February 25, 2011
By Fungyee Lam, serving in Taiwan
The following is an adapted excerpt from Fungyee’s recent prayer update.
The city of Qidu is full of temples and people who worship idols every day. Praise God that through various means, we have gotten to know some of the people in the community. Every Tuesday afternoon, we have a beading class. Many women have been attending, and new people keep coming.
For the past year, we have been visiting these ladies in their homes and telling them about Jesus. However, sometimes it is discouraging because they have not yet wanted to receive Him as Savior. Why is it so hard? One reason is that most of these women practice ancestor worship. They believe that if they do not worship their ancestors, they will be cursed. The eldest son is the one who inherits the responsibility to worship ancestors, but the wife is the main person who handles all the worship. So, it takes a lot of courage for the wife to go against her husband’s wishes by accepting Christ. Pray that God will raise up Christian brothers to reach out to these husbands.
Every Wednesday afternoon, my coworkers and I have an art class for elementary school students. We share Bible stories during the first 20 minutes of class. These children do not have the freedom to come to church on Sunday. Even if they wanted to know more about Jesus, their parents would not let them to come. However, praise God that a few of these children started to come to our children’s gathering every Saturday two months ago. Pray that these children will change their behavior because of Jesus and that their parents will see their changed lives and realize that Jesus is the one, true God.
In addition to reaching out to women and children in the community, we have a few ladies, youth, and children who have been coming to Qidu Gospel Center for the past four to five years. Pray that these people will see Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives, not just a small part of their lives. The youth and children are mostly from dysfunctional families and have not received love. Most have very low self-esteem and could not see a future for their lives. Praise God that recently, I have seen changes in these children. One of them wants to be an international worker in the future; the other wants to be a pastor. Pray that the youth and children will continue to grow in Christ, that they will really see God’s love and understand that each one of them is precious in His eyes.
We praise God that for the past few months, a woman came to the center and has been fervently seeking God. She had a hard life and realized that God has been calling her through her aunt and other people. Praise God that she was baptized this Christmas; pray for her spiritual growth.
Thank you again for your support and prayers for all these people—they really need God. We continuously ask Him to have mercy on them and take away the veil from the eyes so that they can see that He is the one, true God.
What You Can Do
Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with overseas workers, like Fungyee, to introduce lost people to Jesus.
By Jeff and Jo Kiel, serving in Brazil
The following is an adapted excerpt from Jeff and Jo’s recent prayer letter.
As we reflect upon the past year, we have much for which to be thankful. We would like to highlight a few things that have happened in our lives and ministry, asking you to pray with us, believing in faith for God’s answers, and to rejoice with us for what He has done.
The Lord worked powerfully in a member of our Caxias church on October 6; the Holy Spirit convicted this man of sin, and his life changed 100 percent. He had been addicted to many things, but God empowered him to be a different man. Even his family has noticed. He is on fire for the Lord and has been witnessing and helping other men in our church come into a closer walk with Jesus.
The man’s wife is so happy—this is what she had hoped and prayed for during the last 13 years. The couple will be baptized this year. Please pray that God will continue to use them and that they will grow in the Lord.
Refreshed and Renewed
In November, I (Jeff) spoke at a youth retreat for our two churches in Porto Alegre. About 100 young people were present. After I finished the Sunday morning message, one of our Brazilian pastors gave a heartfelt plea for the kids to seek the fullness of God’s Spirit in their lives. Many of the youth came forward; I would estimate about 60 or more. Some approached the altar; others knelt or even lay prostrate on the bare, concrete floor. Almost all were weeping and intensely seeking the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
The impassioned praying went on for more than an hour before the pastor ended the service. It was already past noon, and lunch was being served. I praised God for the presence and manifestation of His Spirit among us. I have seen a number of manifestations of God’s Spirit in my 24 years in Brazil, but none as powerful as this. We all went home, rejoicing in the refreshing renewal we received from God’s work in our lives.
Thanks to all of you who have prayed and given to our work- we could not be here without your prayers and support! During our last year in Brazil, pray that God will equip the church to be strong and that the Brazilian pastor of His choice will be here in our place when we leave in December.
What You Can Do
Pray that Jo and Jeff will finish well in preparation for the Brazil field’s closing. Also, pray for Jo as she develops a new seminar to be used in evangelistic outreaches this year in Caxias and in Sao Paulo.
Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with overseas workers, like Jeff and Jo, to build Christ’s Church worldwide.
February 24, 2011
By Cindy Cook, serving in Côte d’Ivoire
Earlier this month, our international ministry team serving West Africa Alliance Theological Seminary (FATEAC) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, returned to the country. (The team was forced to leave the country in December because of political unrest.) Here’s an adapted excerpt from a recent update sent by Cindy Cook—Matthew and Cindy Cook are one of three FATEAC international worker couples.
Côte d’Ivoire’s population continues to experience human rights violations, food shortages, and skyrocketing prices for basic supplies. Now, banks are closing. All of this affects our FATEAC students.
Let me explain.
Even before the December elections, basic food supplies, like sugar, were available in the country only sporadically. Because of the current crisis, there is now an even greater supply shortage. Prices have also gone up—in some cases more than 100 percent, and still climbing—for food stuffs, like rice, and for cooking fuels such as charcoal. Almost all of our FATEAC students are on fixed scholarships; so when food prices go up, they use up their scholarship funds faster.
Since the elections, we’ve also heard of reported “death squads” terrorizing neighborhoods populated by followers of the opposition party. In addition, we’ve had witnesses to police harassing foreigners living in the country. For example, four FATEAC students have been hassled, detained, or beaten by the Ivorian “forces of order.”
Bank Closures
This week, we’ve seen a rash of bank closures; at least six international banks have closed their branches in the country. These are not defaults, but a refusal to open doors for business.
Among others, our bank, FATEAC’s, the bank handling the school’s scholarships, and the Ivorian C&MA church’s bank have all closed! FATEAC scholarships, professors’ salaries, and operating expenses were all paid out of bank accounts that are now inaccessible. This is a serious situation.
By the way, contrary to what some U.S. media sources are reporting, Côte d’Ivoire’s crisis is not religious. President-elect Ouattera is of the majority religion in this country, but his platform does not appear to be about forcing Ivorian residents to adhere to his faith.
What You Can Do
Please pray for solutions to the increasing crisis situation in Côte d’Ivoire. Pray also that FATEAC professors and students will have their basic needs met and be able to carry on their work and studies at the seminary.
Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with Alliance workers, like the Cooks, to ensure that the liberating news of God’s healing grace and provision is exhibited to His Church and before people blinded to His truth.
Learn More
Read about our international team’s plans for their recent return to FATEAC.
February 23, 2011
Alan and Trish Eggleton, serving in Russia
Barriers to presenting the gospel in Russia are daunting, the Eggletons say. English Camp, however, is a great venue in which to build relationships and share one’s faith, as illustrated in the following adapted excerpt from the family’s recent ministry update.
We had a wonderful English Camp in January. A great team from Alliance Christian Fellowship (ACF) in Eagle River, Alaska, came to St. Petersburg to help us.
One ACF team member shared how she has experienced God while working through some hard times in her life. She explained how He has freed her from addictions and turned her life around. When she gave the students a chance to ask questions—hands went up like hot popping corn!
“I Feel it Now!”
Anita,* who raised her hand, said, “After hearing your story about all the pain and hurt in your past, and then seeing how much joy you have today, we now know that it’s possible to live a new life!”
Alan had a long talk with Anita later and learned about some of the hard times she has been through. She explained that she had recently become a Christian, but that it was mostly in her head; she wondered why it wasn’t more than that. After camp, Anita (on the verge of tears) said to Alan, “I feel it now.” Wow.
Throughout the weekend there were many comments, questions, and good times of deep discussion. It was quite evident that God was moving. When we were packing up at the end of camp, one girl, who had been wrestling with many spiritual questions all weekend, went up to the ACF pastor and said, “I never knew Christianity was like this. I thought you had to memorize the whole Bible, always sing songs, and always be defensive. But you are different; you’ve given me a lot to think about.”
New Understanding
Russians often say that they believe in God and have some understanding of Orthodox Church rituals. But few understand that God loves them and wants to meet them in the middle of their imperfect lives and transform them. This is what makes living here worth it—we love helping people to discover God’s love in the midst of their everyday lives.
* Name changed.
