Bri K

The following is a letter from the founder of Open Arms Foundation as to their current situation. While we were there the director and other staff were haggling with the government seeking to get things figured out. I know they would appreciate your prayers!

Hello Everybody,

The Open Arms Foundation has been receiving subcontracted municipal funds for over four years. During this time we have been able to work in an amiable alliance. Recently, however, the group with whom we have been serving has been asking us to give up our children to be transferred to other programs throughout the city. These programs have little or poor supervision which allows the kids to use drugs and openly practice homosexuality. As you may recall earlier in the spring, they took our girls in the residential ministry, then they took six of our older boys in the past couple of months, and now they want seven more. Some of our kids have even ended up back on the streets after being taken away from our care.

There are currently many boys on our farm who are refusing to go to the municipal government program. The entity requesting the boys has not paid us for two months. Last week they informed us that they will no longer be funding our level one Patio day program downtown where we receive up to 30 children daily.

I believe that the Lord has given us a stern warning in Jeremiah 23:1 (ESV): “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.” Therefore, we are compelled by this scriptural mandate to inform the entity which has been removing the children from our care that we will no longer be contracting with them. During the Fall 2009 Board meeting, the Open Arms International Board of directors made the decision to not renew current contracts or make any new contracts with the Municipal Government, unless OAF is assured through a contract that the children will remain under our care until they reach the age of 18 or are able to be reconciled with their family of origin.

By saying “no” to the government contracts, OAF will suffer a monthly $15,000 – $16,000 loss of income. We will be forced to lay off 60%-70% of our staff which has worked with us faithfully for years. OAF could potentially incur a huge labor salary settlement debt because we are terminating workers before the end of their contracts and we are laying workers off who have several years with the foundation.

We believe very strongly that the Lord has given us the children and they are with us for the specific purpose to raise up our children in the Lord, just as Psalm 92:13 (NKJV) states: “Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.” It grieves us to see the planting of the Lord plucked up before they have properly matured. In the past we have lost many young lives in the transition from the farm to the urban setting. This is the reason we started the Open Arms Church. Since starting the church or the family of God setting in the city, the transition process and our success rate both have greatly improved.

Please pray for the Open Arms Foundation.

Sincerely,
Bill Perrow