This is the seventh entry in our “TOP TEN Highlights From 10 Years of Ministry” series. Click here to read previous entries>>>

7. Launching Our Student Initiatives

Ever since the Chapmans’ daughter Emily began pestering her parents to adopt while she was just a young girl, the Chapmans have known that young people, and especially students, are the untapped resource that can make the biggest dent in the orphan crisis. It was therefore extremely exciting to launch our Student Initiatives  in 2010, and to see high school Movement Clubs and the college Red Bus Project come into fruition. Thousands of students have taken concrete steps to care for orphans as a result!

Learn more about Show Hope’s Student Initiatives >>>

Two months ago I was living what I would call a pretty comfortable life. I had a job that paid well, a great house to live in, friends that most could only dream of having, and I was okay with it all. Never did the thought cross my mind that three short weeks later I would be moving five-and-a-half hours west to be a part of an internship that I never in a million years expected to be blessed with.

I have never been more convinced that God has a fantastic sense of humor.

Here I sit, balancing somewhere between reality and what I am sure could only be a dream.

I arrived the evening before my internship with the Red Bus Project started. Although I felt completely unprepared, I felt this excitement that I still can’t fully explain. I don’t think I can fully communicate how AMAZING this team is. These interns are world changers. I’ve never been a part of such a solid team that still has more fun than anyone could describe in words. I’ve laughed harder in the past few weeks with the four other interns and Chris Wheeler than I have in the past few years combined. I pray these relationships only grow stronger over the next few months and will continue for years to come.

The first few weeks in the Show Hope office consisted of processing donations, brainstorming new ideas, shooting promo videos, writing emails, and trying to prepare for a tour that most of us had never experienced. It was a great time to learn where we fit in the team. It was a great preparation for the first week of tour.

On March 5th, we arrived in Asheville, NC at 5am for the first day of the Spring 2013 tour. We had only slept two hours on the overnight trip. We had never set up the bus as a team. But somehow we rallied, set up and opened the bus, and had a fantastic day. I’m still not entirely sure how we pulled it off so well. The day involved a cold start, some dancing, a little bit of limbo, tree climbing, and multiple cornhole competitions. It was a great start to what turned into a challenging but successful first week of tour.

Three days, a monsoon, a mountain trek, a snowfall, amazing volunteers, and a broken-down bus (thanks to Hemphill Brothers for getting us fixed up for next week!) later, we completed our first week of tour. We arrived back in Franklin as a colder, but stronger team.

This brings us to sometime around today. We’re digesting everything that happened last week, tweaking things for the next tour leg, and preparing to hit the road again next Monday. We’re thankful for the week off from tour, but at the same time we’re completely anxious to get back out on the road with the Red Bus Project as we journey to Indiana for a five days.

Please keep our Red Bus team in your prayers. While we adore what we are doing, we are quickly discovering that we aren’t as invincible as we thought. We leave a lot on the road, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Follow the Red Bus Project’s journey through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and our website. We hope to see you on the road!

Upcoming Red Bus Project Tour dates:
3.18 University of Evansville – Evansville, IN
3.21 Taylor University – Upland, IN
3.26 Furman University – Greenville, SC
3.27 Brevard College – Brevard, NC
4.4 Georgia State University – Atlanta, GA
4.9 Lipscomb University – Nashville, TN
4.11 Western Kentucky University – Bowling Green, KY

Show Hope’s Red Bus Project is officially half way through the spring tour! As the orphan care project continues to gain momentum on college campuses through social media and news media, we are excited to see more and more students joining the movement to care for orphans through this amazing student initiative!

Here are some media highlights from the past week:

“As the bus pulled in at the University of Tennessee and tents began to go up, I honestly felt an excitement. I was able to travel on the bus the past week, but there was something special about seeing it happen on my college campus. First off I have to give a shout out and a huge thanks to all of the amazing people that have traveled with the bus for the past three weeks. They do an unbelievable job and make the Red Bus Project such a great experience for everyone!

