This episode of the Faith and Finance podcast is brought to you in part by Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Millions of children throughout the world lack one simple item that could open the door to health, education, opportunity, and Jesus. It's shoes. This September, Faith Pi and Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls are partnering with you to provide hope to children in need throughout the world by providing new shoes and socks, critical care, and the love of Jesus in some of the most vulnerable places. Together, we hope to provide shoes to 1,000 children during the month of September.
Visit GiveShoestToday.org to learn how you can impact the life of a child. That's GiveShoesToday.org.
Now, on to the podcast. It's easy to forget how something as simple as a pair of shoes can change a life. But for vulnerable children around the world, shoes mean protection, dignity, and the chance to dream. I am Rob West. Today, we'll hear how Buckner Shoes for Orphaned Souls is meeting this need with the love of Christ.
John Spurrier joins us to share the incredible impact that's being made all around the world, one pair of shoes at a time. And then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7,000. That's 800-525-7,000. This is Faith in Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Well, it's always a privilege to have Sean Spurrier with us. Sean is the director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, an underwriter of this program, and our spotlight ministry all month long. I can't wait for you to learn about the incredible work they're doing all around the globe. Sean, great to have you back. Rob, it's great to be with you again today.
Sean, I want to start with the big picture. For those who might not be familiar, share a bit about Buckner International and really the heart behind this particular initiative. Absolutely. You know, Buckman International, we are a Christian ministry based in Dallas, Texas. We're in our 146th year of operation.
So, 14 decades of ministry going on, 15. And our mission is simple. Our mission is to. Follow the example of Jesus by serving vulnerable children, families, and seniors. And so, you know, in our area, we've got.
Foster care and adoption initiatives. We've got family strengthening programs. And we're even serving seniors with senior care. And so ultimately, it's about serving the most vulnerable in every phase of life and doing so in such a way that we're able to express the love of Christ. Yeah, it's incredible work.
And I know you've been doing it, as you said, for a long, long time. But this particular initiative, part of Buckner, Buckner's Shoes for Orphaned Souls, is a vital part of that story.
So just describe this particular aspect of Buckner International, how it started, and the impact that it's making on the ground right now. Yeah, you know, this actually started out as a small initiative here in Dallas, Texas, 25 years ago. We just celebrated 25 years last year. Wow. And our goal was initially to serve children in orphanages who didn't have this basic possession, this pair of shoes.
Often children were seen checking out a pair of shoes when they would go to school out of a basket by the door, and they'd have to return those at the end of the day. And so it was a really simple initiative to just express the love of Christ. But, you know, over the last 25 years, we've now had the opportunity to serve over 5 million children in 86 countries. Wow. And there are some real humanitarian and kind of educational and opportunity-based needs that are being met through that gift.
Well, I want to talk about that because, you know, here in the United States, you know, we just finished back to school, and I've got, you know, I'm to wear, I've got two in college, I've got two still in high school, but both girls, you know, and there was a point this summer where they're like, Dad, you know, it's time to think about some new shoes. And we're grateful for the chance to be able to put new shoes on their feet. But what we're talking about here is something completely different because it's essential. For a child's health and well-being, not to mention, and we'll get to this in a bit, the opportunity to share the love of Jesus. But talk about for a moment why these shoes are so much more than just footwear.
Yeah, absolutely. I really like to hone in on three or four deliverables that we see when a child receives a pair of shoes. You know, in many of the regions we work in, there are foot-borne illnesses, podoconiosis, hookworms, jiggers. Many of these illnesses can be pretty catastrophic if they're not cared for adequately. And all of them are preventable by having a sturdy.
Pair of shoes on that child's feet. And so, you know, by providing a pair of shoes, we are promoting health. And again, when you think about families in vulnerable situations, where if a child is dealing with a catastrophic illness or infection, well, that could affect the rest of their economic situation and their family. And so, we're promoting health in that way. Additionally, in many of the regions we work in, children have to have a pair of shoes to go to school, and often a very specific pair of shoes to go to school.
And so that really simple, tangible gift. is lowering barriers to education. And again, that's an education that is, vital to their rising above poverty.
Well, those are two key reasons, and I know there's more. We'll cover those and allow you to share some stories from the ground. I know you just returned from Mexico, Sean, and I can't wait to hear about that shoe distribution. Folks, here's our goal: we at Faith Phi, with you in partnership, want to provide shoes for 1,000 children worldwide this month. You can provide shoes for 10 children with a gift of $150.
That's 10 children for $150. Just go to GiveShoestToday.org. Back with Sean Spurrier right after this. As the leading advocate for the Christian financial industry, Kingdom Advisors serves the public by promoting the integration of a biblical worldview across every aspect of the financial services industry. And we serve a growing network of thousands of Christian financial professionals, equipping and empowering them to carry biblical financial wisdom to their clients, peers, and community.
