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 By 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. Yeah. For millions of vulnerable children around the world, shoes can mean the difference between going to school and staying home. Hi, I'm Rob West. For most families, a new pair of shoes is simply part of getting ready for another school year, but not everywhere.
Today, Sean Spurrier joins us to share how Buckner Shoes for Orphaned Souls is helping children step into the classroom with health, dignity, and hope. And then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. This is Faith in Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Well, as you know, throughout the year, we have the privilege of partnering with several organizations doing incredible kingdom work on the ground. And for the entire month of September, we're partnering with our friends at Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Sean Spurrier is the director of the program, and it is always great to have him with us. Sean, welcome back. Rob, so great to be back with you today.
Sean, for many families here in the U.S., a new pair of shoes is simply a part of getting ready for school. I know it was in our household, but for many children around the world and those that Buckner serves, having shoes can actually determine whether they're able to attend school at all. Help us understand why that is. Yeah, Rob, you know, the most recent estimates show that there are about 300 million children throughout the world who lack access to adequate footwear. Tens of millions of those children today will not be in school because of that.
In many countries throughout the world, Shoes are mandatory for attending school, and that school is vital to their rising above poverty. And so, we have an opportunity to lower barriers to education by providing this simple gift. And additionally, shoes are also preventing injury and disease. You know, it's a pretty profound need where it's something that we just don't often think of on our own here in the States. That is so true.
And that is significant, the idea that they can get an education and be protected from disease. But it actually goes beyond that. The impact goes well beyond the school, doesn't it? It certainly does. You know, every pair of shoes that we provide, we have an opportunity to promote health.
Like I said, we're preventing disease, we're lowering barriers to education, but we're also trying to plug children and families into opportunity and long-term programming. And we're trying to give them a sense of dignity and confidence when they attend school and kind of maybe even alleviate some of the social stigmas that children often experience in some of the countries we work in when they have some of these tropical or footborne illnesses. And then, most importantly, providing shoes gives us an opportunity to affirm and communicate the love of Christ to that child. I know it's incredible. And Sean, I know you've been on many of these shoe distributions, and we'll talk about what that experience is like.
I can only imagine. But I want to back up for a second because for someone hearing about Buckner Shoes for Orphaned Souls for the first time, I'd love for you to give them a sense of how far this ministry reaches and really the difference it's making in children's lives. Absolutely. You know, Buckner Shoes, Warfan Souls is the largest humanitarian aid project of Buckner International. And since 1999, we've had the opportunity to collect around five and a quarter million pairs of shoes and distribute those in 86 countries throughout the world.
And again, this is kind of a part of just Buckner International's larger mission of serving vulnerable children and families through a variety of programs. But, man, when you consider that every pair of shoes is an opportunity to express the love of Christ, that's five and a quarter million opportunities we've had to do that. And again, promote health, education, opportunity, make sure that children are in schools and that families are achieving sustainability through these programs. And so, yeah, it's a small piece of a big puzzle, but it's a really important one. It really is.
And that's why we're so honored to have this partnership all month long throughout the month of September.
Now, tell us where Buckner is serving today and just give us a sense of some of the places. around the world where these shoes are making their way to children. Absolutely. So we have programming in the United States and then in seven countries full-time outside of the United States throughout Latin America and Africa.
So places like Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Peru, Kenya, and Ethiopia. And some of these places are extremely vulnerable and really difficult places, and often difficult for families to access some of these very basic needs, such as shoes. Mm.
Well, folks, this is your opportunity today. Every $15 provides a pair of shoes that include socks and the cost of getting the shoes to the child. Of course, $150 provides shoes for 10 children. Our goal during the month of September, between Faith Phi and Buckner Shoes for Orphaned Souls, 1,000 pairs of shoes distributed to children worldwide. You can jump on board at give shoestoday.org.
That's give shoestoday.org. Back with Sean Spurrier after this. Stick around. I was in ministry full time, and I was always looking for a way to integrate my faith with this new industry around money and finances. This is Mark.
He is a Certified Kingdom Advisor. As a CKA, one of the best things I offer my clients is trust in knowing that they're working with a professional that understands their values. And I think in all of the different challenges that clients go through, if we can go back to trusting in God, then He'll make the path straight. You can find an advisor like Mark at findacka.com. Millions of children throughout the world lack one simple item, shoes.
