When I was first exploring Mars Hill Graduate School and deciding if this was the place for me to study, one of the deciding factors was the series of incredible stories I consistently heard of current and former students stepping out in faith to respond to the needs of their community and world. Andrew Bauman, a counseling psychology student, is one of those inspiring stories. The following is a brief letter from Andrew about the work that he and his wife are doing in Africa, and the ways that you might partner with them in “instilling hope in a hopeless world.”

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“Together, when we brace our backs and bend our knees, can we then carry the weight of hope for the hopeless.” Founder of Collective Hope, Andrew J. Bauman

Collective Hope is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 out of a desire to do something. Something might not sound heroic or a word of much promise but when we do as little as something to fight global poverty we can be a part of radically transforming lives and instilling hope in a hopeless world.

Nearly 3 billion people live on less than US $2 day.

About 1.4 billion live in extreme poverty on less than US $1.25 day.

Collective Hope comes out of our longing to do something to help alleviate this poverty in some of the poorest countries in the world. Our first step is currently on an 11-acre farm in Malawi, Africa. We are in the birthing stages of creating a sustainable farm and a farm exchange program.

According to UNICEF, 25,000 children die each day due to poverty.

Collective Hope’s vision is to do something for these children who remain sick, orphaned and unseen. By creating small loving“Parent Homes” for orphans with HIV/AIDS, birth defects, malaria and other diseases that render these children nearly hopeless.

More Global Poverty Statistics

It is simple to get overwhelmed by the amount of need in this world, to become frozen or numb. It is far easier to live a life ofignorance and insulation, than to actually feel the pain of hunger, disease and isolation. Yet our hope is that you will enter into the sorrow and poverty with us, that you help us gather hope to fight global poverty.

For more details on how you can join the fight against global poverty please find us on the web at collectivehope.org. Make sure to join us on Facebook, and Twitter as well.

Peace to you- Andrew & Christy Bauman