“So many students began to come out and shop, hang out, and even volunteer. For me, that’s what is so cool about the Red Bus Project. It combines two of my deepest passions: orphan care and students taking action. Being able to share past experiences with peers and encourage them to get involved was such a blessing. Throughout the day there was a consistent flow of students with questions and opportunities to share. I am so thankful for not only what the Red Bus does in coming to college campuses, but for the invitation to help stop the orphan crisis. They were a light on UT’s campus. Thanks for everything RBP team!”

-Dan Martin, University of Tennessee sophomore and 2012 Maria’s Big House of Hope summer intern

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The WKRN Nashville News 2 team also covered the Red Bus Project last week at Trevecca Nazarene University:

To view photo galleries from past Red Bus Project events and see the upcoming tour dates, visit RedBusProject.org.

A big red bus came to my school on Friday. A big red bus filled with clothes, shoes, and accessories. A big red bus serving a greater purpose.

The red bus parked on the lawn of the student hub at Berry College, naturally drawing a crowd. The campus buzzed with energy as people flocked to the bus to purchase new treasures. It was amazing for me to watch my classmates and friends come face to face with the cause I hold so dear to my heart. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched people go on and off the big red bus, trying on outfit after outfit and finally making their purchases final. I smiled because the Red Bus Project is about so much more than buying second hand clothes–it’s a story of redemption.

Redemption? Yes. You see, all the clothes on the big red bus are “leftovers.” They are the shirts and skirts and pants that someone didn’t want anymore. They are the things that sit in the closet unworn until someone is finally forced to clean out in order to buy the newer, trendier things. They are the outfits that are often overlooked–even forgotten.

As I think of things forgotten, I think of the treasures around the world that have also been forgotten. I think of the precious children sitting in orphanages and in foster homes who receive no special attention whatsoever. I think about the treasures I was able to hold in my arms in China, I think about the little ones I pray for in Africa, I think of the ones waiting in foster care in America. It’s so easy to go about our daily lives forgetting them, overlooking them, or pretending they don’t exist.

But then I look at the big red bus and I see students rummaging through all the forgotten clothes. And one by one, I see people walking away with something new, something uniquely theirs, something restored. I see all the forgotten outfits come to life under new ownership.

And then I think of all the former orphans I know who have been adopted. They are no longer what they used to be. They are no longer forgotten or overlooked. They have been redeemed and restored. They have a last name. They have a family and a future. And I also think of the ones who are still waiting for their forever family. It seems that these children have been forgotten. And in the world’s eyes, this may be true. But Jesus has not overlooked these precious ones. He is restoring them, He is looking upon them, and He has not forgotten them. That is redemption.

The Red Bus is a sight to behold. Its flashy and hip and exciting…but it’s way more than that. I am so thankful that I was able to witness God’s heart for the orphan colliding with my college campus. And I can only pray that this big red beacon of redemption will continue to shine God’s heart into the lives of students across the southeast and beyond! Thanks for coming to Berry, Red Bus Project!!

Want to learn more about the Red Bus Project?
Watch this video recap of their first week on tour!

The Red Bus Project is officially on the road! We can’t believe it. Monday was a day of incredible emotion – just seeing the bus rolling down the highway was remarkable. Our whole team is so excited to finally see this come to life with real students shopping on the bus and coming out to hear Caleb play.

Even with last minute (5AM!) adjustments to the Red Bus, head colds, and some pretty threatening weather, our team pulled together to make this first day a huge success. The staff and crew on the Red Bus are some of the finest servants on the planet.

Of course, we couldn’t have done it without a ton of support from Martin Methodist University’s students and staff! A huge “thank you” goes out to Brandi Belcher, Martin Methodist’s Americorps/Vista Martin Serves Coordinator, for coordinating the on-campus promotion and student volunteers. The amount of clothes that were pre-collected and that came in on Monday was overwhelming in the best possible way. For being the first campus on our tour, Martin Methodist students have already blown us away by making a BIG impact for orphans through their donations and their purchases on the Bus!

This first event was all about serious hustle from passionate people. All the late nights and long meetings spent preparing for this day paid off big time. After an incredible day of connecting with the students of Martin Methodist in Pulaski, TN, we’re excited to see what these students do next to serve orphans!