For more information, visit kingdomadvisors.com. That's kingdomadvisors.com. Did you know the average person walks nearly 2,000 miles a year?
Now think about the millions of children around the world who risk disease and miss out on opportunities simply because they walk those 2,000 miles without a decent pair of shoes. Around the world, Buckner Shoes for Orphaned Souls provides access to health, education, hope, and opportunity through the gift of shoes. Visit give shoesetoday.org and find out how you can provide shoes for a child right now. Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance. I'm Rob West.
With me today, Sean Spurrier. He's director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. We're partnering with Buckner International all month long, specifically around this project, Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, to be able to put a pair of shoes on a child around the world because that means protection, it means dignity, it means protecting them health-wise, and it's an opportunity to share the gospel with them. If you want to participate with us, our goal this month is 1,000 children receiving a new pair of shoes. Your gift of $150 will provide shoes for 10 children.
You can also get involved for as little as $15 to provide a pair of shoes. Just head to GiveShoestToday.org. That's give shoestoday.org. And we can't wait to see if we can go right past this goal this month, but we can't do it without you.
Now, Sean, you were sharing before the break that really this pair of shoes is so much more than just footwear. I mean, it really is the key to protecting them from footborne illness. It's also a key to getting them to school because often they're not allowed to go to school without a pair of shoes. What else is provided to these kids through these shoes? That's a great question.
You know, every pair of shoes distributed by Buckner is also a moment to plug children and families into. Ministry opportunities right there in their communities that will. Help them rise above poverty, achieve sustainability, grow in their economic and their family strength and in their faith. And so, when we're distributing shoes, we have an opportunity to engage with families and plug them into those programs. You know, every single pair of shoes that we distribute, as often as we can, we like to get in front of the child, wash their feet.
Pray with them. Let them know that they're loved, they're cared for, they're not forgotten by us or by God. And so that moment is a moment of hope. And so, you know, you're that gift, it's small, but you're promoting health. education, opportunity, and hope.
Yeah. And you actually share the gospel with them. And if I'm not mistaken, you work in partnership with local churches while you're there, right? Absolutely. We've got local church partnerships on the ground.
And so we kind of come alongside them, make sure that families are being served both ways. And yeah, it's a great opportunity. It sure is.
Now, I know you just returned from Mexico, and I'm sure you could tell us a hundred stories about what happens during these shoe distributions. But I know you had a particularly moving experience with a little girl named Ramina. I'd love for you to share that story. Yeah, recently we were distributing shoes at one of our family hope centers. Um And a little girl named Romina, she was actually receiving a pair of shoes from a person who was sitting next to me, really sweet seven-year-old girl.
Um And you know, my friend who was distributing the shoes, he was, again, telling her that the Lord loves her and has a plan for her. About halfway through the process when he was getting the shoes on, she kind of started whimpering a little bit and By the time he had tied him completely, she just Absolutely broke down into tears and was embracing her, the family coach that was right next to her. And you know, I'm a dad, I've got a 10-year-old daughter. And so I went into fix-it mode. I was trying to figure out if something was wrong.
And I looked over at the family coach and I just I said, is everything okay? And she looked at me and said, No, Romina is overwhelmed with emotion that somebody would think of her. and provide her this pair of shoes and Um Manorab, I've done this for over a decade. I've been doing this for nearly 11 or 12 years here and have distributed shoes all over the world. Every once in a while, I need a moment like that to kind of pull me back to that base level and remind me why I do what I do.
And Romina really was one of those moments. Her getting to experience the love of Christ in a very tangible way in that moment brought that sweet little seven-year-old girl to a place of emotion that I've rarely seen. Oh, that's incredible. And it stuck with me. Yeah, I can only imagine how poignant that was at that moment.
I want to share a few more stories because I think this just really helps our listeners to understand the power of what they're participating in. I know there was another touching story from Guatemala. It was a young girl named Dulce, and I'd love for you to share that as well. Yeah, Dulce's story is one of my favorites during my time at Buckner. You know, I like to say that you never know what story a small act of generosity will enter.
And hers is really one of those stories. Duel Say, eight-year-old girl in Guatemala. Her family was experiencing Some real significant hardship. You know, she came in specifically because they needed to meet a need, they needed that pair of shoes to go to school. And so she and her sisters receive shoes that day.
She got a little pink and white pair of shoes. And uh, but that was our opportunity for our family coaches to engage with their mom, and they learned that you know, mom was. um she didn't know how to read and she really had a desire to read the scriptures to her kids and They were in a situation economically where they were about to lose their home. And really their dad was unable to be the dad that he needed to be at the time. He was struggling with alcohol and he wasn't very present.
