Bold As Love Profile: LUO (and Jess Mulvaney)

Bold As Love is Element's missional budgeting initiative, which stipulates that 60% of all money given to Element goes back out the door to our neighbors in need, near and far.

Each Sunday evening during the announcement time for the next few weeks, I will be highlighting the different recipients of Bold As Love funds designated for our first quarter. I have already profiled Cottage Cove, and last weekend at Element we profiled a foreign missions agency called LUO.

15% of Element offerings at this time are going toward the sending of our very own Jess Mulvaney* on a LUO-orchestrated trip to aid the poverty-stricken in South Africa. Here, from Jess's own blog, are the details:

Luo - (v) to set free.

Luo is a Greek word. It is also the name of a non-profit organization that I was introduced to last spring at Orange Conference. Luo exists to improve the lives of impoverished children and set them free from the bondage of poverty. They are dedicated to promoting economic sustainability and improving quality of life through: Biblical and academic education, financial support, medical care and nutrition.

The goal of LUO is to partner with locally-based agencies in impoverished countries that have first-hand knowledge of the needs and the culture. By providing resources to these local organizations, they hope to empower them to effectively provide needed services to the children in their communities . . .

When I learned of Luo's work at Ithemba, a day center for orphans in Jeffery's Bay, South Africa, our family began sponsoring this little boy from Jeffery's Bay, South Africa for the year.

I am so excited that in November (7th-17th) I will be going with Luo on a missions trip to Ithemba. We'll be working with the kids there, as well as spending some time with the local church that Luo is partnering with. If Luo is able to raise the needed funds before our trip, we may even be able to begin construction work on the orphanage. They plan to expand the orphanage to have room for sleeping quarters. Right now these sweet kiddos are sleeping in the streets.

If you would like to be a part of helping these children in South Africa, you can support my trip financially. I need to raise $3000 by Oct. 15. All gifts can be sent directly to LUO Inc. 729 Princeton Mill Run Marietta, GA 30068. Please put "Jess Mulvaney" in the subject line of the check. All donations and trip support is tax deductible. You will receive a receipt for any gifts. You can also support Luo in general using this same address or through their website.

Element is proud to support one of our community members as she obeys the Great Commission. Not only do we get to fulfill the purpose of the Bold As Love Initiative, we also get to, in a more short-term way, fulfill one of our vision goals of sending out Element missionaries.

This is just the first step. As many of our folks feel God's call to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, and as Element grows, we hope to someday send and support a full-time missionaries.

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