Lee University – you’re next! We can’t wait to see you tonight!

Check out the Martin Methodist tour gallery here >

As cheesy as the title of this blog might sound . . . it is the truth. I can remember being at college in Texas (Baylor University…Sic ‘Em Bears) and phoning back home and talking my Mom’s ear off about how we had to somehow reach the college campus to care for orphans. When I came on staff with Show Hope in January 2008, I probably wore everyone out at Show Hope talking about a college tour or some sort of event that would have an impact and produce long-lasting change among college aged students to care for orphans . . . and perhaps even adopt someday! So, a conversation began back in 2007/2008 and it is becoming reality in just a few days time! I am sad I will miss the debut of Show Hope’s college project, but I am so thrilled for all the hard work the team has put into making The Red Bus Project pretty much the most amazing thing EVER!

So, those of you who know my brother Caleb know that he is a goof and has really crazy, out there ideas sometimes (the Chapman family is full of crazy, big dreamers…I think we get it from our Mom). For instance, the other day I heard that when the tornadoes were about to hit TN, he was outside trying to mount his GoPro camera in a tree to catch footage of the storm. Not smart bro, not smart. Caleb and Chris Wheeler, the director of Student Initiatives at Show Hope were dreaming and scheming one day about this college tour idea . . . and they were trying to think of something that would draw attention of the college crowd . . . music, coffee, what would it be? And somewhere in Caleb’s mind he thought, what if we got a double-decker bus like the ones you see in the movies shot in London and refurbish it on the inside to be a rolling thrift store from which all the profits go to help care for orphans and raise awareness of the more than 140 million motherless and fatherless children in our world? I mean, Caleb . . . a double decker bus . . . from England? Go big or go home, right? Well, there may or may not be a Red Bus in Franklin, TN that is about to hit to road and come visit a city near you! To make a long story short and to keep you on the edge of your seat wondering exactly what the Red Bus Project is . . . all I am going to say is if the Red Bus is coming ANYWHERE near you this spring on the college tour get there to see this incredibly crazy, out there idea that has come to life all for the purpose of raising awareness of the orphan crisis and engaging college kids to act now to care for these children. Plus, the band Caleb will be playing a live concert and lets be honest, their music is epic. I am so proud of the student initiative team at Show Hope (Caleb, Chris Wheeler, Jesse Blinn, Sarah Fess).

Can you tell I am excited???

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on Emily’s personal blog.

Show Hope’s Red Bus Project is about to get on the move for orphans! There are only a few days left until our first date at Martin Methodist College! Everyone has been working so hard in preparation for this; our team has already been out on the road pre-promoting and paving the way for the bus in order to make each event as successful as it can be!

A normal stop on Show Hope’s Red Bus Project Tour will look like this… We will set up in a central location on each college campus on the tour. We’ll have fun music playing and welcoming faces wearing Red Bus t-shirts who will be available to engage students and help direct them. Alongside the double-decker bus, we will have tents that house the dressing rooms, cashier, information booth, merch booth, etc… There will also be a stage and set up for the evening Caleb concert! Students will shop and watch promo videos, take pictures with their friends and the bus, sign up to win things and to receive follow up emails, talk to us about Show Hope and about the Red Bus Project, bring their friends to the concert that evening, find out about trips and local opportunities, and the list goes on! This one event will give us so many different types of opportunities to connect with college students.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

o   Share/Tweet/Pin this blog! (Use the social media sharing icons at the top right or bottom of this post)

o   Email your friends in the cities/colleges and tell them to come see the bus! EVERYONE is welcome to come at any time during the day… college student or not!

o   Send out information to any college students you may know at any of these schools listed above! Let them know that they can bring clothes to donate, they can shop, they can come to the concert, or they can just simply come look!

o   If you or any of your friends have clothes that college students could be interested in wearing (on-trend and in great condition), you can donate them at tour locations!

o   Encourage any students you may know to collect clothes from their friends and bring the donations to the bus on the day of their local event! We are only looking for clothes in good condition

Learn more >