The Concert and Beyond

Thanks to all of you who came out for last week's concert! We had around 200 of you come out to show your support and hear some amazing music from Waterdeep, Justin McRoberts, and SHEL. We especially want to thank all of you who volunteered to help with childcare, tickets, cleanup, etc. You all were great!

Now that the concert is over, we're turning our full attention to our other projects. One of the biggest ones we're working on right now is preparing to send another container of medical equipment to Liberia. The container we sent earlier this year has already made a big difference there, but the hospital still lacks many essentials. We've been talking with the hospital administration and are working on procuring some of the most important items that they still need. We've already got 3 x-ray machines, a bunch of hospital beds, and thousands of dollars worth of surgical instruments ready to send. As you can probably imagine, our warehouse is getting pretty full!

We're also continuing work on our longer-term project of implementing our new inventory system and getting the warehouse organized. This will be easier once we get the Liberia container sent, but there's a lot of work to do between now and then! If you're interested in helping out, send me an email at leta@hospitalsofhope.org.

Music and Missions at the Concert of Hope

We're really excited about the benefit concert tomorrow night, featuring Waterdeep, Justin McRoberts, and SHEL. They're all amazingly talented, and we're thrilled to have them partnering with us to help bring health care to the poor around the world.

I've just been reading a bit more about Justin McRoberts on his website and blog, and I'm really excited to get to hear him in person. Justin is deeply committed to supporting mission work, especially groups like Compassion International, the International Justice Mission, and the Blood Water Mission (and now us!). In regards to working on behalf of the poor, Justin writes, "I believe these are the defining characteristics of our likeness to God. The need and desire to care for the poor and oppressed is something we share in common with all humanity, not simply the religious."

Here's an excerpt from a recent post from his blog, talking about his song "Man Like Me":

Regarding the songs theme: I had just finished reading Jonathan Kozol..s book Savage Inequalities and was struck by the situation many poor find themselves in; the cycle of having nothing to stand on to help them climb out of their dilemma. For many poor, their desire is to not to be carried or receive a lifetime of free handouts, but to receive the initial help they need to get their foot on the first rung.. as Jeffery Sachs writes in The End Of Poverty. I realize full well that I say this in direct defiance of many who look upon the poor collectively as lazy and ill-intentioned. This social perspective is part of the dehumanization that the spirit of Poverty is most bent upon instilling in those who have. It begins with a sense of entitlement; that we have been something other than fortunate or blessed, but have in fact received our due. Those who are poor, in turn, receive what they deserve according to their efforts. In the long run, this perspective leads us to equate value with wealth and that kind of blindness is something far more than ignorant, it is destructive and shameful.

So come out tomorrow night and join us at Maranatha Worship Center (888 S. Webb Road in Wichita) for a great evening of music and missions. We hope to see you there!

Concert of Hope featuring Waterdeep on Oct. 16

On October 16, Hospitals of Hope will hold its 2nd annual benefit concert to support our international medical mission work. This year’s concert will feature popular Christian band Waterdeep, talented singer/songwriter Justin McRoberts, and SHEL, a neo-acoustic quartet of sisters.

Tickets, which are $12 or $10 each for groups of 10 or more, can be purchased online at http://hospitalsofhope.org/concert.htm or at the door the night of the concert. The concert will be held at Maranatha Worship Center, at 888 S. Webb Road in Wichita. Doors open at 6:30, and the concert will begin at 7:30. For more information, contact the Hospitals of Hope office at 316.262.0964 or via email at info@hospitalsofhope.org.

Waterdeep, composed of husband and wife team Don and Lori Chaffer, is an independent Christian band which recently moved to Nashville, TN from the Kansas City area. Formed in 1995, Waterdeep has included several other musicians over the years and has released over ten albums. Waterdeep is best known for a joint project with 100 Portraits that yielded the worship album Enter the Worship Circle— reported by some media outlets as the biggest-selling independent Christian album of all time. Released in 1999, it included original worship songs such as “You Are So Good To Me,” “I Will Not Forget You,” and “You Have Redeemed My Soul.”


Justin McRoberts is a highly respected singer, songwriter and speaker who has carved out a niche for himself in the independent music scene. He is one of those rare artists who blends artistry, honesty and humor almost seamlessly. McRoberts’ most recent release, Deconstruction (2008), is laden with the same disarming honesty he is known for both in his recordings as well as his live performances.


Shel, of Ft Collins, Colorado, glides effortlessly atop the lilting, sublime voices of the Holbrook sisters, Sarah, Hannah, Eva and Liza. But Shel's appeal goes way beyond the vocals. These gals are exceptional musicians as well, with each member playing an array of instruments including violin, electric bass, piano, mandolin to drums.