Welcome to the defender podcast, a resource to help mobilize and equip the body of Christ to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children Services, and I'm your host, Herbie Newell. It's Wednesday, March 6, 2024, and Dr. Rick and I are coming to you from Birmingham, Alabama, where we are privileged to have today on the Defender Podcast, a friend of ours, a guy that we've had the privilege of being able to, be partnered in ministries, Some, more recently, actively. Others, a bit passively, but just encouraging one another. Beau Sides is such an encouragement.

I know you will be encouraged by hearing him today on this podcast. Just a little bit of background about Beau, he's the founder and president of Global Partners in Life, a nonprofit organization that excels in assisting orphans and widows and those with special needs globally with their humanitarian, educational, and medical needs. Beau considers the children he has served and gotten to know as his friends and is honored to be a small part of their lives. He's amazed by how abandoned children with medical issues remain happy and considers those children to be his teachers. But he's also the author of two books, both of which I have on my bookshelf, Lessons from China, A Westerner's Cultural Education, and Unseen Tears, The Challenges of Orphans and Orphanages in China.

These share, a fictional journey of international traveler Jan Cross, and the first book provides unique insight into Chinese culture, etiquette, and economic development. And the second book describes the challenges and joys of Jan's involvement with special needs orphans and orphanages. These are books that will truly enlighten you, on on Chinese culture and what the story of China really is. And and China as a as a love and as a point of just true calling in our lives is really how Beau and I were able to meet many years ago. Just this passion over caring for orphan and vulnerable children in China.

Well, before we do get to hear from Beau and, of course, the infamous Dr. Rick, I do wanna remind you that at Lifeline, we engage in holistic care around the globe for children who will not be adopted and for children who are vulnerable to slavery and poverty. We want them to have hope for their future and to know the grace of the gospel. And to do this, we partner with churches and ministries on the ground who are committed to the gospel and are changing these children's lives day in and day out. We connect with churches, ministries, and business partners in the US to do the work of God and to partner with him in the work that he is doing around the world. These partners can provide financial resources, on the ground ministry, and practical involvement, like Global Partners in Life, which provides necessary medical care to vulnerable children.

Every partnership contributes uniquely to God's work. How can your church or ministry impact the lives of children here at home and around the world? Visit lifelinechild.org/global. Again, that's lifelinechild.orgback/global for more information. Or as always, you can see the show notes.

Well, it's the time of the Defender podcast that everyone gets ready for, that they sit on with bated breath, and that is the time that you get to hear, the silver voice of the silver tongued one, Dr. Rick, the infamous Dr. Rick, the one that people love to, love and love to get autographs from. Dr Rick, so excited to have Beau on the podcast and excited to join you again this week, my brother.

It's it's great to to be able to have Beau here and for us to to reflect on the fact that this is Global Orphan Week. And and so this is a time, you know, when people around the world are setting, setting aside this week to think about the, know, the needs of vulnerable children around the world and and about how we in the church can can serve and come alongside that. And and so I you know, really excited for us to to get into this conversation and really, really excited, Beau, to talk to you today about Global Partners in Life and about the the the work that you do and and the ministry that you have. And so first of all, you know, brother, let me say, welcome to the Defender Podcast.

Thank you. Appreciate you having me with you today.

Well, Beau, one of the things I think would be helpful for the folks that that are listening is just to get to know you a little bit better. And so maybe if you can just kind of walk us through your story and and your personal journey of of how Global Partners in Life came to be, but also just how you came to to, you know, go from from where you started in the corporate world to, to a place of ministering to vulnerable children through, meeting medical needs.

Well, thank you again. And, I would be what a lot of people would consider a late bloomer, and by that I mean I was 31 before I became a Christian. And I was certainly brought up in a home that, went to church all the time, but I had this feeling many years at work that there was something else God wanted me to do, and I had no idea what it was. And I have a friend that played basketball in college and one of his teammates has a job where he puts teams together, sports teams, and it doesn't matter to sports, any sport, and he sends them out globally and they do friendship games, and it's just all about building relationships. So my friend said, hey, my buddy wants me to get a group to go to China, would you like to go?

And so a group of us went to a university in China where we spoke to the English majors and played basketball, Fell in love with the university, the culture, and I stayed in touch with the university and, they invited me to come back for 2 years. I said, well, I don't believe I could do that. And they said, alright. We'll make it easy for you. How about 1 year?

And I'm like, I don't think I can do that either. And they said, well, the shortest thing we could possibly do would be 1 semester, 5 months. So I got a leave of absence from work and a kitchen pass from my wife and fat, dumb and happy, here I am going to China to be a college professor. And if you knew anything at all about my academic history, you would find some irony in this. And one day in class, one of my girls, a female students that was usually very friendly was clearly upset about something.

