During a time of prayer and fasting for our trip to the Philippines in 2008, God laid a vision upon my heart on how we could financially help support the orphans. He led me to take the coins my wife and I had been saving for a dream trip to Italy. We had a water jug which was about a 1/3 of the way full ($200 – $300) which would have made it to a nice Italian restaurant, but not to Italy! I felt like God wanted me to use the symbol of a “Penny” to earmark the ministry. I still didn’t know why a penny, but I obeyed. He then gave me a scripture:

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Hosea 14:3 (NASB)….”For in You the orphan finds mercy”.

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Mark (CMC Missions Pastor) and I have been to several countries such as Brazil, Haiti, Mexico, Peru, Romania, and the U.S. On these trips we’ve ministered to orphans and encouraged local pastors and their churches to reach out to the orphans in their cities.

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However, it was after our trip to the Philippines that this vision became a significant burden to us. We knew we had to join God in helping His children. The orphans we encountered were being sold for immorality; they were neglected, abused and abandoned. Many of them were starving, poorly clothed and filthy. They were living on the streets or in garbage bins, some of them did have a home, but it was filled with alcoholic parents who abused them or forced them to do despicable things. We could barely stomach what we saw. The burden was so strong on our hearts that it took me weeks before I could share what we saw with the church.

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When we returned from the Philippines, I approached Mark with this burden I had for orphans. He surprised me by saying he had heard the same thing from the Lord. He also told me that the Lord told him to……Pick up pennies as you see them and collect them – for each penny represents an orphan. Pennies are discarded as worthless; they are thrown aside and walked over just like the orphans on the streets. Nobody wants them, but I want them!

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That was the confirmation I needed in using the penny as a symbol for this ministry. A penny is used as a reminder that every time we picked one up it represents an orphan and we are to pray for them. Since then we have collected over $22,000. This money has helped Orphans in: Colombia, Haiti, Italy, Mozambique, Philippines, Romania, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Ukraine, Kenya and the U.S.

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Every penny that we collect at Operation Pennies for Orphans goes to supporting these orphans. Our goal is to see every church start a “Pennies for Orphans” fund. To find out more information on how your church can begin, please contact our church office.

 

Grace and Mercy,

Pastor Victor Sorrentino

Cornerstone Mission Church