Sharing the Love of Christ Around the World

When Ronald and Stephanie Jordan married, they didn’t think twice about living beyond their means. “I like to shop. I like nice things,” Stephanie explained. Ronald added with a laugh, “You know, we were just spending.”

Ronald worked for a premier package delivery company, and Stephanie was an administrative assistant. While they had enough to pay their rent and basic bills, they used credit cards for everything else.

“You know, as long as we can afford the minimum payment, we were good to go,” Ronald stated.

They charged their timeshare, cars, clothes, meals out, and household items. When they maxed out one card, they got another. Ronald handled the finances and wasn’t worried because the bills were always paid on-time. Then a couple years into their marriage…“I was looking at credit card statements, just trying to figure out where the money was going,” Ronald shared. He confessed, “You start thinking about the future. You start thinking about, am I going to be able to get a house? Am I going to be able to retire? And if you don't have any money left over in the month, there's no way you can do those things.”

After a close examination of their financial situation, Ronald broke the news: the couple was $145,000 dollars in debt.

“It was almost like all this can't come from just eating out or just, you know, spending or that type of things,” Stephanie proclaimed. “But I mean, it was there. He had it all laid out.”

Then, a co-worker told Ronald about a Christian-based money management program. Ronald said, “I found out about tithing, by listening to other ministers and then just reading the Bible for myself. The scripture talks about money, really how you treat and deal with money, really is how you treat and deal with everything in your life. Up until that point, nothing else had worked. So why not take a chance and try?”

As they tithed, they stuck to a strict budget, committed to paying-off their debt. Stephanie said, “We cut back. I mean, to make the sacrifice for, you know, the financial freedom that we desired to have.”

Ronald added, “I turned in my smartphone and got a dumb phone, stopped eating out, started cooking more at home. And when our friends wanted to go out, we just said, ‘Hey, we can't, can't do it right now.’” 

Soon, Ronald and Stephanie started using money as a way to help others instead of satisfying themselves.

“It's like the scales coming off your eyes,” Ronald explained. “I wanted to give to God instead of spend on myself because my heart had been convicted. Like, you know, I really ‘gotta do this to honor God.'"

Stephanie contributed, “Things can go at any point. But being generous and caring for others are things that really hit to the heart.”

Within seven years of putting God first in their finances, the Jordan’s debt was gone.  

“We were free,” Ronald said. “It is a great feeling. And I would not go back for anything in the world. It just opened up so many options for Stephanie and I. We've been able to give more. In addition to the tithe, we sponsor three children through various organizations.”

Along the way, Ronald and Stephanie got raises and promotions at work. Then, out of the blue, Ronald was offered a new job. Since starting to tithe, his salary has more than tripled.

He proclaimed, “It’s no coincidence, right? You get certain areas of life in order and everything else just kind of falls in place.”

Today, the couple looks for opportunities to give.

“I'm a lot more empathetic and sympathetic and my eyes are open to the needs of the kingdom,” Ronald shared. “Only God can do that.”

They have their own home and recently took a dream trip to Israel. For others who want to see a turnaround in their finances, they suggest making tithing and giving a priority, like they have. “Examine God's word for yourself. Look up scriptures and different messages on the topic and then practice it and watch God work,” Ronald said.  

Stephanie concluded, “If you start tithing, God will definitely increase what you have. Give Him his 10% and God will definitely take care of you.”
 
 

Nirnay faced a daily struggle just to stay alive. A large gland under his tongue left him unable to speak, eat, or even breathe properly. Nirnay’s mother said, “It seems to get larger with each passing day.”

Nirnay’s father added, “For the whole first two years of his life, we could only give him milk.”

Nirnay’s parents tried to give him semi-solid food through the small opening at the top of his mouth, but that came with the risk of choking, and even infection.

His mother said, “Now his teeth are growing, and it hurts him so badly.”

“I have saved a little bit of money, but it isn’t nearly enough to pay for surgery to help him,” explained his father.    

When the family heard about Operation Blessing, they reached out to us. Thanks to the support of our partners, Operation Blessing sponsored Nirnay’s surgery.

“We express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who brought hope and happiness into our lives. This surgery changed our son’s life,” said his mother.   

His father explained, “We didn’t have to spend a single penny, and now he eats really well. He started calling me ‘Papa,’ and that is such a great gift."

“He looks handsome!” exclaimed his mother. 

His father said, “We are so thankful to all of you for saving our son's life.” 

When they were young parents, Christian and Crystal Rosenaus never imagined they'd have a carefree afternoon boating with their kids. While expecting their third baby, Christian shifted careers into real estate sales just before the 2008 housing bubble burst. 

Christian recalled: "I stressed out my wife so bad during that time. ‘What are we going to do? How are we going to make it.’"

Crystal remembered: "His commission checks dwindled to $130 for real estate. I was only a paralegal at that time. I was worried I wasn't [going to] get any maternity leave.”

