The Frinks have been serving God for years. Eight years after the high school sweethearts had married and had their first child; God led them to take in a foster baby. That was the first of many.
Pam always had a heart for orphans.
I met them a few years back after they had moved into the original Shepherd's Gate home on Portola Avenue in Livermore. Alice Ann Cantelow founded the shelter there more than 25 years ago.
When Shepherd's Gate moved to its new campus across the street, the Frinks purchased the home and refurbished it with the help of members of their church, East Bay Fellowship in Danville. God had led them to take foster children for many years and when they moved into the former Shepherd's Gate home, they had 10 foster children—five of whom were in diapers. Yes, a labor of sharing God's love.
Over the next few years, 29 children lived in their home and were lovingly cared for by Pam and Pam.
After Rory retired from his career as an executive at Safeway, they were called to the next step—founding a Foursquare Church in Livermore that is called "The Rock." After establishing that church and seeing it grow, in 2010 they attended the annual denominational conference and were called to Africa.
God called them to Kigali in Rwanda, the site of the horrific genocide between tribes in 1994. They will be teaching and ministering to the pastors of the 22 Foursquare churches in the capital city.
In some circles, Rwanda has become a model for reconciliation as faith leaders have led the members of the tribes into accepting their horrible actions, asking for forgiveness and then working with relatives of people they murdered. I've heard amazing stories of people forgiving each other after transgressions that others would be looking for a machete to heal.
Rory and Pam and their five children will be walking along side and teaching Rwandans. It's taken nearly two years for the funding to be pledged and other pieces to fall in place and they are set to leave March 6.
Their story is one that continues to inspire me—may it do so for you as well. For more information, please see http://give.foursquare.org/frink.
