For one couple, giving to those in need changed not only their lives but also the makeup of their family—and the course of their ministry. In August 1989, missionaries Charlie and Cathy Milbrodt heard of twin-boy infants who had miraculously escaped death. After traveling deep into the jungle of the Golden Triangle region of Thailand, they purchased the boys—who weighed 4 and 5 pounds and were filled with infection—for a mere $4. 

The Milbrodts set out in search of a home for the babies but soon realized that God’s plan for them was to raise the boys and start a children’s home for other unwanted young people. It wasn’t long after the twins’ birth that the Milbrodts launched Abundant Life Children’s Home, which after 20 years is still providing clothing, food, shelter, medical support and an education to the “unloved” children of Thailand. The Milbrodt twins, now in college, have plans to graduate school and return to Thailand to help their parents with the ministry. 

Chris Young’s trailer was in disrepair before heavy rains saturated Windsor, N.C., in September. So when the river near his trailer overflowed into his home, his only source of shelter became completely unlivable—until Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief team stepped in to help with repairs. The Red Cross also contributed by donating enough money to buy Young (pictured left) and his family a new bed, microwave, space heater and linens. 

Seeing the change in Young was remarkable, says Todd Taylor, who headed the compassionate effort in Windsor. “When he came in Friday morning he was weeping and very emotional. He did not have a place to stay and [had] no hope. Chris knows the Lord, and as we discussed what we could do, all he would say was he knew the Lord would make a way. He is so excited and his faith in the Lord’s provision is so incredibly strong and unwavering [now].”

From the first grade, Marida Lopez was taught to believe that a woman’s only lot in life is to have children and care for her family. But something in Lopez (pictured above) yearned to do more, though she didn’t know how to accomplish it. 

Since her first year of school, Lopez has been sponsored by the missions and relief ministry Food for the Hungry. Her sponsor, in addition to financially supporting her, would visit her and share Christ with her. “I became more confident about my uniqueness and what God could do through me,” Lopez says. 

Food for the Hungry has helped Lopez complete middle school and eventually become the first person in her family to finish high school. She is now a bilingual teacher of Spanish and Pokomchi, her native language. “I am very happy because I have accomplished something that I knew God had planned for me. But I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of Brad Titus, my sponsor. I have a lot of gratitude and respect for him. Because of his love and generosity, I too can be an example of courage and hope to many young people in my community.”

For 10-year-old Alex Chipilipili, walking barefoot meant more than just having dirty feet at night. For someone who’d never worn a pair of shoes until recently, it meant having sores and incessant itching caused by blood-sucking parasites that found a breeding ground in the cracks of his heels and between his toes. “I have been bothering my parents to [see] if they could buy me shoes, but they tell me that they don’t have money,” Alex says. 

But one gift to World Vision, a partner of TOMS shoes, changed everything for Alex; his mother, Mary Chipilipili; and his brother after they each received a new pair of shoes. 

“It is shameful and heartbreaking to fail to provide for children when they ask for something,” Mary says. “I am really humbled, and today I will sleep with a free mind and joyful heart.”

Almost everyone loves a good cup of Joe. But not every coffee company promotes love with each bean. The Atlanta–based Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee (LTHC) is not just in the business of producing high-quality java, but also using their brew to bring justice in the name of Christ to Rwanda, where they grow their beans. 

“God calls us to engage the good news of the gospel through both word and deed,“ owner Jonathan Golden says. “Eighty percent of the coffee Christians drink at home and at church exploits the people who grow it. We should choose to brew a coffee that matches the message we preach.”

Through a partnership with farmers affected by the Rwandan genocide of 1994, LTHC participates in “community trade”—paying above-market wages to workers—in an industry where exploitation is common practice in certain places. They also provide microfinance loans to Rwandans, and they build sustenance farms for the region’s malnourished orphans. All their beans are grown 100 percent naturally. For this company, coffee isn’t just a drink, it’s a symbol of community, healing and justice. 

Many Christian groups make it their business to try to cure spiritual blindness. But Eyes of Faith Optical in West Middlesex, Pa., seeks to address spiritual blindness by helping people with their physical eyesight first. 

The organization is the first faith-based company to be members of the Opticians Association of America. But their greatest accolade as a company is that they have pledged 10 percent of their gross revenue to children’s charities. They have also partnered with Restoring
 to give one pair of free reading glasses to faith-
oriented mission groups for every pair sold through their partners. 

“There are so many people in developing countries that can’t work or read because they simply can’t see,” says co-founder Jim Schneider. “We can change many lives by giving the gift of sight with Eyes of Faith.” 

Say What?!

 “This tattoo symbolizes my lifelong commitment to Christ and to give back to the community.”

—Kyle Steven Bonenberger, lead pastor of City Church in Anaheim, Calif., who was among six congregants to have variations of the City church logo tattooed on their arms, shoulders or feet to celebrate the church’s one-year anniversary. the tattoos are an outward statement of their ongoing commitment to their community and church, which has had hundreds of salvations its first year.

Jeff Nene has been seeing a lot of familiar faces at Convoy of Hope events this year—and that concerns him. People who volunteered last year are now standing in line to receive the groceries and other goods the Assemblies of God ministry distributes annually in 50 cities nationwide. 

“We see the face of the poor changing,” says Nene, Convoy of Hope’s senior director of communications and technology. Whether the nation is in a recession, depression or double-dip recession, “The fact of the matter is the number of the poor—people living in poverty—is increasing.”

The trend isn’t unique to Convoy of Hope. The number of Americans in need of emergency food assistance grew from 21.4 million in 1997 to 37 million last year, and the number of “food insecure” rose 36 percent since 2009 to 49 million Americans, according to Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest), the nation’s largest network of food banks. A recent Census report shows 14 percent of Americans are living in poverty, up 1 percent over the previous year. 

