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It has always been my dream to see my children minister alongside me. This month part of that dream was fulfilled when my oldest son, Shane, joined with me to minister in Nepal. He has been helping us to organize the children's home and has done a tremendous job. His account of his first visit there follows.

I have been working on the Bhaktapur Children's Home project for just over one year now. I have written profiles on each child and have seen their many pictures in my email. I began to feel as if all fourteen children were my own, but I had never seen them in person. I was so fortunate to be able to travel to Nepal and visit with them.

As I walked to the front gate of the children's home, I became anxious in finally being able to meet them. Words could not express the feelings of seeing their faces. I knew all of them by name and the stories of every child. I made my way down a line they had formed and looked into each face as I greeted them. One of them placed the customary scarf around my neck. I began to think of the lives they had come from. Had they not been rescued, some of them would still be on the streets foraging for food, sniffing glue, or prostituting themselves just to survive. The smiles on their faces now told a different story. A story of hope. A story with a happy ending. Each one of these precious children now had the love of Jesus in their hearts, the friendship of brothers and sisters, and the care of a mother and father.

My deepest thanks to all of you who have helped in some way, great or small. When I greeted each child, you were with me. Thank you for helping to change their little lives.

Rick & Shane