Yes, you read that right… Twestival! Don’t have a clue as to what I’m talking about? Think Twitter meets Festival = Twestival. Today more than 200 cities around the world will come together to rally for one cause, Education. Run 100% by volunteers around the world with 100% of all ticket sales and donations going directly to projects. Taking the concept of tweet-ups, (meetings and events) @Amanda Rose founded Twestival in 2009.  On 12 February 2009, the first Twestival Global was held in 202 international cities to support @charitywater. The event successfully raised 250k+, which resulted in more than 55 wells in Uganda, Ethiopia, and India.

Today, Twestival will benefit another organization, Concern Worldwide. Concern was founded in 1986 to meet the needs of people living in extreme poverty. Where exactly will this years Twestival funds go? Directly to Concern Worldwide’s education programs. Each city and school hosting a Twestival event was given the opportunity to select an area of education to support for fundraising to go towards Concern’s education programs. The 40-year-old non-profit works in all areas of education, including educating new teachers, furnishing classrooms, providing uniforms, providing buildings, and meals for students who otherwise would have have access to these resources. Read more about Concern Worldwide here.

Want to Get Involved in Twestival?

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 A GivStory by Cathy Robinson | Franklin, TN

Have you ever been changed by helping others in need?  Do you ever feel you have nothing to offer?  Are you held back by thoughts like “what could I possibly do?”  Here is a testimony of a family who put legs to what God spoke to their hearts and has experienced His blessings in return. 

 “My husband, Ronny, is a businessman and I (Cathy) recently obtained my degree in Spanish.  We have one daughter, Courtney, who is 24, and a son Michael, who is 16.  We reside on a farm in Franklin, Tennessee, a 160 acre retreat called “Rancho El Paso.”  The name was inspired by the Lord a couple of years before we were introduced to Rancho Los Amigos just across the border from El Paso, Texas!  The children from Rancho Los Amigos are always surprised when they visit and see our sign at the entrance.

Although our church is very involved in missions and evangelism, our first mission trip outside of the country was with our daughter’s school in 1997.  We had supported Youth With a Mission over the years, but had never been to any of the operating locations until then.  That is when we first became involved with Rancho Los Amigos.  On that trip we helped build a home, did some evangelism, and visited the children.

Cathy pictured with the children of Ranco El Paso

When we returned home, we began to sponsor one of the boys we had met there.  He really stole our hearts!  During the summer, he came to stay with us for 6 weeks.  Then at Christmas, he and his brother spent 3 weeks with us.  Shortly afterward, their mother was released from prison and their family was reunited.  Later, I had a dream about (continue reading…)

A GivStory by Mark Schultz

A few summers ago I was contacted by Family Christian Stores’ Foundation,  The James Fund. A non-profit organization dedicated to meeting the needs of orphans and widows around the world. They contacted me because I was also adopted and they thought that I would make a good spokesperson for the organization. They took me down to an orphanage in Mexico and there I met a husband and wife team that started an organization called Back 2 Back. They were the hands and feet for the churches and orphanages in the area, providing them with food and education.  I will never forget one of the girls there. She was giving us a lesson about kids and orphans.  During this lesson, she took out an ordinary piece of paper and asked us to visualize the paper being an orphan’s heart. She said children come to the orphanage and they are not like any of the other kids in their community. She then rips the piece of paper in half and says “now you are working with just this half piece.” She then explains that the children will want to go to school, but they don’t have the money.  She then rips off another piece of the paper. She gives several examples until she is left holding a piece of paper the size of a thumb print and says “this is what orphans’ heart will typically look like.” She said that each time we give to these orphans we are investing another little piece of paper back into their hearts.  

I thought to myself  “What can I do to make a difference?” I’m adopted and I have a heart for kids….

A few years ago my wife rode her bicycle across the country and I had always admired her for that. I thought that maybe I could ride my bike to help raise money for some of the kids I had seen. So, I called up my manager and told him my crazy idea. Before I knew it I was riding my bike across the country all the way from California to New Hampshire playing thirteen concerts along the way. At the end of the eight week tour we were able to raise a quarter of a million dollars. It was one of the greatest feelings of my life!

I have been doing music professionally for over ten years and I would call giving money to kids that really need it the highlight of my career.

 Most of the money that we raised went to the The James Fund orphanages, but some of the money was also given to World Vision. From my relationship with The James Fund I started to learn more about World Vision. I soon realized that they were also working within organizations and helping kids, orphans, and families. I thought “what a great ministry… I want to get involved.” I thought that I could help by playing concerts and helping to get children sponsored all over the world. It’s been an amazing journey. I was in the Dominican Republic a few months ago and was invited to a World Vision building that housed children with AIDS. The children were drawing on pieces of paper and smiling. Not quite the vision that comes to mind when you think about AIDS, but there they were smiling and happy. One of the teachers asked the students if anyone wanted to volunteer to sing a song.  A little girl began to sing a beautiful song in Spanish. The song translated in English says “God I Love You More Than My Own Life.”  When they translated it for me I was just floored because I realized that with AIDS, she didn’t know how long she had to live. I also found out that this child had an amazing dream, to become a doctor!  I immediately called my wife, who is a doctor, and told her about this sweet little girl. Her immediate response was “Go get her!”  So, of course we immediately signed up to become her sponsor family and are an active part of her life through sponsorship, letters, and encouragement.  I am honored to have the opportunity to be a part of her life  and to be a fan and advocate for a great organization like World Vision . I can’t think of anything in life that is more rewarding than giving hope to others in need.

To learn more visit:

World Vision www.worldvision.org

Mark Schutlz  www.markschultzmusic.com

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