This month, FaithPhi and Buckner Shoes for Orphaned Souls are partnering with you to provide hope to 1,000 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. Visit GiveShoestToday.org to learn how you can impact the lives of these children. That's GiveShoest Today.org. Um Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance. For many children around the world, a pair of shoes is more than a back-to-school purchase.
It can be the key to opening the classroom door, to protecting them from foot-borne illness, and to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that's why we've partnered with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls throughout the month of September to provide: are you ready for this? 1,000 pairs of shoes to children worldwide. That includes the pair of socks. It also includes the cost of shipping to get the shoes to the child.
If you'd like to be a part of it, every $15 given provides a pair of shoes and socks and the cost of transportation. Just go to give shoestoday.org. That's give shoestoday.org and help us reach or perhaps exceed this goal of providing 1,000 pairs of shoes to vulnerable children around the world. Joining me today is my friend Sean Spurrier. Sean is the director of this program.
Buckner shoes for orphaned souls. And Sean, we were talking about where this is happening around the world and some of the mechanics of it. But I'd love for you to share a story, perhaps a story that could help us appreciate the impact this program is having. Absolutely. You know, Rob, just a couple of years ago, we were distributing shoes outside of Oaxaca, Mexico at one of our family hope centers.
And a colleague of mine, a friend, was distributing a pair of shoes, giving them to this little girl named Romina. She's about six years old. And one of the things we do when we're distributing shoes is we'll get in front of the child, we'll wash their feet, and we'll talk to them and let them know that the Lord loves them, they're cared for while we're doing this process. And while my friend was providing shoes for her, you know, about halfway through the process, you could tell she was getting a little emotional and little lips started quivering. And then by the time he had her shoes on, she was just in full-blown tears.
I'm a dad, I have an 11-year-old daughter. I kind of went into fix-it mode. I thought something was wrong. And I leaned over to our family coach who was embracing Romina by this point and just said, Hey, is everything okay? Is there anything we can help with?
And she looked at me. She said, No, Romina is overwhelmed with emotion that someone would think of her. to provide her these new shoes. And man, I can't think of the last time I've cried when I received a simple gift, or how many of us can, but that moment really kind of pulled me back toward what we do and why we do it. One of the best parts of this story, though, is that over time, that engagement through those shoes gave her family the opportunity to.
Plug in with our Buckner Family Hope Center and they embrace that support and they've experienced some real transformation. And I recently got to chat with our team on the ground there and they said that Romina, who's now eight, is no longer this shy, anxious little girl, but she's a leader in her after-school programs and that she's a girl who moves toward other children who are feeling left out or feeling like they're on the fringes and ensuring that they feel included. She's praying with them at lunch and getting to lead out in those ways. And even more than that, her family has now achieved sustainability economically and in their spiritual life and in their family. And they're going out and volunteering for local Buckner programs and encouraging other families to take part in the ministry.
And so it's just one of those things where, you know, you never know what story a pair of shoes is going to enter into, and you don't know really the impact it'll have until it gets there. But at minimum, we saw that Romina knew that she was. Loved and cared for, and not forgotten that somebody was thinking about her, but it also led to all this. Other fantastic transformation in their lives. And I mean, that's what we get to participate in when we're providing this very simple, tangible gift.
Wow, folks, that's exactly why we're partnering with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls throughout this month of September and inviting you into this partnership so we can give, Lord willing, a thousand pairs of shoes to vulnerable children in some part of the world so we can not only protect them from footborne illness and get them into school, but also introduce them to Jesus. Every $15 is going to help us deliver one pair of shoes, socks, and the cost to transport them. GiveShoestetoday.org is the place to go to jump on board. You mentioned something that I think is so key about this program, Sean, and that is that you're not simply delivering shoes, you're partnering with churches and ministries and the Buckner Center in the area where you're delivering these shoes to really provide ongoing care.
Well, beyond the shoe distribution, right? Absolutely. Most of the countries we're working in, we have full-time family hope centers, which are Christ-centered, community-based, family-focused, and child-centered community centers where we're serving families through a variety of programs that are helping them achieve sustainability. But we're also partnering with local churches to resource their ministry and help further the kingdom in that way. We work with trusted partners on the ground to ensure that the impact is going to be focused where the need is the greatest.