Homeless shelters tell a similar story as the number of those needing assistance has doubled, or even quadrupled in some places. Many of the clients are newly homeless after losing their jobs and their homes in foreclosure. 

Despite overall declines in charitable giving, Nene says Convoy of Hope is finding that many Americans are willing to give sacrificially to help the poor. “It never ceases to amaze me how the people in this country will support those that are hurting, those that are suffering.” 

To help us celebrate the most wonderful time of year, Charisma asked several artists to share a favorite Christmas memory or tradition. From Dec. 20-24, each day we will feature two artists who shared their thoughts with us.

From all of us at Charisma, Merry Christmas!

Two of my favorite traditions during the Christmas season are to attend candlelight services at church and to drive around and look at the Christmas lights in the community. —Mark Lee of Third Day

The smell of baking in my grandma’s house. Little squares of individually wrapped Cadbury chocolates. Country walks looking for holly growing wild in the hedges. The electricity in the air on Christmas Eve. Roaring fires and fairy lights. Raucous laughter. Longed-for-presents played with over and over again. The feeling of belonging to the best family in the world … and the wonder of knowing we get to do it all again next year! —Kathryn Scott

For exclusive videos, podcasts and songs, check out this month’s digital edition of Charisma magazine at   

This month’s bible study  |  Read Zechariah 9-11, Matthew 21:1-5

Jesus illustrated His humility when He chose the lowly donkey as His servant

When we think about the biblical story of Christmas, what often comes to mind are mangers, wise men, angels, shepherds and stars. But we don’t often think about donkeys. 

Donkeys are small, unglamorous beasts of burden. While they’re useful for such things as bearing firewood, hauling produce to market or pulling up roots and stumps, they aren’t animals that we associate with pedigree or status. You’ve probably never heard someone say, “What a beautiful donkey you have!”

However, the lowly donkey has served well the King of all creation. It played a key role in not only the Christmas story but also other key events in the life of Jesus. The Gospel narratives do not specifically say Mary rode on a donkey when she and Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a distance of about 80 miles (see Luke 2). But it is not likely that a young woman who was nine months pregnant would have walked that distance. 

It is also not likely that Joseph would have owned a cart or a horse, based on his economic status. We must therefore assume, like most Christmas artists, that Mary traveled by donkey. 

When Zechariah prophesied about the coming of Zion’s king, he said: “See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey” (Zech. 9:9, NIV). Most students of the Bible assume this points to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem—and this is valid—but it can also refer to His entry into Bethlehem while still in Mary’s womb.

The Fire Bible: Global Study Edition, in its note about Zechariah 9:9, says, “The coming of the King (Christ’s first coming) would be a great cause for rejoicing, not because of His royal splendor or conquering power, but because of His humility.” 

You can’t get more humble than being born in a stable surrounded by a donkey, and a few head of other livestock. But there was indeed rejoicing both by the angels on high and by shepherds below when Jesus came in the form of a man, as a baby, so He might be like us in every way. 

The next time we see Jesus with a donkey is in Matthew 21:6-11. Here, He enters Jerusalem in a manner similar to a conquering hero, returning triumphant to Rome. But, again, He did so in the most humble way—on a female donkey and the young colt she was training. 

He did not come on a noble steed or riding in a powerful chariot; He came in gentleness and peace. He came prepared to die that we may be forgiven of our sins and be re-established in a right relationship with the Father. 

At this Christmas season, think about the next time Jesus will appear. At that time He will come seated on a great white horse (see Rev. 19:11). He will come to put an end to all sin, suffering, sickness and sorrow. 

He came humbly to a stable, He entered Jerusalem humbly on a donkey—but He will return in victory! This Christmas remember to look not only back to Jesus’ birth but also forward to His soon return. 

Bill Wilson has spent the last 30 years taking Sunday school to inner-city kids

Bill Wilson has been thrown off a building, mugged and shot in the face. But none of that has stopped him from leading sidewalk Sunday school every week in New York’s inner city. 

As he marks 30 years of ministry this year, he says the thing that has kept him going is simply commitment. “It’s like anything else; it’s a decision,” Wilson says. 

Wilson leads the world’s largest Sunday school, reaching 40,000 kids each week through his Brooklyn-based Metro Ministries. His Sunday school materials are used around the world and have created a template for urban children’s outreach. 

Today it’s not uncommon to hear of ministries that host children’s church at housing projects and inner-city community centers. But back in 1980, many people thought Wilson was crazy. “The church … by and large had left the inner city for the suburbs,” he says. “The term that kept coming up was hopeless. I said: ‘These kids aren’t hopeless. They just don’t have any hope.’” 

Wilson has watched a generation of kids grow up and become ministers, husbands, wives and college graduates. Many have returned to serve at Metro. 

Though he preaches around the world, Wilson still drives Bus 3 every week and continues to live on the fourth floor of the warehouse where Metro Ministries is based. “It’s by being there, living there, driving the bus, spending the time, you build a respect, you earn a credibility that you don’t get just because you’re a preacher or a minister,” he says.

He worries sometimes that many Christians are still reluctant to get their hands dirty in ministry, though he is encouraged by younger believers who he says are willing to get spit on and “slapped around” to tell a child about Jesus. 

Even after 30 years, Wilson still gets into fights. “I’ve been stabbed a couple of times, had ribs broken, jaw broken,” he says. 

But he says he learned about ministry from Pentecostals who’d had relatives die on the mission field and understood sacrifice. “Somehow in our American mindset, we’ve lost that,” Wilson says. 

To support Metro Ministries’ Operation Holiday Hope, which provides gifts to needy children at Christmas, visit .