And so that pair of shoes opened a door for a relationship to be forged between Buckner and her family. And really, within a few days, donors were able to get them into a new, sustainable home that was theirs and it was safe. And they entered Butner programming. The mom learned how to read as she is reading the scriptures to her kids even now. And then, you know, really, you know, most importantly, their dad came to know the Lord.
He entered rehab. He was baptized and he's being discipled. And that story to me. is this um This holistic Kind of Transformational story where, you know, again, a single pair of pink and white shoes to an eight-year-old girl became the gateway to the Lord doing some really incredible transformational work in the lives of Dulce and her family. Incredible.
And folks, that's why we're doing this all month long, partnering with Buckner Shoes for Orphaned Souls for more than 25 years. They've been putting a brand new pair of shoes on children all over the world, which, as Sean just shared with us, provides health. Education, also the hope of Christ as they share the gospel with them and connect them to holistic ministry churches on the ground. We're asking for your best gift right now as you help us reach this goal of 1,000 pair of shoes on a child's feet somewhere across the world. You can participate with us, give shoes to day.org.
That's give shoes today.org.
Now, Sean, we talk about how it's more than education, it's more than health. It's really sharing the love of Jesus. And I'd love for you to just unpack for our listeners how that works, this greater ministry impact that's happening alongside these shoe distributions. Yeah, yeah.
So often these distributions are hosted by our Family Hope Center program.
So these are outposts in communities where families are coming to receive Christ-centered care and education and counseling and economic strengthening. But the gospel is really interwoven into all the work we do. We're driven by that. Every pair of shoes that's distributed is also going to have a note in it. That note is a kind of a gospel touch point that is going to let them know that they're being thought of, that somebody's thinking about them, but it's also a moment to express the love of Christ to them in a written form.
And, you know, similar to Dulce's mom, you mentioned we were in Mexico last week. One of the things that I loved seeing is this ingrained in my mind right now. Um is right after we got to distribute shoes to children. Through one of our Family Hope Centers, we had the opportunity to distribute the scriptures to their moms and watching their moms clutching their Bibles close to their chests and making a commitment to raise their kids in the scriptures. Um genuinely was one of my favorite moments of that entire day.
And so it's really just a part of everything we do. Yeah, what it is incredible. I'm just so excited we're able to partner with you this month. All right, folks, this is your opportunity to put a new pair of shoes on a child's feet somewhere in the world. This month, we're trying to put shoes on the feet of 1,000 children around the globe.
We can't do it without you. Would you head right now to GiveShoesToday.org? Every $15 provides a new pair of shoes. GiveShoesToday.org. We'll be right back.
If you love what you hear on this program, there's even more waiting for you at FaithFi.com. Explore podcasts, videos, articles, Bible studies, and devotionals, all designed to help you see God as your ultimate treasure and money as a tool to advance his kingdom. Pursue wisdom, practice generosity, and steward God's resources in a community with others who share your faith. Visit FaithFi.com to take the next step in your faith and financial journey today. That's faithfi.com.
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So glad to have you with us today on Faith and Finance. We've got some lines open. We're taking your calls and questions today on anything financial, trying to pay off some debt, get that credit score up, or perhaps you're looking to give in a way that's efficient and strategic so you can give more and pay less on taxes. Any of those questions today and more, 800-525-7,000. Our team is standing by.
We'd love to hear from you again, 800-525-7,000. Sarasota, Florida. Hi, Stephen. Go ahead. Yes, I'm going to be retiring.
or getting on Medicare, I understand I have to get on Medicare before or I turn sixty five. in February of twenty twenty six and sixty four But um My question is. I'm employed and I have health insurance through work. My wife is younger.
So when I sign up to, I have comoravidities where I'm having trouble with my private insurance to the employer, they're they're dropping medicines left and right on the tier pricing.
So I'm having problems for my wife and I with getting coverages that way.
So my question really amounts to should I carry the Medicare and what should I sign up before I turn sixty five And then carry my employer Uh insurance. use Medicare as secondary for myself. and wait until my wife turns 65 to get on Medicare. Yeah, yeah, I think you're right on there. You know, you can sign up starting three months before you turn 65.
That's your initial enrollment period. If you are still working and have employer coverage, and that's with a company that has at least 20 employees, then you can delay Part B without penalty.
So your employer plan stays primary. Medicare would be secondary. And then since your wife is younger, she can't get Medicare yet.
So you'll want to keep that employer plan that covers both of you, hopefully at a reasonable cost. Until she's eligible.
