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A GivStory by Paige Armstrong                  

I was 11 years old when I found out that I had bone cancer. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced in my life, God has brought incredible blessings from that situation and has truly unleashed my purpose through that pain. One of those blessings, was an opportunity through an organization called Make-A-Wish Foundation, to come to Nashville and record a professional CD. After that, there seemed to be a domino effect of opportunities to sing and speak all over the country, eventually leading to moving to Nashville, signing a record deal and being asked to be the speaker for the iShineLIVE tour.

iShine LIVE is a high energy, Biblically based event for tweens. There are all kinds of artists performances and a powerful message on what it means to be  “V.I.P” in God’s eyes. iShine is all about helping kids understand their identity in Christ amidst a culture that teaches them otherwise.  I have had the privilege of being the speaker for iShine since it started, and am excited to be sharing the stage again with other artist such as The Rubyz, Mission Six, and more! Through my battle with cancer, I learned how precious life truly is and how much we can’t waste it. God has shown me that I wasn’t spared to just keep silent and sit on the sidelines of life. We all have a purpose. My mission now is doing whatever it takes to help people find that and live it out.

I had heard of World Vision through different advertisements online and through word of mouth, I wasn’t officially introduced to what they do until they became a partner with our iShine LIVE tour. When I was asked to be the one on tour to share about World Vision, I met with a man from their team who explained with tears in his eyes about what the organization does. He showed me videos of the work they are doing all over the world and the need that is crying out all in so many places. It was an emotional meeting, and I was instantly captivated by their work and wanted to be a part of it. I started sponsoring a 12 year old girl a year ago named, Majorie, who lives in Port-au-Prince Haiti. As you can imagine, it struck me incredibly hard when I heard about the earthquake that hit there. I decided to write a song for Haiti and record it with professionals who donated their time in order to be sold for the proceeds to go to World Vision Haiti relief team.  If you’re able, you can go pick up my song, “Not Forgotten”, on iTunes, and all of the funds will go straight to the missions work going on out there.

We all have something that we can do… There is no need to feel helpless. Whether it’s buying a song that is supporting the restoration of Haiti, going to a benefit or taking on an orphan as a sponsor child… there are so many things we are needed to do. I’m asking you to please consider getting involved with World Vision and sponsoring a child. You pay a small amount each month which covers your child’s food, health care, education, shelter and so much more!

Click below to listen to Paige’s GivStory Podcast on iTunes.

 Nashville, TN (February 8, 2010) —- Kanopy Tours announces the upcoming Bloom Tour 2010 that features Margaret Becker, JJ Heller (who has the Top 15 hit in the country with “Your Hands”) and friends.  The tour will run April – May and will provide an intimate evening of story and song from the heart of Becker, while showcasing the talents of Heller and friends.  The tour is being produced by MaxxLIVE and Patton House Entertainment, with World Vision sponsoring the dates.  Tour dates will be announced soon.

“I’m excited to get to be a part of the Bloom Tour with JJ Heller ,” says Becker. “I think it’s going to be a blast to be on stage with her as we get to connect with our friends, both new and longstanding, who share our love for music and helping people. When I’m asked to be a part of something that helps people in need, which is exactly what this tour is doing through World Vision, then that’s something I really do want to be a part of!”

“I have such a passion for excellence in the live show arena,” says Andrew Patton, President, Patton House Entertainment.  “Tying this group of musicians together with the MaxxLIVE  team is going to be exciting and rewarding.  We have had the pleasure of producing a number of tours in the past and this one should be one of the finest.”

With an illustrious career that spans twenty-three years and garnered eighteen albums, more than two dozen #1 singles, multiple Dove Awards, four Grammy nominations and seven Songwriter of the Year Awards, Becker, who has performed in front of over three-million people and sold over 2.8 million records, remains one of the most respected singer/songwriters in the Christian industry. Not one to rest on her laurels, Becker continues to receive accolades as her latest project, “Gift Of Love,” which was co-written with David M. Edwards, has been nominated for Choral Project of the Year from Worship Leader Magazine.  Since her debut in 1987, Becker’s professional, personal and spiritual growth has also allowed her to expand into other creative areas.  Over the years, Becker has contributed essays to a number of Christian publications, contributed to various women’s magazines, authored three books, has been a recording producer for such artists as Kelly Minter, Rita Springer & Ginny Owens, opened her own publishing company and is a much sought-after public speaker. Becker has served as an ambassador/artist for World Vision the past seventeen years, and was their first artist-associate in the successful artist associates program and in being such, has helped to shed light on the relief  to the less-fortunate provided by World Vision.

JJ Heller has skyrocketed to fame with her latest single, “Your Hands,” which was debuted on the Fox Network show, So You Think You Can Dance, and is currently in the Top 14 of Billboard/R&R’s National Christian Audience chart.  The song is from Heller’s third project, Painted Red.  Heller began her music career in the spring of 2003, and 6 years and 3 albums later her acoustic-folk sound and heartfelt lyrics have netted the Nashville-based artist a loyal following.  Heller is married to songwriter, Dave Heller, who is the co-writer of her hit single and in December 2008 they welcomed their first child, Lucy Love.

For more information on Bloom Tour 2010 please visit online at www.kanopytours.com

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

Tell us your GivStory http://www.givmusic.com/submit-your-givstory/

That’s right, another FREE download! This time we are giving away a FREE comedy snippet from Jeff Allen.  Jeff is on a tour with a hilarious group of comedians called Apostles of Comedy. Their show is good clean fun for the whole family. Just watch the trailer below to see for yourself! Check out the tour dates below to see when they are coming to a city near you!