For extra income, Christian landed a side gig as an events DJ on weekends.

Christian reported: "We're barely squeaking by with mortgage, utility bills, food, credit cards and medical bills, and all those things just start to pile up. It was just a really difficult time to have your income just kind of evaporate when you have a family to support.”

Like she'd done on each maternity leave, Crystal watched The 700 Club, where teaching on tithing and giving to God intrigued her. 

Crystal added: "When I look through the Bible, and I just see it everywhere, the first 10%. It's real. And, so, when I brought that to my husband and was like, 'well, we need to tithe.'"

Christian recalled: "I just kind of felt like, you know, it's my money. We worked for it."

As Christian wrestled with fully trusting God, they occasionally gave at church. 

Crystal remembered: "Christian struggled with that a little bit. You know, like, ‘why are we giving to the church when we've got bills to pay?’"

Christian said: "It was a long struggle. It was ongoing because church is every Sunday, right? We would just kind of twenty bucks, you know, you're in there, ‘oh, we're giving something to God. It's a little something.’ It wasn't the real deal." 

To stay afloat, they refinanced their house, extracting thousands in cash from its equity to cover expenses. Despite Christian's doubts, the couple first tithed from the cash they received, and then they paid bills. They had 3,500 dollars left as their future savings.

Christian remembered: "I did kind of want to hold back and go, are we, am I sure? Like we could use this money. 'Okay, God, you can have it.' And when I let go of it and just trusted God, I started to feel joy about it. Like, I just felt like this release. Like God's got this."

A week later, the events company owner where Christian DJ'd, took him to lunch.

Christian explained: "She says, we want to sell the business and we want to sell it to you. And I thought, 'I can't buy a business right now! I don't have the money – what that would look like, what that would cost?'" 

However, the down payment for the franchise matched his bank balance.

Christian recalled: "So I run out and call my wife, and I say, 'Hey, they're offering to sell us this business for exactly what we have in our bank account.’ She doesn't hesitate. She just says, 'Well, you told her yes. Right?'"

The Rosenaus' put up the down payment and bought the business, while the former owners financed a loan for the remaining franchise value. Revenue flowed in immediately for Christian and Crystal and, with it, an income to consistently tithe.

Christian recalled: "I'm down in the basement of our house on the phone, calling venues, calling prospective brides, just really working the business, and started to see immediate results. Our business income doubled every year for about the first five or six years."

Within seven years, they paid off the loan for the franchise. As their income continued to increase, so did their tithe and giving to ministries like CBN.

Crystal said: "Terry...with all she does with Orphans Promise. It is just, it had my heart. Everything that CBN does is just for His glory and just to make lives better for people around the globe."

Christian added: "If you give to CBN knowing that you're helping support the great commission, what else is there? Like, that's, that's the number one goal of God calling us to do that."

The Rosenaus' hope others embrace what they learned about tithing, giving, and God's faithfulness. 

Christian concluded: "In my mind, had we not tithed, I would not be sitting where I am today in a way better financial situation than I ever could have been. What we do as a family is we give our first fruits and trust in God, and He provides everything else. Never stop tithing! And, then, just watch and watch Him take care of you.”

Kayla described, “I was the stay-at-home mom. My husband was the sole provider. I never saw myself being the one to get divorced. Things were really, really, really hitting rock bottom. I couldn't fix it. I couldn't fix it on my own.”

In the wake of her painful divorce, Kayla took on the roles of both caregiver and breadwinner.

“I went into panic mode, and I was stressing because my kids were in school, how am I going to find a job that provides the hours that I need where I can be home for my kids?” Kayla said.

That's when the doors opened for Kayla to take a job cooking at a church daycare center.

Kayla recalled, “It just fell into place. And it was a daycare, so they provided childcare for my youngest as well. It was a reminder that God is providing because who else could give you exactly what you're needing like that with the hours and everything and all the things I was stressing and worrying about.”

The church daycare is next-door to Operation Compassion, a partner of Operation Blessing.

“I said, ‘Yeah, I could probably benefit from that because if they can help me save on groceries, that would help me provide in other areas at home,’” Kayla said.

The food Kayla and her family received provided the relief she needed.

Kayla described, “I feel like I'm accomplishing something knowing that I’m providing for them, that they're getting what they need. As a mother, that's what you want for your kids. You never want to see them do without or struggle or hurt or anything like that. So to see them smile and happy, that made me feel like, okay, this is okay.”

Kayla now works at a community action center, which provides even more support and stability for her family. On the path to becoming a teacher, Kayla is immensely grateful for the help she received along the way.

Kayla said, “In the midst of everything falling apart, the Lord still showed up in His own time and in His own way. I feel hope now.”

Thanks to you, Kayla received the help she needed during one of the most difficult times of her life.

Kayla concluded, “I felt like I wasn’t alone anymore. I had people fighting for me. There was someone that cared. Thank you!”