So I think that is the right approach in the situation you're describing here. Yeah, my only question was if I sign up three months prior, do I look into the prescription part? I've spoken to my doctor's specialist. they said that they would work on that because I need brand medicine instead of generic. And um I have a couple more videos, so is my wife.
So those Running thoughts are going through my mind. And I just recently had a situation with my wife where she's on a medicine she was born with asthma. that they took the brand off. and they denied it three times.
So now I'm in a situation where That medicine I'm going to try to reach out to the manufacturer now. And uh it's just getting tougher and tougher every time I turn around. get coverage. They're not keeping medicines on the list, and once they're off, and you can't take a generic, you kind of. at the mercy of the policy, I guess.
Yeah, yeah.
So you really are. I mean, often what we'll see is that if you're if you're needing brand name meds, your employer's drug coverage may actually be better than many Medicare Part D plans, you know, as long as it is the coverage is considered creditable prescription coverage, meaning at least as good as the Medicare standard. Then you could delay Part B or Part D with no penalty.
So you want to go ahead and enroll in Part A at 65. It's premium-free and it works as your hospital coverage. And then you could delay B and D. But then you could also compare the Medigap, which is the supplement, or the Medicare Advantage options, especially if you need that reliable access to brand name medications and doctors.
So it really is going to come down to which. Is going to offer you the care and the prescriptions that you need. Have you compared the two? No, that's why I'm getting ready to I was going to ask you in Sarasota who I could you advise me to see who I should see in regards to my Medicare and then my insurance. Uh who I Yeah.
somebody on um honorable or a Christian brother or sister in a certain business. that I can go and get the right advice. Yeah. Well, yeah, I mean, I would look for just a local independent health insurance agent. Unfortunately, I don't have a specific recommendation there in your area.
You could also look for a local, you know, trusted local Medicare broker who could walk you through the plan options so you know whether you'll stay on the employer coverage or switch fully to Medicare.
So you really want somebody who can, you know, provide that free, unbiased. Counsel, and you know, I would just kind of ask around to see if anybody has a great healthcare independent agent that could advise you on all this and begin to explore the various options that you have. And with your specific health needs, I think it's going to become clear, but I agree, you do want somebody to guide you through that process. And unfortunately, I don't have specific recommendations to make.
Okay.
Well, I appreciate you taking the time to answer that question and I have other questions down the road, but I'm not going to hold up other callers.
Okay, call anytime, Stephen. All the best to you, sir. Thanks for being on the program. Let's see. We're going to stay in Florida.
Richard, go ahead. Yeah, right. This is Richard. I've talked to you over the last 11 years, and I was so born off by mortgage, I didn't know what to do. And last month, I was able to accumulate enough.
Money that I was able to pay off all my credit card debt that I've had. Wow. It's just God bless. And first time I talked to you, and I told you what was going on, the only advice you had was: Richard, you need to pray. You need to get on your knees and pray.
And I've been on my knees and pray. I I've got Through health issues where I'm disabled, and the Lord just opened up all the doors for me.
So, praise the Lord. To God be the glory. Amen. Yeah. The only thing I got is the market.
Company now says They started foreclosure proceedings on me, and I found out from the TIC, they can't do that and they just need to To do whatever they want to do with that $2,160 that they want to charge me now. I don't know where to go with that one, but they started foreclosure notice, but they never failed. Yeah. Well, I would lean into that and ask and continue to escalate it until you can get a good answer on that. But listen, the Lord has provided once.
He can clearly do it again. And boy, I so appreciate you calling, giving testimony to God's faithfulness. Delighted we could play a very small part in encouraging you through the process. And listen, my friend, God is your provider and He has provided, and I'm confident He will again.
So I would lean into that. I'd get the mortgage company on the phone, tell them you've not received any information. You'd like details on what's going on here. There are options in terms of. You know, you, you know, them stopping those foreclosure proceedings, they don't want to foreclose.
They're going to want to get you to a place. Where you can get back on track, and hopefully, now that your credit card bills are gone, you could allocate even more money to that mortgage. And so, you know, I would find out what they're willing to do to work with you because they're going to be left with a pretty significant deficit if they foreclose on it.
So, if they can get you, even if they have to put some of this that you owe on the back end and re-age the account. They would much prefer to get you back on track and as an on-time payer.
So give them a call. Keep moving up the chain until you get to somebody who's a decision maker who can tell you what's going on and what your options are. But, Richard, thank you for your call today, sir. May the Lord bless you. Hey, big thanks to my team today: Pat, Sandy, Devin, Jim, and everybody here at FaithFi that makes this possible.
I certainly couldn't do this without them. Have a wonderful day. Come back and join us tomorrow. We'll see you then. Bye-bye.
Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFy and listeners like you.
