check, instead, include a slip of paper with my name on it in the envelope with the check or cash (i.e. For Amanda Dorough)
You can also donate online using a card here www.hospitalsofhope.org/donate (Please specify that the donation is for Amanda Dorough), however if you do use a card there is a 2.2% fee that will come out of the donation.
If you would like to support me monthly (i.e $10/month, $20/month etc.) then please email [email protected] and he will set you up!
All donations given directly to Hospitals of Hope are Tax Deductible.
If you would prefer instead to send your donation directly to me you can mail your donation to:
Amanda Dorough
attn: Bolivia
2212 165th Ave Ct E
Lake Tapps, WA 98391
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I you have any questions or would like to learn more about my ministry in Bolivia feel free to email me at [email protected]
And feel free to follow my life in Bolivia on my new blog http://amandadorough.com and click subscribe on the lower right hand side.
Thank you and God Bless!
Clockwise: The road in front of the HOH hospital outside of Cochabamba (hospital on right); Inside the Emergency Room; Teaching english at Cafe Xelda; Hanging out in the Pediatric Unit with Moviemento Sonrisas
Hanging out with some kids in the village the Hospital is located in.
