The 7 Billion Reasons story is about our Savior, Jesus Christ, and about how He called us to further His kingdom.  Interestingly, the story doesn’t start with the day 7 Billion Reasons was formed.  In retrospect, we see how years earlier God was creating a desire for this ministry in our hearts through mission trips, jobs, and volunteering at church.  All these experiences fit together in 2012 when a couple of trips to Africa changed everything.  Our desire to serve, to meet needs, to act intentionally came to a full boil and 7 Billion Reasons was born.
 
In the spring of 2012 Chris flew to Kenya with Compassion International and later that summer Mark and Lori traveled to Uganda and Rwanda.  Serving in various orphanages, we met countless children who lived with unthinkable disease, famine, and poverty on a daily basis.  As we walked through the villages, we witnessed the destitution, despair and hopelessness of adults unable to meet even the most basic needs of their families.  These trips were life changing for us.

When we returned to our lives in suburbia, the Holy Spirit initiated an intense searing feeling that God wanted us to respond to the spiritual and material needs we had seen.  We simply could not ignore the immense depravity we encountered. One verse came to mind again and again, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5: 14-15)

We began to pray. How could we share the love of Jesus Christ with these precious people?  How could we meet the extensive spiritual, educational, and physical needs in impoverished communities throughout the world?  As we continually brought our desires to God, seeking His will, we believed that through a non-profit, we could help bring nurturing educational environments into these villages, including excellent academics, sound biblical instruction, and the skills needed to help themselves.  These are all keys to helping communities develop sustainable economies and break the cycle of poverty.

So in the fall of 2012, 7 Billion Reasons was born. Why the name 7 Billion Reasons?  There are 7 billion people in the world and every one of them is a reason for us to do something outside of ourselves and become a servant to others.