NEWS FEATURE: Music Project Benefits Honduran Orphans

c. 2000 Religion News Service ST. LOUIS _ More than a year ago, Steve Givens of St. Louis and his wife, Sue, attended a talk given by her cousin about an orphanage, school and medical clinic in Honduras. Sue’s cousin, Dr. John Geerling, had been volunteering at “The Farm of the Child” in Honduras and […]

c. 2000 Religion News Service

ST. LOUIS _ More than a year ago, Steve Givens of St. Louis and his wife, Sue, attended a talk given by her cousin about an orphanage, school and medical clinic in Honduras. Sue’s cousin, Dr. John Geerling, had been volunteering at “The Farm of the Child” in Honduras and he was back in St. Louis, looking for church support from his hometown.

“I just kind of walked away from that night wanting to do something,” Steve Givens said. So he did what he does best _ he made music.


The Farm of the Child is near Trujillo, Honduras. It’s staffed by volunteers and takes care of about two dozen orphans. The volunteers also run a school for about 50 students including the orphans and area children, and treat about 100 people a week in the health clinic.

Geerling’s aunt produced a video to help his fund-raising efforts and Givens got some of his musical friends together to write a song for the video.

Most people would think that’s enough: Givens gave a little of his money, time and talent.

But then Hurricane Mitch blew through Honduras and hit the already struggling Farm hard.

“From there I kind of just sat up in bed one morning and thought I still want to do something more,” Givens said. So he called his musical friends together again to record a CD of original music and sell it to raise money for the children on the Farm.

Givens is the assistant to the chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis. His friend, Barry LaFond, is a former aerospace engineer who recently became a software consultant. Day jobs aside, these guys love to make music.

They play in a band called Ephphatha, which had run a coffeehouse at a St. Louis church for 10 years.

Givens works with three Christian music groups. Collectively the groups make up Potter’s Mark Music, an independent co-op of friends who explain that they’re part-time Christian artists with “full-time desires to create music that reflects the glory of the original Creator of all.” Givens felt a CD could feature all the Potter’s Mark artists’ talents and at the same time help the orphans.


“I don’t know if it’s the best way (to help), but I guess it’s what we do,” Givens said. “It’s just responding where you see a need and using the gifts you have.”

LaFond loved the idea. He felt it was a way to reach two groups of people. “We can do something personal and touch not only the lives of the children that we’re raising the money for, but also the people who buy the CD and listen to it,” he explained.

Givens sold 150 copies of the CD before it was even produced, plus he collected donations. With donated and low-cost studio time and reduced engineering rates, the whole CD of 13 original acoustic Christian songs, titled “Seed & Sower,” came in for about $5,000 and was paid for before the final project was delivered. That meant every penny from every CD sold could help the children.

To date, “Seed & Sower” has raised more than $6,000 for “The Farm of the Child.” And the musicians have sold them only by word of mouth, to friends, and at occasional gigs one of the bands plays.

“I know that’s not a lot of money to some organizations,” Givens said. “But it means a lot to a small place like the Farm, and doing something small is better than throwing up your hands and saying, `I can’t make a difference.’ Anyone can make a difference if they want to put out the effort.”

“It’s $6,000 I didn’t have in my pocket to give them,” LaFond said. “But I could give something and that’s the music. I’d do it again tomorrow and write some more songs.”


Six thousand dollars goes a long way in Honduras. The Farm’s secretary, Terry Werner, puts it into perspective. “The total cost of raising an orphan is about $50 a month between housing and schooling,” Werner said. So the CD’s current earnings will help all of the Farm’s children for at least five months.

“I thought it was wonderful and for me it was a surprise,” Werner said. “When we saw the final product, I think everybody was pretty speechless because it was done so well.”

“I think the idea of being able to work with one little agency that was serving about two dozen kids was really appealing. Like you knew the money was just going to go there and make a difference and not get lost in the shuffle,” Givens said.

The CD has a folk music feel to it and, with the exception of the title track, the songs are not about the orphans but about everyday life. Werner reports the children at the Farm get a kick out of listening to the CD.

The plan is to make “Seed & Sower” available through a Christian music Web site called Apostlemusic.com. The CD costs $15 and it is possible for people to sample the music on this site.

“Continuing with our music is a ministry in a lot of ways,” LaFond said. “This project was just part of that journey.”


DEA END WICAI

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