Iris Global is a non-profit organization committed to expressing a living and tangible response to those commandments that Jesus called greatest:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
and…
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”
After 40 years, the organization continues to grow. Its rich history tells of deep compassion and reverent dedication to a God Who’s love knows no bounds. Stop for the One is the child sponsorship program for Iris Global and ministers to the needs of children around the world.
In 1980, Iris Global was founded by Rolland and Heidi Baker. Starting out as a US based short-term mission commission, the organization quickly grew to long term missions as well. The Bakers moved to Bali, Indonesia in 1985, then to Hong Kong, China after their visas were denied to Bali. There they evangelized to slums; the beginning of their devotion to Jesus together in dedicated service, relentless compassion, and practical, hands-on assistance. After four years, they moved to England to pursue theological studies at the University of London. While completing their studies, they continued participating in humanitarian work and evangelism. Eventually, the Bakers planted a church there named Believer’s Centre.
Rolland and Heidi moved to Mozambique in 1995, the place where they and their ministry would stay and grow from. When the Bakers came to Mozambique, a childcare center called Chihango was offered to be put in their care by some government officials. Most of the children there had no family and were outcast or from the streets. Many of the children had suffered physical and sexual abuse and most had STDs. The country was war-torn, and the facility was in disrepair. There was a lack of access to clean water, food, medical supplies, and other essentials were scarce. The area suffered from extreme poverty, but the Iris team implemented change quickly as buildings were renovated. The children began an educational routine and spiritual exposure that put them on a highway to thriving. Hardly any government aid was provided in these necessary implementations to improve the children’s way of life. God held them tightly, and there was always enough, though sometimes it didn’t make sense. The children’s behavior and attitude began improving as healing took place and they encountered the Lord. They had unexplainable joy! When the Bakers and Iris staff took over, there were 80 children at the facility and within a year the population grew to over 320 children.
The corrupt government system began to impose itself on Iris and witch doctors would gather at the outside of the base, chanting curses. Iris received threats, vehicles were stopped and bribed, and many supplies were stolen. They soon found out that the former administrators were unwillingly removed from the children’s facility and they wanted it back, even convincing corrupt officials to oust Iris from the property. Death threats started ensuing and eventually, the Iris team was given 2 days to vacate; they left very reluctantly and only as the last possible option.
The children refused to follow the rules of the corrupt administrators and they were beaten for worshipping God. One by one, sometimes in groups, they left the compound. They found the Baker’s home and began camping in their front yard. They only had a small, one-story house and their yard was concrete. Some local organizations offered to house some children for a short time until the Bakers could find somewhere to take the children. Still, more than 50 children remained at the house. A friend from the U.S. embassy, came to visit the Bakers, bringing a pot of chili for the immediate family. ‘I have a big family,’ Heidi replied. Nelda protested that she had only brought enough for the Bakers, but Heidi gave thanks for the food and immediately began serving it to the encamped kids. The pot, brought to feed four, was not empty until everyone had eaten!
After some time, Iris was donated an undeveloped lot of land and was given two abandoned army tents and a big circus tent by some sympathetic government officials. They soon dug a well so they had clean water. From the ground up, they started a new children’s center in Machava. Into Iris’s third year in Mozambique, they started a second base in Zimpeto.
Not long after, Heidi went to a conference in North America. She was sick, exhausted, and needed renewal. At this conference, she had an encounter with the Lord that was pivotal in the development and growth of Iris Global. One night she began to go into deep intercession for the children of Mozambique. She began to see thousands coming towards her. She cried, “No, Lord, there are too many!” Then she saw Jesus and heard him say, “Look into my eyes. You give them something to eat.” He took a piece of his broken body out of his side and it became bread, and she began to give it to the children. Again Jesus said, “Look into my eyes. You give them something to drink.” He gave her a cup of the blood and water that flowed from his side, and she gave this to the children to drink. The Lord said, “There will always be enough bread and drink because I paid the price with my life. Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” She returned to Mozambique with supernatural strength.
Iris Global has grown exponentially and is now a multi-faceted organization. Rolland and Heidi speak at conferences all over the world and are also ordained pastors. Under the organization, medical clinics, disaster relief teams, the Stop for the One Program, churches, schools, and many other programs have been opened. Iris Global currently feeds well over 10,000 children a day, as well as various members of many other communities, currently including 4,000 families in Malawi. Its network of churches also numbers more than 10,000, including about 2,000 churches among the Makua people of northern Mozambique. In 2004, the Baker’s left Zimpeto in the capable hands of the Lazars from Australia and moved permanently to Pemba. Iris Global has over 60 locations in 30 nations. Iris continues to expand, expressing the love of Jesus in every act of compassion and valiantly sharing the hope of the Gospel.