Learn More
Check out how your church—like ACF in Alaska—can partner with Alliance workers on the field to guide seekers toward discovering God’s love.
Read Alan’s article, “English Club Gets Personal,” to learn more about how teaching English as a second language offers opportunities to build relationships that can open doors to share the good news.
One More Thing You Can Do
Donate to the Great Commission Fund; be a part of ushering God’s redemptive love into the far corners of the earth!
February 16, 2011
By Larry and Karen Wolters, serving in Burkina Faso
Prayer is the primary work of God’s people. (An Alliance core value based on Philippians 4:6-7.)
Recently, Pastor Tandamba shared a story about a mother who brought her sick child to the church for prayer. After taking one look at the little boy, the pastor said: “It is too late; the child has died.” He then accompanied the mother and her son to a local clinic, where medical staff confirmed that the little boy was deceased. From there, the three were dispatched to another clinic to secure a death certificate.
Pastor Tandamba described to us how he prayed for the boy ceaselessly throughout the process, beginning at the church and while he accompanied the woman and her child from clinic to clinic.
When the three arrived at the last clinic, the doctor asked to take a look at the boy before signing the paperwork for the death certificate. While he was conducting the examination, the child let out a cry.
Everyone at the scene was completely amazed—the power of prayer had prevailed!
Learn More
Read about our work in Burkina.
Do you know Alliance core values? Check them out.
One More Thing You Can Do
Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with Alliance workers, like the Wolterses, to ensure that the Name of Jesus is lifted up in lost communities around the world.
By Brad Reynolds, serving in France
It was a surprise for us to learn at the end of January, mid-way through our home assignment year, that our young church plant in southwestern France had a grand total of 67 euros ($97) in the bank account. Due to recent renovations on the rented facility that we use for worship and Sunday school, the final bills had depleted the account that normally covers all of our costs. Facing invoices of more than 3,500 euros ($4,700) due in a week, the church board had no idea how they would come up with the funds. From the very outset of this church plant, the first church to be established in this community in more than 700 years, God had been teaching us to live and walk entirely by faith. This would be one of the greatest challenges we had faced.
The weekend prior to receiving this news, Tina and I had spoken at Risen King Alliance Church in New City, New York, where several members of the congregation had given us words of encouragement from the Lord at the conclusion of the service. One member told us that she had received a picture of trucks loaded with provisions, waiting in a warehouse and ready to leave for our church. She believed that this was God’s encouragement to us that all that was needed to purchase our rented facility would be provided. A few days later, we learned of the church’s need.
Requesting prayer from those who support us, Tina and I were waiting for God’s answer as we left for a special tour of two churches in the South Pacific District, leaving our regular tour of Metropolitan District churches. During our time in Arizona, we learned that on the last Sunday of January, the French church had received one-fourth of the needed amount in the offering and another member had promised a gift that would cover another fourth of the amount. But where would the rest of the funds come from to pay the rent and other bills?
While traveling to the second church, we told Pastor Steve Redden of Cross Point Church in Murrieta, California, about how God was teaching our church to live and walk by faith and how the members were excitedly waiting to see how the final amount would come in. At that point, Pastor Redden told us that we could phone our church and tell them not to worry because Cross Point would take care of the rest. He said that as a young Alliance congregation, the Lord had met all of their needs and that they had a heart for other church-planting situations. He said that they were “a warehouse church” because they meet in a space that was used in the past for a small business. We were so excited and touched by the generosity of this church that we had never even visited.
Later we realized that this was the picture that our friend had received, a warehouse with all of the provisions that we needed-the trucks just waiting to leave. God had provided once again as we waited in faith and trust.
On Sunday morning, Pastor Redden told his congregation about the gift that had been given in their name. Spontaneous applause filled the room. On the other side of the ocean, EPI members had learned of God’s provision and were deeply touched by their caring Father and the partnership of the Alliance family. Tina and I believe this is one more expression of what it means to “live the call together.”
Learn More
Check out our Alliance work in France.
What You Can Do
Praise the Lord for this pioneer ministry in Léguevin. Pray that all those who hear the life-changing message of the gospel in this house of prayer will receive Him as Savior.
Help keep Alliance workers such as Brad and Tina on the field.
