One of our most dedicated donor families has given the rest of us a challenge. They are offering a matching gift of $30,000.00 to be applied to our ministry in Pakistan.
Having read the same articles as you over the past few years, they were moved to help our Pakistani ministry acquire a vehicle for their evangelistic efforts. So far this year, this growing team of Pastors, Timothies, and Bible Women have already started nearly ten churches and have many other villages on the verge of coming to Christ. These villages are in the desert, about a twelve-hour drive from our primary church, and they have to rent a van every time they travel to preach and to reach other villages. Each weekend rental costs are over $500. (That’s over $26,000 annually.) So we decided the best plan is to raise funds to purchase a vehicle, removing the constant drain on their limited resources. Hearing about their need and wanting to provide a permanent solution, this family has stepped up to the plate and given us a challenge. Now, with the bases loaded, we need someone to knock a grand slam or a lot of walks and singles from the rest of us. The bases are loaded. Let’s not just go for the win; let’s go for the pennant. You can donate below, or by mailing in a check and designating it towards "Pakistan Ministry". Note: Any additional funds raised will go to purchase portable sound systems, PowerPack Evangelistic tools, cases of Bibles, and more desks and curricula for their eight Bible Institutes.
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We recently let you know about a need in Honduras for Pastor Franklin, whose vehicle had been damaged on his way to his new church plant in the mountains (his 4th church plant!). You were generous enough to meet his need, and his vehicle is now repaired, so he sent a photo and a short letter;
Dear Brothers, We greet you in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, wishing that He is blessing your lives, your families and the activities that you carry out in your daily life. The reason for this is to thank the offering we received for the repair of the vehicle we use to transport us to the mission. Said offering was very helpful, the vehicle was left in favorable conditions to continue carrying out the work. We were able to repair each of the houses that were specified in the application. We really did not know how we were going to repair it, but thank God, He placed his grace towards us, before you and moved your generous hearts to mercy, to be able to offer for this purpose, may the Lord be adding to them according to his grace. Attached we send some photographs as evidence that the resource was used appropriately and for the purpose for which it was sent. For Christmas 2022, we did a fundraiser catalog of items you could order to be donated to our network worldwide. Part of that catalog included motorcycles! 8 have been purchased in just the past month because of the funds donated, including a three-wheeled version for one of our disabled preachers in India. Enjoy this results video below, and if you are able, our Motorcycles for Preachers fund is always in need! The weekend is a great time to read our 1st quarter 2023 Progress Report! Catch up with some of the happenings in the ministry from around the world.
An update from our local Director;
About 80% of the kitchen cabinet has been set up. I still need to buy the granites for the counter tops and the company will do all the cutting, streaming, and attaching in the kitchen tables and fixing of the sink as well as attaching the plate baskets. Also, the island bar is still being made as well. (Pictures attached.) About 85% of the iron stairway going to the roof top has been finished. Only the hand rail needs to be attached. (Picture attached). About 70% of the boys' dorm repair has been finished. We still need to fix the lights, plugs, main door, bath room and toilet doors, put up windows, put tiles in the bath room, paper sand and paint the building. (Pictures attached). We still need to buy 8mm rods and 1 inch flat iron to make iron bars for the wall of upstairs which will be an open air wall. We also need to renovate and fix the front porch of the main building of the orphanage. We need to replace a few aluminum roof sheets and the ceiling because some of the parts were burned in the fire. The boys also need beds so we need to build them new beds. After all these repairing finished, we also need to repair the front gate. The fire men destroyed the iron gate at the night of fire because the gate was locked. Thank you so much for your support and prayers!
Two of our pastors’ families for whom I asked your prayers yesterday have evidently perished. The building they lived in totally collapsed. One, a great leader, whom we thought would take over the ministry there, perished with his wife. His daughter fled to Europe several years back after continued persecution, including multiple episodes of rape, beatings, and being shot. She will not see her mom or dad here again. Her brother, a young man, was away that night, so his life was spared.
The day before the quake, we discussed his needs. He has been so severely and so often persecuted that he cannot stand to preach for more than fifteen minutes at a time. He told us that he wanted to go on to Heaven and didn’t know how much more suffering he could endure. Twelve hours later, he and his wife were walking on golden streets. The other was a family whom I had never met. They came to Christ and have grown in their faith after my visit there. He was pastoring several house churches as well. Unfortunately, he, his wife, and their two children were crushed during the quake. I am slowly writing a compilation of persecution stories containing chapters on these men and their families. As aftershocks of 4.0 continue, more buildings fall due to their weakened conditions resulting from shelling in their eleven-year civil war. In addition to the refugees we were already caring for, we have an additional 285 people who have lost their dwellings. God is so good. We asked you to give to our Christian refugees a week ago ($16,000), and you immediately gave $35,000 more than we asked for. I wondered why our Lord led you to do so. Now I know. He provided through you for a need that He knew we would soon have. Those extra funds are already on their way. How much worse would the story be if we were only starting to raise funds now? We will let you know more as we receive more data. But please understand that it is time for us to begin earnestly raising funds for their relief. They have only the clothes they were wearing, primarily night clothes. They are cold, the temperatures during the day hover just above freezing – and it is raining – and the water freezes at night. They have no diesel to heat with, no propane, fuel, or electricity. Our people are suffering. The question I expect most frequently at this time is, do we have preachers and church members in the area of the earthquake? My answer is Yes, many.
While we are working on getting reports and updates, let me tell you what I know at this moment. By seven this morning, we had ascertained that many of our families are now homeless. This includes families that we relocated and for whom you have so generously given funding for food, clothing, heating oil, etc. (If you see news reports, you will see there is deep snow on the ground. It is cold there.) Building buildings are still collapsing in our base city, about one hundred miles from the epicenter. The government has forbidden entry into the streets that are among the worst damaged. Unfortunately, two of our primary leaders live in one of the pancaked buildings. We have not yet heard from them or their families. And worse, we cannot get in to search for them. Please pray fervently for these two leaders, their families, and all our other families in the area. Pray for their safety and their ability to witness to those who are now in such great danger. You know that as we learn more, we will inform you and ask for your help to care for our Family there and those who do not yet know our Saviour, whom they call, The Lord of the Cross. If you want to get a head start with a donation, you can give online here, or mail in a check and designate it to "Syrian Earthquake Damage". An update from our local director;
Kitchen cabinets arrived today and they are fixing them. Please see attached pictures.
We just wanted to give you a quick update to let you know that we hit the middle of the target amount for the need for Pastor Franklin in Honduras and his vehicle repair (https://conta.cc/3Q7k3vf). Thank you so much to those who have given, and we will send out an update once his vehicle is back on the road!
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