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Jan 08
14

A Red-Eye Flight Leads to a Gut Wrenching Encounter

By | Missions Articles | 2 Comments

As I boarded the plane for my red-eye flight from Peru back to the US, I would have never imagined the encounter I was about to have. As I was getting situated in my seat, I noticed this very tall gentleman board the plane. After some time getting his luggage stowed, he sat down in the exit row directly in front of me. The space to the left of him was empty, so at a quick glance I could see almost anything he was doing. 

When he was finally situated, I noticed him pull out his phone and immediately start looking at scandalous photos of girls who appeared very young and started inquiring about them via chat. Although I couldn’t clearly see his screen, I could make out that the girls appeared to be latin and looked very young. 

I thought I was going to vomit!! 

My stomach churned and my heart ached for this situation. It grieved for those precious girls and honestly, my heart grieved for this man! 

I can’t know for certain that this was trafficking or that he was even soliciting sex, but I can tell you that it was scandalous and immoral at the least!

As I sat back in my chair as the plane took off, I knew that I had a responsibility in this situation. A responsibility to do what I could to protect those girls if that was at all possible. A responsibility to share Christ with this man. 

I could not sit by and do nothing. 

Over the eight hour plane ride. I processed and prayed over the situation. I earnestly leaned into the Holy Spirit and asked His guidance in the matter. 

I knew at some point I was going to speak to this man, but I was just unsure of how to initiate the conversation. It was very intimidating to say the least. He was a very large man. I would say nearly 6ft 5′ and 230 pounds, solidly built. 

So much of me wanted to shrink back and simply pray for this man and this situation, but I knew more needed to be done. 

As the plane began its descent into the DFW airport, I made up my mind that I was going to approach this man at the baggage claim. 

After landing, we slowly made our way to the baggage claim where God opened an opportunity for me to approach him. 

I at first just struck up a normal conversation with him. I told him that I had overheard that he was going to Guadaljara, Mexico and asked him about the city and what he liked about it, etc. As we talked, I felt the conversation was going well, but I knew I needed to shift the focus at some point. 

Then the Holy Spirit led me to share with him that while we were on the plane, I was praying for him. He looked at me very suspiciously, but replied, “Thanks, I’ll take what I can get.”

I then shared with him that I felt God wanted me to tell him to read the book of John in the Bible. He then turned to me with an intrigued look on his face and said, “What does that book talk about and why would I need to read it?”

This was my open door to share the love of Jesus with him!

I briefly told him the story of Jesus and how this book clearly illustrates the restorative plan of Christ for all humanity. 

As I was sharing these things, he was considerate, but distant. Either way, he accepted what I said and thanked me for the conversation.

As he walked away, I immediately felt relief but also doubt. To be honest, I did not feel like what I communicated was enough and it was by no means eloquent. 

How could I be sure that what was communicated would lead to him to the Lord and would also spare those precious girls he was perusing and communicating with on his phone?

As the days have passed, I’ve prayed many times for him as well as for those girls. As I have now had time to reflect, the Lord has spoken to my heart about sowing seeds. How He is the harvester and we are the planters. 

I pray that someone else will come along after me and take a stand and pour water on those precious seeds.

I write this article about everyday life so that everyone who reads it will stand with me!

Stand with me to bring light to darkness.

Stand with me to share the gospel in the face of intimidation and fear.

Stand with me to pray for those in sexualy slavery, trafficking etc.

Stand with me to love this world and give our life as Christ gave His.

Will you stand with me!!??

By: Marvin Slaton, Modern Day Director

 

Jan 01
6

Bold Prayers: Healed From A Tumor

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Have you ever been in a situation where you know you should do something, but you’re afraid of what someone might think of you if you did? Maybe they’d think of you differently, be offended or even write you off as someone they want nothing to do with.

I’ve heard it said before, that what you fear the most has already happened to you. And rejection is usually at the top of the list. It’s the first voice of reason from keeping us from doing the most loving act believers can do for others.

Pray.

And to be even more specific, I’m implying something deeper than the typical “Hey I’m praying for you”. I’m talking about praying for someone who is clearly hurting from emotional or physical pain. In doing this, we remind people that they are not alone and we get to help usher God into the midst of their storm.

I previously worked with a gentleman who was a freemason. He was a very quiet man with tattoos all over his body and neck. Most of our conversations were about cars, but he would periodically keep me updated on some of his heart related issues as well as a cancerous tumor that was found on his neck.

One day, I had overheard that his wife was trying out a local church and she loved it! The next week I came to find out that he was wrestling with this strong desire to renounce his oath as a freemason.

And he did!

But after renouncing his oath, he came face to face with many questions.

Where did this conviction come from? Why was it so overwhelming?

I couldn’t believe it and I felt like God was nudging me to talk to him. The next day I found him during his break and asked him about it. We talked for a bit and it was still a surface level conversation until I felt convicted to pray for him.

So, I just point blank asked the question that popped into my head, “I know you’ve been talking about church and Jesus lately, but have you fully given your life to Him?”. He paused and began to look straight at the floor and when he looked up, tears began to pour from his eyes.

He told me that he wants Jesus, but is too afraid. I asked what he was afraid of and he replied,

“If I give my life fully to Jesus, the Devil is going to kill me! I know it! When I became a freemason, I took an oath where I held a knife to my heart and a knife to my throat and said If I share any secrets it would be the death penalty. I shared them with my wife and that’s when the tumor on my neck formed and started eating away the bones to where I have metal rods to replace my neck bones. And it keeps coming back!”