Donate now to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
February 15, 2011
Rev. Terrence Nichols pastors New Hope Church Community in Vallejo, California, is president of the C&MA’s Association of African-American Churches, and has been a voice of hope in the journey of reconciliation within The Alliance. As the United States celebrates Black History Month, Pastor Nichols shares his story of how God prepared him from his youth to cross cultural barriers with Jesus’ love.
My eyes swelled with tears as my mind filled with hundreds of memories of the past. All of my emotions were engaged as I recounted my days as a youth in the segregated southern town of Pelham, Georgia. As a guest lecturer in Dr. Ken Castor’s Social Justice class at Crown College, I wanted to make an impact, but I was not ready for the affect that my story would have upon me. My tears were not of sorrow but of joy and gratitude for the journey of racial reconciliation that God has called me to passionately embrace.
The Deep South
The memory of growing up in a world of two cultures that were separate but not equal is vivid. It was the ’60s. In Pelham, African-Americans were forced to order take-out food at a window in a side alley that was unappetizingly sandwiched between two “slop” buckets where the farmers retrieved feed for their hogs. Schools integrated, and riots broke out, with fires and fighting on the streets.
In schools, students were separated into groups. I was the only African-American male in the “A” classroom, while all of my other friends were placed in “B” or ”C” groups. Most of the white students were in the “A” and “B” groups, which were instructed by white teachers. It was classism at its best in the heart of America. I will never forget being slapped in the face by a white teacher and called the “N” word because I was in the hall before the bell rang, even though I showed my hall pass.
These painful experiences prepared me to be a reconciler. Allowing the pain of the past to paralyze me would have left me bruised and bitter. The apostle Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). I became broken-and better-as I allowed the peace of God to heal me.
Against the Wind
God began to shape my worldview of reconciliation through two instances. The first was when I was in third grade. The winds of integration had upended the schools in Pelham. High school students fought with bricks and bottles. Students in my elementary school fought with their fists. Teachers locked the doors before school, during breaks, and at lunch while students expressed their aggression outdoors.
I was not a fighter and did not understand why people were so angry. I relished the opportunity to sit next to a white student and learn from his culture. It was a challenge to me, not a crisis. One day while I sat on a bench, a white student, who also had grown weary of the hostilities, sat down and started talking. Neither of us could figure out why everyone was fighting. Our meeting developed into a lifelong friendship, and, fittingly, we are both ministers of the gospel today.
The second instance that impacted my path to reconciliation happened when I was a student at Simpson University in San Francisco. Some of my white friends came to hear me preach at one the black Baptist churches in the city. I was excited to welcome these students to experience our exuberant and participatory style of worship. For many, this would be their first time attending a black church. It was a dynamic worship experience, indeed, but I forgot one thing. It was February, which meant that it was Black History Month. Every speaker that Sunday used racial innuendos to describe what had happened to African Americans in this country.
The entire service was summarized in one speaker’s comments, “The white man brought us here in chains, and the white man still has us in chains.” Needless to say, I was horrified and embarrassed. I understood the hurt of my people, but I also saw the humiliation on the faces of my white friends. We had long conversations after this worship experience that helped to redefine our world view. This began a journey to unmask what the Bible says about reconciliation.
The Face of Reconciliation
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated that the most segregated time in America was at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning. Why is it so difficult for Christians from different ethnicities to worship together? Must we continue to be so divisive, even in the church? I began researching the subject of reconciliation and multicultural churches. The works of John Perkins and Dr. Howard Thurman impacted my approach to ministry. Both men referenced Acts 10:34-38 as a developmental foundation for their core values:
Then Peter began to speak, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
God was shaping my mind and my heart, molding me as a reconciler as I discovered His love for all people. As a new creation in Christ, I examined how my theology and my practice match up in life. As a reconciler, I believe that I need an internal conviction. We all have prejudices, and we must allow the Holy Spirit to reveal them to us and show us how to reconcile with others.
Additionally, I must make an intentional commitment. In order for reconciliation to be sustaining, I must make it happen, ensuring that my staff, friends, influencers, and life experiences are multicultural ones. God wants us to not only be hearers of the Word but also doers of the Word.
