Ep 346 Seeds of Hope – Sowing Life, Love and Laughter ft. John Chalkias

Hope is still very much alive!

Today’s special guest is the man behind the Seeds of Hope Children’s Ministry, John Chalkias (pronounced Chalk-Is). John might be one of the most inspiring men we’ve ever had on the SBD podcast which is a bold statement. His passion and love for children is truly remarkable. He and his wife Susan have 9 children of their own!

In 1996 Seeds of Hope Children’s Ministry™ opened the first home for HIV/AIDS children in Thailand. Since that time, they have been involved in bringing aid to children in several countries. Their biggest projects are in Ndola, Zambia. The Buseko Children’s Home is the first and currently the only Home in Zambia specifically for HIV/AIDS affected or infected children.

Seeds of Hope relies on the generous involvement from people like you, who are able to support the ministry through their gifts of time, money, prayer, or gifts in kind. Seeds of Hope Children’s Ministry exists to equip children and those in need to love and serve Jesus Christ while becoming healthy, educated, responsible members of society.

"I just want people to know that God's calling all of us… What happens if you answer those calls? Because we get them all the time. We just don't hear them." -John Chalkias

Time Stamps

1:20 – Welcome to the ‘Strong by Design’ podcast

4:17 – Meet today's special guest, John Chalkias, Executive Director and co-founder of Seeds of Hope

9:44 – What led John to start the Child Sponsor program

14:42 – Failure to Thrive: John's heartbreaking experience in Thailand

20:14 – How a 'False Positive' HIV test impacts children neglected by society

22:06 – Saving the HIV Orphans in Africa

31:02 – John shares a shocking death story of an 18-month-old baby

33:07 – The Vision of Eternity: The beauty of life after death

38:10 – Anti-Retrovirals (ARVs): What is it and how does it work?

39:09 – The importance of quality education in Zambia

40:36 – Be in a Relationship with God: How should we respond to God's calling?

49:07 – Discover how the school's Education and Scholarship program works

54:00 – John shares a motivational message about God's calling for you

54:50 – Get the books, 'Amazing Abundance' and 'You Too Can Have An Amazing Life'

55:17 – What's next for John Chalkias with Seeds of Hope Children's Ministry

1:02:13 – A powerful story of a little girl who came out of her shell

1:10:47 – Connect with John Chalkias and Seeds of Hope Children's Ministry

1:11:53 – John's book, The Eulogy (Proverbs 21:21): a story of two wicked brothers