I asked her if she was okay and she said, oh, there's been a horrible fire at a fireworks factory about an hour from here, many people died. And it just so happened that afternoon there was a teacher's meeting, and we asked the director of the foreign language department about it and she goes, yes. It's a very rural area and, there is no orphanage there and these children, there's 20 children that became orphans that day, they were just being taken in by local villagers and distant family members. So some of the teachers and I said, man, we have an opportunity here to step up. And we agreed that we would pony up and we would pay for these children regardless of what grade they were in, would pay all their educational expenses through high school, and we grew from that, not only paying for their educational expenses, but we were buying coats, hats, gloves, socks every year and we got some of the students from the university where I was taught to become like a mentor to these younger children, the orphans that we were helping.

And we would give the families some money for food and we knew how their grades were, who their homeroom teacher was, all that kind of stuff. So we just really kind of tried to build a supportive community around that. And when I returned from teaching there, I've been praying, fasting, seeking wise counsel, and reading the Bible and the first part of James 127, which loosely translated says the type of religion that's pleasing to God is taking care of orphans and widows, it was just on my mind like a bad song from the eighties. I couldn't get rid of it. And so I'm just praying.

I'm like, God, I don't know what you're doing here. I don't know any widows, and the only orphans I know are in China. So do you want me to serve orphans in China? And, through an amazing series of events of opening and closing doors, God opened a path for us, and we started Global Partners in Life. And, I've been on an amazing, beautiful journey ever since then.

Yeah. And, you know, one of the things that I've just loved, Beau, is is hearing about what Global Partners in Life does, and and really being able to get into that. Could you I love the personal piece. But you do you mind going in just a little bit deeper and tell us a little bit more about the the work of Global Partners in Life and and I know obviously in China, but how the Lord has even expanded that territory?

Absolutely. So now this was 2003 when I was teaching at the university, so some things have changed since then and one of the things that you had to do back then, you had to get a visa for each trip into the country. And I was staying there for a pretty long time, so I was getting some teaching jobs and I was teaching at one city and some of the, other teachers we had we were telling about some of the things we do and I started telling about the orphans that we were helping by the University and I said, well, we work with the orphans here in this city. Every Wednesday morning we go. How about going with us?

Sure, let's go. So we went Wednesday morning to this orphanage and when we opened the door, there's this sea of children that came running toward us. All of them had their hands up in the air wanting to be picked up and held, so I picked up a couple of them and just I was just like slowly turning and trying to absorb everything that was happening around me. And I found out one thing that they didn't tell me was that this was a special need orphanage. And I saw so many cleft pallets, club feet, I could go on and on, and this orphanage was actually an independent orphanage.

And by that, I mean that it wasn't run by the government and there were needs there that weren't being met and I'm very thankful for, my board of directors. They were very supportive of us getting really involved with, trying to meet these children's medical needs, the ones that could go to school. We try to get them an education so that they could be as independent as they could be one day. We tried to make sure that they had the adult supervision and care they needed, the food. We remodeled their kitchen, we remodeled their bathroom, just so many things like that.

And we just have grown from there to different countries and, actually Herbie has played a big part in helping us get connected, with other countries.

Well, Beau, maybe let's kinda dig into that a little bit just with your partnership with Lifeline and and the way that we work together through the the Global Orphan Care Network. Can you kinda talk about how those partnerships within the the network have really helped you and have helped, Global Partners in Life in achieving the the ministry goals that you have.

Well, first of all, I had to congratulate Lifeline on having such an extraordinarily good reputation. That is how we really got connected. There really back then in this little area where I live, there aren't a whole lot of entities that are involved in China trying to help orphans. And, so the reputation of Lifeline, so many people told me, oh have you heard of Lifeline? I know someone that adopted through them and I originally reached out to Herbie and, we again, there weren't that many people around here serving in China at the time.

So that's how we got started with our relationship. But, after several years of serving in China and China only, I really felt like God had released me. That's the only word I can think of, released me to serve in other countries. And as we wanted to try to increase the impact that Global Partners in Life had, I was looking for countries where I thought Americans would be welcomed, where we could easily travel and at one point I was specifically looking at Central and South America. So obviously, who do I go to? Herbie Newell.

So, thankfully, he has some contacts for me and, followed up with those, and, I actually have reached out to him a second time when I was looking for something in Western Europe. Again, I thought Americans would be able to go there and be welcomed and then I want to say it was maybe the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, I'm asking Herbie again, Herbie "man my heart is aching for these people" and I just got a bad feeling that the orphans that are there, they're trying to get out. The orphans that can't get out, there's gonna be more and more orphans. Do you have any contacts that, that I can reach out to and, partner with?