Finally, reconciliation is an incessant lifestyle commitment. In this ever-changing world, our commitment to reconciliation must be never-ending, as we persevere in our journey to discover and grow as reconcilers. Paul said in Philippians 3:12-14, “Brothers I not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
No Color Lines
Eventually, I left the black church and chose to work with The Alliance, which gave me the opportunity to minister with Christians from a variety of countries and ethnicities. This step was viewed as courageous by some and with great consternation by others.
For 11 years, it was my privilege to pastor one of the most diverse churches in the C&MA, the San Francisco Neighborhood Church. Also, I became a representative for The Alliance at the historic joint meetings between the National Association of Evangelicals and the National Black Evangelical Association in their reconciliation conferences. My wife and I planted a C&MA church in Vallejo, California, and purposefully gathered a multicultural core planting team.
Just off the coast of Senegal on Goree Island is, pointedly, one of the most preserved slave trading outposts. It was there that C&MA leaders from all walks of life met and forgave each other for the atrocities of slavery. These ministry moments have forged healing and hope for the future.
As an Alliance pastor, I have opportunity to minister in a wide range of ethnically diverse churches and districts around the world, where, as Alliance founder A. B. Simpson said, “Your Master knows no color line, save that of His blood-red cross.” The C&MA is not perfect, but it is a good representation of the multiethnic Body of Christ, working together to reach lost people locally and globally.
Although Crown is not the most diverse of our Alliance colleges, a vivid picture of reconciliation is apparent in its classrooms. Through tears, I saw African-American students working and studying side-by-side with students who represent other ethnic groups. I shed tears of hope and joy in knowing what Christ-our Hope of glory-has done and can do in our lives.
Learn More
Read more about reconciliation in alife.
Find out how New Hope Church Community is impacting its San Francisco Bay Area community
What You Can Do
Pray for U.S. Alliance churches that are reaching multicultural urban settings with the peace of Christ.
Support Alliance Great Commission Ministries
Adolescent children in California who have lost parents to AIDS are finding hope through a strategic Alliance outreach. Camp Hope hosts children from the Vallejo, California, area, many of whom are in foster care. Terrance Nichols, pastor of the northern California city’s New Hope Church and president of the Association of African-American Churches of the C&MA, established the program to impact disenfranchised children who may never hear about Jesus.
The six-week summer program includes group discussions, Bible stories, and project lessons to help the young people put into practice what they have learned. Recreation is a key ingredient to the recipe of building relationships with the initially reserved youth. Field trips to the San Francisco Zoo, the Vallejo Museum of Naval History, and Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk bring excitement and wonder into their lives.
“It is always amazing to see these youngsters have their eyes opened to possibilities that God may have for them,” Nichols says. “We do not view the field trips as just a fun time, but we challenge them to set high goals for themselves in life.”
“Camp Hope requires a lot of time and patience,” says Nichols, “especially if campers have lost their parents to AIDS or are estranged from them. But the Lord has blessed us with an extremely effective ministry.”
After a week or two, some campers feel safe enough to express their feelings of loss. “One girl cried, saying that she misses her dad and wants him back,” says Nichols. “Two sisters who recently lost their father shared how the camp has helped them to cope.”
The 2007 summer ministry culminated with three young people giving their hearts to the Lord, seven rededicating their lives to Him, and three families joining New Hope Church. “Five youth are praying about full-time ministry,” says Nichols, “and two of them want to be missionaries. The Lord worked miraculously this year.”
For more information about Camp Hope, contact Pastor Nichols at TNEJ@chevron.com.
What You Can Do
Pray for Pastor Nichols as crosses ethnic barriers and promotes cultural diversity within the Body of Christ.
Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
February 14, 2011
By Cindy Cook, serving Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire’s political unrest forced our international ministry team, serving West Africa Alliance Theological Seminary (FATEAC) in Abidjan, to withdraw from the country. The following is an adapted excerpt of a recent update to their support team from Matthew and Cindy Cook—one of three FATEAC international worker couples.
On Valentine’s Day, our international FATEAC team is returning to the country that is the world’s number one producer of chocolate—Côte d’Ivoire.
Our current plan is that Matthew and I will remain based in Dakar, teaching modules as telecommuters. The Livingstons and Harrisons will remain in Côte d’Ivoire for six weeks, finishing up first semester classes and beginning the second semester. By March 24, all three couples will return to Dakar for a retreat and evaluation. If all is well, we will finish the second semester.
