“If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him”

C.T. Studd, founder of WEC (1913)

Phyllis

This page gives a brief overview of the work of Rainbows of Hope International as an introduction to work in Spain. Rainbows Spain is a subdivision of Rainbows of Hope International which operates mainly in third world countries among children in crisis situations. Rainbows of Hope International has its own web site which you can view by clicking the appropriate link at the bottom of this page.

Worldwide

Across the world millions of  children in “crisis" are suffering pain and trauma as a result of events beyond their control.
 

These are events like war, abuse within their home environments, poverty, to be abandoned, AIDS, sexual exploitation, forced to live on the dangerous streets, long days of hard work in workshops or simply because they are a girl.

Gods plan

It is not God's desire that children should be so victimized. Rather, God intended the gift of childhood to be a special time for children: a brief period in their lives when they could be free of adult-sized responsibilities and problems. With this freedom, childhood could be focused on nurturing the children's God-given gifts and abilities. Children in crisis, however, are robbed of this special time.

• Home, along with parental love and nurture
• Innocence and self-respect
• Opportunities for education
• Security and a sense of safety
• Physical wholeness
• Identity, status, and self worth
• Belonging, leaving the children unattached
• The ability to trust
• Basis necessities such as food and hygiene
• Hope, often stated by the children as the most devastating loss.

These include the loss of:

Instead of enjoying experiences that help develop their God-given gifts and abilities, their childhood centers around experiences that result in tremendous loss.

Rainbows of Hope's Identity

Rainbows of Hope (ROH) is a specialized service ministry of WEC International serving WEC fields that desire to impact the lives of children in crisis/at risk for our Lord Jesus Christ.

ROH's main aim is to help WEC fields initiate and conduct a ministry to children at risk/children in crisis doing so in fellowship with all WEC leadership concerned and where possible, through the local church.

ROH is a networking ministry and is also available to help in the training of other organizations and mission agencies in setting up ministries for children in crisis according to its ability.

ROH's service consists of recruitment, training, prayer and assistance in project development.

Rainbows of Hope International Headquarters, located in Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA serves WEC missionaries who serve local churches/communities who serve children at risk/in crisis who then may serve other children at risk/in crisis.

Rainbows of Hope's Identity (continued)

The projects and the workers come under the authority of the WEC field/Sending Base or Supporting Sending Base of the country, local churches or other organizations.

ROH is a faith ministry and is developed according to the grace of God, however He provides personnel, finances and other resources.

Hope is the deepest need
of children
in this world.
The rainbow
symbolizes God’s promises
of mercy and hope for the future
as surely as He did for Noah

Ministry Development

ROH assists WEC missionaries and where possible local churches in ministering to children, restoring their losses, and sharing the gift of hope with children at risk/in crisis. We desire for ministries to be:

• holistic: ministering to body, soul and spirit
• church/community based
• easily reproducible
• reaching out to families
• reaching out to communities

Statement of Belief of ROH international

Rainbows of Hope affirms the beliefs that:

• every child is created in the image of God and, therefore, is a person of immense worth and significance, no matter what his or her racial, social or cultural context;
• children were important to Jesus' ministry and should be equally important to ours;
• ministry to children must include evangelism and discipleship;
• every child is endowed with God-given gifts and potential that need to be developed and celebrated in the church community;
• ministry to children is not just a means to an end but is rooted in our conviction that children are worthy of ministry;
• a parallel ministry to families is vital to prevent child abuse and provide healthy homes capable of spiritual nurture.

Read more about the description of children in crisis on the site of Rainbows of Hope International...

In Spain

In Spain the events leading to suffering pain and trauma take on other forms. While abuse in home situations en AIDS are wide spread there is an increase in problems caused by immigration from South-America, Eastern Europe and North and West  Africa. On the pages Spaininfo I - III you can read more about the situarion in Spain...

Spiritual need

The material need is not so obvious but the emotional and spiritual needs are very present. It remains a fact that every child without Christ is a child in crisis.

The children

In contemporary Spain, family conflicts  are on the increase, divorces escalate, resulting in an unfortunate number of family disturbances and domestic violence.
                       - Raul Garcia Perez -

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."                                 Jeremiah 29:11

Social intervention

In 1996 Phyllis Kilbourn, a missionary of World Evangelization for Christ (WEC), founded a new ministry of WEC International called Rainbows of Hope (ROH). This program of social intervention was a reaction to the devastating worldwide suffering of “children in crisis” all over the world.

Children in Crisis worldwide and in Spain

Other languages  >>

Hosted by >>