And, I'm just really thrilled to tell you that, gosh, we have built like 139 shanty homes for homeless widows in South America. We have, we're supporting a couple orphanages in Central and South America. So, I'm so blessed because I get to see the Bible come to life every day. The Bible says we are the body and, you know, I reach out to Herbie, he's got a much bigger footprint than we do globally. And, you know, he's very open handed with his contacts and Yeah.

Yeah. And, Beau, you're way too kind. I mean, obviously, it's all god's economy, and and I love just the the heart that you've always had and the willingness to go and to serve and to do exactly what God's called you to do and and the faithfulness to do exactly what God has called you to do. You know, knowing that all of this started in China, and China seems to be on the world stage at every turn that you go on a negative side. One of the things that I always try to do is help people understand how precious the people of China are and not allow the the the billions of people that live in China to be, you know, become just caricatures of their government.

Can you even expound on that? And and and I know you share that love for the Chinese people. And not just a love for them, but a desperation that they would come and know Christ Jesus. Talk about just the experiences you've had in China and a little bit about the culture that that's not on headline news.

I honestly consider China my second home. I've been there 61 times. I've had multiple teaching opportunities there that I'm very thankful for. The people there are so different from what we hear about in the news as the government relates to in China. The people are very humble.

They're very I'm stunned. I was in my early forties when I was teaching at the university and these kids just accepted me just like I was some another guy their age. Every Thursday afternoon we had a group that we would play basketball together. Every Saturday morning I had a group I played basketball with. Guys would come over, I had a DVD player, in my apartment.

We would watch all kind of movies together. I'm just just hang out just like I was their age. The people there, they want the same things we want. Believe me, the people I'm associating with, they have great frustrations about some of the things with their government, but they're very proud of their country, there's no doubt about that. Shanleyon, they're kind hearted, that's how you say it in Mandarin, Shanleyong.

So some of my best friends right now are in China. I'm so happy we were able to communicate, but they they are wonderful people. Yeah, I'm very very protective of them. I just cherish their, the relationship we've had and, they're wonderful. Just simply wonderful.

Yeah. And even even just as a follow-up because because I know the folks that listen, so many have a heart from for China either because they've served there or or maybe even a child that was born in China is now their son or their daughter. From what you know and from what you hear, and obviously, I know you wanna be very sensitive. But blanket, overall, what are some ways that you would encourage people to be praying for the country of China right now?

First of all, I want to say that I'm really happy to share with people about the improvement the government in China has made with the orphanages. They've upgraded many facilities, they're providing better care, so I'm very thankful to share that. There are certain freedoms that the Internet has exposed to people in China that they're now realizing they don't have and they would like to have them. So, that that would be, a definite, prayer request for the people of China. You know, China controls to a large part the media in China.

So, what what they see on the news is what they hear, what they read, what they know. So everything has a different slant to it than what we might see on our news and of course we can have conservative newscast here, we can have liberal newscast here. There's only one newscast that they get in China. So, some of the questions they ask me about world events are are really interesting because of the different perspectives we have.

You know, Beau, I was really struck and, in the partnership that we've been able to have in Ukraine, And it you know, hearing your story and and knowing I I feel like a little bit of a rookie when when, when I hear 61 times to China Okay. And and that being your 2nd home. We consider Ukraine our 2nd home, but I've only been there 26 times. So I feel like I need to, like, I need to step my game up. I'm booking a ticket even as we're talking because it's it's, you know, it's time to go.

But I think, you know, but seriously, I one of the things that I love is is the fact that you're you're committed to to this ministry and committed to serving vulnerable children and and and using humanitarian aid as a way to to present the gospel and and to live out the gospel wherever that might be. And but, man, I'd love it if if you could just sort of unpack for the folks that are listening. If they're trying to figure out how to do this, if they're trying to figure out how to how to take where they are today in in their lives, you know, perhaps in in a career, in, you know, in in in an industry that's that's not ministry. You know, folks that are living lives that are, you know, they're they're not they're not in, quote unquote, full time ministry, but they're called by God to do something in this area. What what would be your advice to somebody that's in that place and kind of praying through and and on that journey about, how to pursue the Lord and and, like, what's what steps do you take?

So I would encourage people to, listen to that voice they're hearing if if they're having multiple thoughts about serving in some way, I'm I'm gonna tell you that that's not your fault. That's the Holy Spirit knocking on your heart, and by all means, say yes. Like I said, well, I was 31 before I became a Christian. I said yes to becoming a Christian. I said yes to, starting this, nonprofit organization, Global Partners in Life, that God put on my heart to do.