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(Colorado Springs, CO) WAY-FM and World Vision announce a national tour featuring Jeremy Camp, The Afters, Chasen, with special guest Jason Gray. The tour will kick off January 20 in Charleston, SC and will travel to a total of 8 WAY-FM radio markets, finishing up in Louisville, KY on February 12.

Steve Quant, Director of Media Acquisition for World Vision stated, “I’m always amazed at the generosity of God’s people. Audiences in these eight cities will not only enjoy a night of powerful music, but will also fuel World Vision’s efforts by forever changing lives of children all over the globe.”

The tour is a component of the partnership between the two organizations that began last summer. Lloyd Parker, WAY-FM Chief Operating Officer noted, “The tour was designed to bring the outstanding ministry of World Vision to the local station level. Working with key WAY-FM artists like Jeremy Camp and also The Afters will give a great evening of music to our listeners.”

Tour Itinerary:

January 20 Charleston, SC

January 22 West Palm Beach, FL

January 28 Wichita, KS

January 29 Denver, CO

February 5 Ft Myers, FL

February 6 Tallahassee, FL

February 11 Huntsville, AL

February 12 Louisville, KY

Markets served by WMG include Denver, CO; Nashville, TN; West Palm Beach/Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Huntsville, AL; Louisville, KY; Colorado Springs, CO; Charleston, SC and Wichita, KS with additional cities and affiliates listed on www.wayfm.com

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. www.worldvision.org

A Guest Blog Post by Chad Houck

As 2009’s final weeks and days pass, I find myself at what has often in the past been a difficult season.  It’s that season where I evaluate my past year, perhaps contemplate setting some new lofty goals, and maybe even lay out a few new practices that I’d like to implement into my life.  About every third year or so, I been known to buy a gym membership that I later fail to utilize and try to get out of come March.  That’s right, New Years and its accompanying resolutions are right around the corner.

Personally, thanks to the lessons I’ve learned over the past year of my life, I plan to approach this New Year a bit differently.  I won’t be setting any earth shatteringly high bars to leap over.  I likely won’t even set any “resolutions” at all, save one -  to begin.

You see, I’ve come to realize that the primary reason I’ve failed to achieve certain goals or to take advantage of certain opportunities that I’ve encountered may not have had anything to do with the difficulty of the final objective.  In fact, probably more often than not, the things I either wanted or needed to do weren’t even that difficult.  I just never got the ball rolling.  I simply failed to begin to do something.

Lately, however, I’ve come to realize just how far you can go in the 365 days following that all-important first step.

Perhaps there is no better example of this than a young friend of mine from Arizona named Austin.

Austin Gutwein

If you met him today, you’d likely be amazed at by how humble this remarkably influential young man is.  At a surprisingly young age, he is directly responsible for the development of 2 clinics and a high school in Zambia, Africa, as well as additional projects in Kenya and Swaziland.  In 2007, the organization that he founded (at the age of 11) provided bicycles and World Vision’s AIDS caregiver kits to 250 indigenous AIDS caregivers in Sinazongwe, Zambia.  For Austin, 2009 will be remembered as the year that his organization crossed the $1,000,000 mark in funding for AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Oh, and also as the year that he turned 15.

Austin Gutwein didn’t set out to build the world’s largest basketball free-throw shoot-a-thon. In 2004, after watching a World Vision video about AIDS orphans in Africa, he realized that these were children just like him.  He felt that God was calling him to do something to help them, so on World AIDS day, with his friends and family sponsoring him, 9 year-old Austin shot 2,057 free throws, one for each child that would be orphaned by AIDS during his typical school day.  As his father Daniel counted the shots, Austin’s solo effort raised just over $3000 that day.   More importantly, however, it was the beginning of Hoops of Hope.

Austin will be the first to tell you that he had no idea where those initial shots would lead.  The following year he was joined on the court by several friends and collectively they raised over $35,000, supporting and caring for 100 orphans.  2006 saw the first school built in Zambia, providing 1,000 children the opportunity to envision a future with an education – But it never would have continued if it hadn’t begun.

Occasionally we see an opportunity before us but we fail to respond. Perhaps we think that one irrelevant person, one insignificant compliment, or one inconsequential donation won’t really matter.  We trivialize our participation as volunteers in our communities, as mentors in the lives of others, or as donors to a cause we believe in, because we don’t think we have the qualifications, credentials, or capacity to REALLY make a difference.  In doing so, we negate the impact we could have had and the change we could have brought forth if we had simply been willing to take that all-important first step… to begin.

Today, in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is an entire community of young people whose paths have been irreversibly altered, possibly even rescued from the curse of AIDS that is systematically killing their generation. They have been impacted by the choice of one solitary nine year old that had the courage to believe he could make a difference, and by the lives of every single individual that has hosted, shot at, sponsored a shooter, or attended a Hoops Of Hope event since.

So what is YOUR plan this new year? Whatever your dreams may be, when you wake up on the morning of January 1, 2010, my prayer for you is that you take advantage of the opportunity to begin.

Chad Houck is the director of Share5.  Along with his wife and two children, he has spent the last 14 months living in a 35’ motorhome, traveling the United States sharing their lives and their hearts with people and communities in need.  You can learn more about them at their website at http://share5.org.  Chad will be releasing his first book, “Share Well With Others” in early 2010.  It was begun in January of 2009.

Austin Gutwein’s Hoops of Hope shoot-a-thons now take place across the United States and in China, Pakistan, Qatar, Canada, Korea, and Portugal.  Austin is currently touring on the Revolve Tour and is launching his own “AllStars Festival” 12 city Tour in 2010.  You can find tour schedules as well as Austin’s new book, “Take Your Best Shot”, on his website at http://HoopsofHope.org