And, you know, just coming alongside other ministries, other partners in these communities is one of the best ways for us to ensure that this work is being done well. But we are full-time on the ground in most of these countries.
So it's definitely not just providing a pair of shoes and leaving. It's a lot more than that. Let's talk about some of that deeper impact for ministry, because I know that following these shoe distributions, many of these families are getting connected with local churches because of the shoe distribution, right? They are, yeah. We, you know, we're again, we're plugging families into uh local churches that we partner with in their communities.
And beyond that, you know, every single pair of shoes, um, even at the very beginning of this relationship, every pair of shoes has an encouraging note to the child written in it that lets them know of the love that God has for them. Um, so it's kind of a gospel touch point there. We have the opportunity to provide scriptures and the Bible, often for the first time, for families who are in our programming and in the communities we work in. And oftentimes, that happens right alongside these shoe distributions. The distributions will sometimes happen in a vacation Bible school setup where we're getting to communicate the message of the gospel to children.
And it's a real opportunity for spiritual encouragement. And what we've seen so many times is how there's kind of a ripple effect. When one child or one family is impacted by the gospel and by the ministry that they have available to them, you kind of see that spread through the communities.
So, again, it's child-centered, family-focused, but when you focus on the family, when you focus on the child and they experience that transformation, you see how that can have a ripple effect through their communities. You sure can. And what I love about this is so often we feel disconnected from needs that exist in this way in other parts of the world. And this allows a very practical way for us to meet a real need by partnering with and working through Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Let's revisit just the mechanics of this.
For someone listening, Sean, and saying, what does it look like for me to put a new pair of shoes on a child's feet? Give us the details. Yeah, it's so simple. Every $15 is going to provide a pair of shoes and socks to a child. That includes us procuring those shoes, providing socks, and then ensuring that they are shipped or that they are procured in a way that they are able to get to the location that these children are in in a very efficient way.
And so $15 does a whole lot in this particular scenario, especially in the economy we're in right now, where sometimes we are experiencing some price changes. But yeah, $15, you can make an impact on the life of a child. It's such a simple opportunity. It sure is. The website is give shoestoday.org.
We've set a goal between Buckner Shoes for Orphaned Souls and Faith5 during the month of September to provide shoes for 1,000 children worldwide. And that not only represents education so they can get there. Many schools require shoes, but it also represents health, dignity, and hope. Through the love of Jesus Christ. Sean, we're so thankful for our partnership, my friend.
Thanks for being here today. Likewise, so good to be with you again. Folks, every $15 provides shoes and socks for one child. $150 helps 10 children. You can join us right now, give shoes to day.org.
That's give shoestoday.org. Back with your questions after this. Stick around. We are grateful for support from Guidestone, whose diversified suite of investment solutions align with Christian values to create positive change in the world. More information is available at faithfy.com slash Guidestone.
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We've got lines open. That's 800-525-7000. Miami, Florida. Hi, Mo. Go right ahead.
So I just learned recently that my survivor benefits don't exist. Apparently, when I was younger, I opted out.
Well, how I chose my beneficiary, I thought I had. made my son and my wife my beneficiary, but apparently I didn't because I double-checked My pension, and was told that when I die, my pension dies.
So now, moving forward, I want to be able to protect them. I have a special needs son. And my wife, so I want to leave them with something.
So I was thinking of getting a million-dollar policy. One of the things I was looking at is laddering. I heard laddering is something that instead of just getting it investing for ten years for maybe ten years for five hundred K and five hundred K for fifteen years. And that way, when it runs out at ten years, the first one, at least I still have five years left on the other one. Um The other thing is, is my disabled son has a special needs trust.
He has about 250K in that one. he gets government benefits And um so oh well, I I make about five K in my pension and I get $1,200 with Social Security. And my house is paid for, and I have about $2,000 in expenses every month.
So I have enough to invest you know, a thousand or even two thousand a month. in insurance and investments.
So I just kind of want to be able to pick your brain and see what you suggest. Yeah. Well, I appreciate all that background, and I appreciate the details there. I'd review your pension and make sure there isn't truly a survivor benefit option available. If there isn't, you know, then your goal, of course, is to replace that lost income in the most cost-effective way.
Life insurance may be an option, although premiums at age 63 can be significant. I'd also look at whether you can build or earmark investment assets that would pass directly. And so, you know, in terms of life insurance, you know, if the cost is reasonable, obviously that would be an option. You could look at a permanent policy. You know, in terms of building a dedicated portfolio for, you know, for this purpose, I think, you know, could be obviously something that's really effective.