Why are we making this move when the situation is not improved but continues to deteriorate, you may ask?
1. First, we have a desire to serve God by teaching at FATEAC as long as possible. We have the privilege of training key leaders from many denominations who work in the African nations where French is spoken (AKA Francophone Africa). Loss of credits from our combined classes would significantly impact the students’ opportunities to finish the program.
2. Second, the widespread violence that we had feared has not taken place. In keeping a low profile, we believe we can continue to function in our respective roles.
3. Being present in the country allows us to teach, but it also facilitates the distribution of the students’ scholarships and continued aid in the form of food.
We will face the challenge of soaring inflation, difficult access to cash, and increasing supply shortages. (The increasing difficulty of withdrawing significant sums of money from the banks is a concern.) But we are agreed this is the right thing to do.
Please pray for safe travels, a rapid solution to the situation in Côte d’Ivoire, and that the students will focus and be able to make up lost work from the first semester. Pray also for wisdom as we make plans for this semester and next year.
One More Thing You Can Do
Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with Alliance international workers, like our teams in Africa, to share the good news of Christ’s love with those desperate to know that God cares for them.
February 11, 2011
By Diane Rorabaugh, serving in Russia
Diane is the field office manager and bookkeeper for The Alliance in Russia; she’s also involved with compassion ministries, which includes assisting a ministry in southern Russia that provides support to needy families, orphans, and developmentally challenged people. The following is an adapted excerpt from her recent ministry update.
”‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:40b).
Greetings from Moscow! The month of perpetual Russian holidays—January—has drawn to a close. We’ve celebrated Christmas twice and New Year’s twice. It’s been a while since I’ve heard fireworks at night, so it seems that life is now getting back to normal.
I would like to share with you about the ministry in Maikop, a small city in southern Russia that is close to the Caucusus Mountains, not far from the Black Sea. I flew there just after the New Year and spent a week with the Bogomolov family, celebrating Orthodox Christmas.
Fellowship, Heartache
We visited a lot of folks, and many visited us. Except for the time in the car, we hardly spent five minutes without a cup of tea in front of us. It was a great time of fellowship for me but also pretty difficult emotionally to be confronted with so much need and heartache.
One of my new friends, Anna,* has a son, Nikita, who is about six years old. When Nikita was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Anna’s husband left her, so she is raising her son alone. The two live in a communal apartment, sharing a kitchen and bathroom with several other families.
Anna has been feeling isolated, abandoned, and very depressed. Natasha and another friend, Julia, who also has a son with cerebral palsy, have befriended her, providing this single mom some much-needed support, encouragement, and love.
“One of my Favorites”
Natasha is one of my most favorite people in the whole world. She and her husband, Volodia, head up our compassion ministry to the needy, orphans, and disabled in their area. Their hearts are especially tuned to families who have children with special needs, since they had a daughter who was also disabled.
During the Christmas season, Natasha and Volodia, and others on their team, did an amazing job of visiting families and taking gifts to more than 300 children living, mostly, in orphanages. Some orphanages allowed them to have a Christmas program; in others, they were only able to leave the gifts and say “hello.” Along with volunteers from several local churches, they were able to additionally visit more than 80 families in need, taking time to converse with them and give gifts of food baskets.
Thank you for sharing in this ministry through your prayers and gifts. You’ve helped make all of these Christmas festivities possible! Speaking of gifts—a special “thank you” to those of you who support the Great Commission Fund—you are helping to shine God’s light in the darkness!
How You Can Pray
Diane requests prayer for the many families who received gifts during the Christmas season, “given with love.” Pray for the families’ physical and emotional needs and also that they would come to know the loving God who is pursuing their hearts.
“Please also pray for Natasha and Volodia,” Diane implores. “[They] pour their hearts into people who have so many needs—pray for encouragement and a refreshing of their souls.”
Finally, she asks: “Pray for the ministry to the home for the disabled, which needs more volunteers to continue to make meaningful visits. Please also pray for funds; each visit to the home costs about $300—for yogurt, fruit, and snacks to give to the residents, and for gas. This facility is about an hour away from the church, and they drive an old van.”
*Name changed.
Learn More
Read about our work in Russia.
Check out Diane’s blog. (Note: clicking on this link will take you off of the C&MA Web site.)
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