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Don't Despair! Choose Your Own Life's Sermon

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For more than 40 years, parents of hospitalized children have found comfort and care at a nearby Ronald McDonald House. The international non-profit organization relies on the community and workers who go the extra mile. 

One man sees his work there as an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus. His name is Oie Osterkamp.

Looking at him, you can tell he's a man who lives his faith. He says people will know what you believe simply by watching you. 

"Every morning when you get up and your feet hit the ground, you're preaching a sermon," he said. "You get to choose every day of your life what your sermon is going to be for that day."

Osterkamp is the executive director of the Ronald McDonald House of Durham, North Carolina. It provides free room and board to families with kids at the world-renown Duke Children's Hospital.

'It Changed Our World'

Susan Brown is one of the grateful recipients of the hospitality offered by the Ronald McDonald House Durham. Her son Howell was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer.

"It changed our whole world, to be honest with you," she said. "Because when he walked into surgery he was an 80-pound little boy, full of life, able to walk in, to have his seven-hour brain surgery. He came out and he's not walking now."

Howell's recovery will take time - and he's not alone. Many of the children who come to Duke Children's Hospital need to stay for weeks or even months. Howell could not afford a hotel. 

According to Osterkamp, that's a common problem among parents.

"And a lot of them come here with no place to stay. And a lot of their families have given all of their resources to the doctors for the one chance their child might get better, and they're totally prepared to sleep in the hospital or sleep in the back seat of their car if they need to," he said.

Not only does the Ronald McDonald House provide a comfortable bed and a warm meal for the parents, the sick children often stay with their parents. Howell did so in between chemotherapy treatments.

"It's really nice over there," Brown said. "They fix dinner every evening at 6 o'clock and then on the weekends they have brunch. It's real nice and clean."

Osterkamp said he and his staff are committed to meeting the everyday needs of the parents so they are free to concentrate on the health and well-being of their child.

"The first thing, whenever they come in the door, is they feel loved," he said. "That's what we're all about here at the Ronald McDonald House. We're about love, we're about comfort, and we're about peace."

Osterkamp says God prepared him for dealing with overwhelmed parents. He knows all too well what it feels like to experience the depths of despair. Not long ago, he lost his multi-million dollar company, then shortly thereafter, his marriage. 

However, it was when he was penniless, homeless, and jobless that he gained a better perspective.

"A lot of times our prayers are, 'God give me this. Give me that,'" he said. "And I believe what has helped me is to change that prayer around, and say, 'God what do You want me to learn from this? God, what can I do in this particular situation that will most glorify You?'"

A 'Sharefish' in a Selfish World    

Osterkamp discovered the way out of despair is through helping others. He wrote about his journey in the book, Being a Sharefish in a Selfish World.

"I grew up in eastern North Carolina and my mamma taught me it was better to be a 'sharefish' than a 'selfish,' and she always had a very giving heart," he told CBN News.

"And she said, 'The more you give, the more you get in return,' just like it says in the Bible," he continued. "And I have found that to be true."

He says the Ronald McDonald House has received so much from the local community, which donates nearly all of money and supplies needed to operate the facility.

The community is also generous when it comes to donating time, such as cleaning the common areas, answering the phones, greeting guest families, baking and cooking.

"We have one local church here," Osterkamp said. "That, part of their mission for the year, was to come over here every Monday night and cook supper for everybody in the house."

Reaching Out to Honduras

In addition to helping struggling families at the Ronald McDonald House in Durham, North Carolina, Osterkamp is also changing families about 1,500 miles south of there in the beleaguered nation of Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Years ago, on a church mission trip, he realized how the lack of education created a cycle of poverty.

Since then, his team has provided schooling to remote villages, which includes everything needed for children to make it all the way through high school. It's called Sharefish.

"I have felt like I have a family the in the United States," one Honduran mother said. "I'm very happy and thankful to each one of the persons who has such a big heart to help our children."

Before Sharefish, children in several impoverished villages were destined to spend their lives picking sugar cane or cantaloupes. Now, they feel they can do anything, according to one young woman.

"It's four of us who've graduated from Sharefish, we're very happy," the young woman said. "And that way we serve as an example to the other children so they follow the same path."

The Honduran government provides free education through the sixth grade, but only if the students pay for all of their supplies, including mandatory uniforms.

Love Thy Neighbor

That's too expensive for most rural families who earn, on average, the equivalent of just $3 a day. Osterkamp says when he learned this, his mission became clear.

"The man asked Jesus, 'What is the greatest commandment?' and Jesus said, 'Love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself,'" Osterkamp said.

"And to us, this is a perfect example of your neighbor because these folks are forgotten folks even in their own country," he added.

Sharefish provides a community center, a computer lab, a library and dozens of educational tools and games for toddlers. That way, entire families can learn.

So whether it's in another country or in your own back yard, Osterkamp is living proof that by serving others you can dramatically improve your own life, as well.

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About The Author

Lorie Johnson
Lorie
Johnson

As CBN’s Senior Medical Reporter, Lorie Johnson reports on the latest information about medicine and wellness. Her goal is to provide information that will inspire people to make healthy choices. She joined CBN in 2008 and has interviewed some of the world's leading doctors and researchers from The Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Duke, and more. She kept viewers up to date throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with regular appearances onThe 700 Club, Faith Nation, and Newswatch. She has reported on many ground-breaking medical advancements, including the four-part series, Build a