And again, I've been so blessed through all this. I would hate for someone to cheat themselves as all the blessings they they could and will receive. When when I think about how, I lived until I was 31 to probably become a Christian, I know I cheated myself. I have a lot of blessings. So yeah, if you're having these thoughts, say yes.

Jump into it. I'm certainly living proof that your efforts will be blessed and you'll never know the impact you're having on someone else's life. Yeah, it would really be hard to quantify that, but, these people are like I mean, Lifeline Children's Services has so many people working and serving with them and just these are the heroes. The people that open their hearts, open their homes to these children in need that can't provide for themselves, can't meet their own needs. Man, just these programs that teach people how to be foster parents, even for special needs children.

I just, tip my hat just to the vision that Lifeline has just to have these services met, and I'm 100% sure that Lifeline can help someone, figure out how to serve in many different ways. No doubt in my mind.

Well, man, thank you. That that is, it it it's humbling to hear, you know, hear you say that. And I think, you know, what we all wanna do is we we wanna be obedient. We wanna we wanna be in the place that God has us, to be. And we wanna do those things that the Lord's put in our hands to do, in order to point people toward Jesus and and to use, you know, all that we have and every opportunity that we have to be able to do that.

And I just man, I'm so thankful for your your life, for your testimony, for the fact that you put your yes on the table. And, and that, you know, even something as, you know, out of the box and crazy sounding as, 5 months in China to go be a a college professor and and what the Lord's done and how he's used that. And and so, Beau, as we as we close out, love for tell people how to how to find you, how to find Global Partners in life, and and where they can go to find out some more details about your ministry and be able to connect with you. If there are folks out there that would, you know, that would like to talk or or, maybe they're wrestling through a lot of the same things that, you know, that that maybe you walk through in a season and and they, you know, they'd like to connect with you. How how can they find you?

Yeah. For those people that are wrestling with these decisions, I just wanna encourage you to to go ahead and jump in, the water's fine. I have no skill, no training with orphans, widows, nonprofits. All I did, all I did was just say yes to serving God, made myself available. He opened the doors, He guided and directed our steps, our thoughts and, you know, He's blessed us.

We turned 20 years old this April. So, go ahead, jump in. Absolutely. Our website is globalpartnersinlife.org and I am Beau Sides for Twitter, at Global PIL for Instagram. Those are some of our social media places.

Awesome. Well, that's folks can you know, there are several different ways that they can find you. Go to the website, email address, and things are there. You can find Bo on social media. But, friend, we're we're glad that we, that we know where to find you and that the Lord's put us together and given us an opportunity to be able to minister side by side.

And and we're, we're thankful for the work of Global Partners in Life. And and ultimately just thankful that, that when the Lord was, you know, not whispering, but maybe maybe speaking a little bit loudly to you, that, you know, that you said yes. And, and that you've, you've had 20 years of being able to put the gospel on display and being able to tell people about Jesus because of the things, that you said yes to. And and so, man, thank you so much for your friendship and your partnership. And we, we're we're glad and we want folks to we want folks to know what you're doing and, and and want them to, you know, if the Lord provides them with, with a way to get involved, we want them to.

And and so we commend Global Partners in Life to you and and Beau and and just are are very thankful for our relationship. And, you know, I think as we as we close out, that's one of the things that that we know that the Lord has given us all things to, you know, steward over. God's given us opportunities. He's given us given us relationships and friendships. And all of that, he intends for us to to leverage, to make Jesus known in the places where we are and and in the places where we can stretch to go.

And and so as we close out today's defender podcast, we just wanna, maybe challenge you this week to pray about what it is that the Lord may be calling you to do. What is it that God's asking you to do to stretch or to maybe get out of your comfort zone in order to do something, for his name's sake and in order to to point people that are that are far from Jesus to him. We're thankful for you. We're thankful that you've taken your time today to listen to another edition of the Defender Podcast. Herbie and I are going to be right back here next week again, and we'll have another guest.

But we'll always be talking about what the Lord has, called all of us to do in the body of Christ to minister to vulnerable children and vulnerable families. And we're thankful for your partnership in that. And so for, Herbie Newell, I'm Rick Morton. This is the Defender Podcast, and we'll see you soon.

Thanks for listening to the Defender Podcast. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the Defender Podcast to make it easier for more people to find. For more information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, visit us at lifelinechild.org. If you want to connect with me, please visit herbienewell.com. Follow us at Lifeline on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child.

You can email us directly at info at lifelinechild.org. Beloved, will you allow God to use the gospel to you to impact the life of a child? Please contact us because we are here to defend the fatherless. We'll see you again next week for the Defender Podcast.