I like the fact that he's got that special needs trust.
So that would ensure that whatever assets you're able to accumulate. Don't jeopardize his eligibility for benefits. That's going to be obviously really key. I think in terms of the house being paid off, that obviously is going to reduce your ongoing income needs. And with that surplus, I think you need to look at the premiums weighed against investing for that $2,000 a month.
So I think I wouldn't automatically assume that life insurance is the best answer. I'd compare the cost of insurance with what a disciplined investing strategy could accomplish over time. If you're healthy and the premiums are reasonable, obviously a life insurance policy could provide an immediate estate for your family. But if those premiums are high, I think just consistently investing that amount each month for your spouse and your son's trust may be a better long-term strategy at the end of the day. But let me stop there and just get your thoughts on that.
Yeah. Well, I'm kind of weighing those things out. I saw that banner insurance because I'm you know, at the age of 63, I'm in really good health.
So I looked at some options there and it uh it seems like Mm-hmm. That could be an option. You know, you don't know when the Lord's going to call you.
So I'd love to have an investment strategy. Strategy, but at the same time, I'd like to be covered with some insurance that at least a million dollars so that the two of them can be protected.
So I look at different insurances, and the one that pops out the most that's affordable and Good reputation seems to be banner just keeps popping up all the time.
So I'm just wondering because there's so many different insurance companies out there that. make claims, but you never know with the reputations that some of them have. Yeah, I like that a lot. And I think Banner is known for having a fairly good AM best rating and still being fairly cost effective.
So I think that could be a great option. You know, you could look at quotes for a million-dollar term policy or guaranteed universal life if you want that lifelong coverage, and then take the balance and invest that into a diversified portfolio, name the special needs trust as the beneficiary. And then review that plan every few years as your investments grow. I would still compare it. I mean, Banner is a well-known insurer, but it's probably in this case good, especially with you being healthy, to have an independent insurance professional really go out across.
All the different highly rated companies and compare premiums, underwriting, policy guarantees, conversion options if it's term insurance, and then, of course, the financial strength ratings, because the goal is ultimately to make sure you're buying the right coverage at a competitive price while continuing to build wealth through investing. And if we could time the two of those or kind of look at those in conjunction with one another, I think that would be ideal. Good. That's kind of what I I was hoping I'd hear you say, and I'm glad to hear you say it. Yeah, I need to have them both.
Yeah, I think that's the right way to go. I appreciate your time. Absolutely, Mo, do you have an insurance agent that you could reach out to on this? Yeah, yeah, I do.
Okay.
Okay, good. Yeah, I think having somebody go out across the market and really look at a number of different companies and seeing where you can find that sweet spot. And then, obviously, if you get that policy that meets all of your goals with the right strength rating and a competitive premium, then hopefully, you know, you've got still quite a bit left where you can just be on a systematic basis socking that away and investing it for the future. Hope that helps, Mo. It sounds like you're on the right track, my friend.
Thanks for being on the program today. Lord bless you. Let's go to Illinois. Hi, Mike. How can I help?
Thanks for taking my call. I'm going to be born in 1959. I'm going to be 66 in 10 months as my full.
Social Security age.
So, I still want to keep working. I make about $60,000 a year, and my Social Security will be about $38,000 a year. Can I work and collect my full Social Security or is there a wage gap or a cap that I need to worry about? Uh yeah, and are you talking about waiting until full retirement age to take your social security? Which minus 66 in 10 months will be next June.
Okay, yeah.
So as long as you wait until full retirement age, Mike, you can earn as much as you want and it will not affect your Social Security benefit whatsoever. The only thing it would affect is your Medicare premium. You know, the more you make, you know, that goes up. But as far as your Social Security benefit is concerned, once you reach full retirement age, you can earn an unlimited amount and you will still get that benefit. All the best to you, Mike.
Thanks for calling today, sir. Hey, thanks for being along with us today, folks. Remember, we want God to be your ultimate treasure and money to tool to accomplish his purposes. On behalf of my team today, Jim Henry, Devin Patrick, and Robert Youngblood, I'm Rob West. Have a wonderful day, and we'll see you next time.
Bye-bye. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFi and listeners like you.