The Devil was literally decapitating him with this tumor! A fire stirred up inside of me and I wasn’t going to allow the devil to interfere with his life anymore. The devil’s time was done. I told him,

“The devil lies and wants you to believe those lies to keep you from the One person Who can save you. Jesus. He’ll take care of all of this! The creation cannot be more powerful than the creator. God has given us the authority as sons and daughters to tear down the works of the devil. “I’m going to pray with you and then I’m coming after that tumor in prayer and we are going to see it go away and not return!”

We then prayed and he accepted Christ as his Savior! With tears flowing, I knew it was time to pray for his tumor. In full faith, I prayed and commanded the tumor to leave and for him to receive mobility back into his neck despite the rods he had in it. We prayed twice, he checked his neck a couple times and it suddenly popped! He could previously only turn his neck 10 degrees, but now he could move it 45 degrees in every direction!

I’ll never forget the look on his face! He couldn’t believe it!

About a month later he went to the doctor to follow up on the growth of his tumor…

The tumor was GONE!

Jesus did it! My co-worker was healed! The plans of the enemy were over! But the most amazing miracle? He surrendered his life to Jesus!

That’s what we get to do as believers! We get to introduce them to a loving God that can heal their physical pain, emotional turmoil and bring breakthrough and peace into their soul. All because He loves them!

As we begin 2020, I challenge you to ask yourself, what if I weren’t afraid anymore? What if I chose to believe in who God says I am and stopped listening to the voice of fear?

Scripture tells us that miraculous signs follow those who believe. One of those signs is placing hands on the sick and they will be healed. You may think, what if someone doesn’t get healed? My response to that is, “but what if someone does?” We must be rooted in TRUTH and not in our experiences when it doesn’t happen. We keep praying for the next one and the next one after that. If we can take the pressure off of ourselves and build our faith with the expectation that God is going to move, we would be unstoppable in our pursuit to pray for everyone.

Let’s begin this decade unafraid. Go share the good news with your neighbor, with a stranger or coworker and don’t forget to pray. Believe in who you are in Jesus and carry that authority with you wherever you go! And when you do that, I propose that you will begin to see miracle after miracle after miracle.

#Unafraid2020

By: Taylor Shaw

 

 

Dec 19
7

Homesick–Being A Missionary During Christmas

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Living on the mission field during Christmas is often a two sided coin for many missionaries. There’s an excitement in being able to share the Good News of this season with the locals your ministering to. But at the same time there’s an overwhelming sense of loneliness. 

Loneliness is a challenge most missionaries face on a daily basis. But on Christmas, it just seems to hurt more. You know that your family and friends are getting all together, but you’re not there. In a way you feel almost forgotten. 

And to be totally honest, it’s just part of the deal. When we left family and friends, comforts, and even our favorite snacks, Christmas — as we knew it — was gone too. 

And even though it can be very difficult, most missionaries wouldn’t trade it! We are compelled by the love of Christ to be exactly where we are and that’s where we want to be. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have moments of being homesick and yearn to be surrounded by the people we love. 

So as Christmas approaches, don’t forget your missionaries! Reach out to them — let them know that you’re thinking of them and even find a way to bless them! 

Don’t know of any? We can help! Modern Day currently has over 500 missionaries in 59 nations. Click here to see a map of our missionaries all over the world! 

 Here are a few ideas of ways you can bless and encourage them in this season.

  1. Make them a short video wishing them a Merry Christmas
  2. Reply to their holiday newsletter – They most likely took a lot of time putting their Christmas newsletter together. Let them know you read it and are praying for them! 
  3. Pray for them – Create a prayer card and place somewhere you can see it daily. Pray for it every time your eyes catch and reach out to them and let them know your doing so! 
  4. Consider the missionary’s children – If they have children, do something special for them! Send them a package with little goodies. 
  5. Bless them by supporting them with a financial gift – Missionaries’ needs often stretch beyond their regular support. Ask them what you can give towards. Most likely, they’ll have an idea on the tip of their tongue and it might be one of the most meaningful things they receive this year. 
  6. Share encouraging books or blogs with them – While on the mission field you are constantly pouring out and are in desperate need of resources that feed you spiritually. 

By: Keeton Storts, Modern Day

Nov 20
33

Born With No Hands

By | Missions Articles | 4 Comments

Mr. Banda lives in one of the poorest countries in the world.

With an average daily income of less than $1 USD, Malawi residents, like Mr. Banda, do all that they can to prevent going to bed hungry. 

Job opportunities are extremely limited to non-existent, so Malawians are forced to develop trades that can hopefully put food on their tables. For many, that looks like driving a bicycle taxi, growing and selling crops and even doing a form of carpentry. 

But for Mr. Banda, these circumstances are even more dire because he has a rare disability that eliminates almost all hope to provide for himself… 

He was born without hands.  

Not only is he unable to do these physical tasks, but he is identified by his disability within his culture.

In many parts of Africa, individuals with disabilities are viewed very poorly and are not given the same rights as other people. In fact, some African cultures view people with special needs as a curse, so their families will hide them out of shame. They are mocked, ridiculed and at times, treated as if they weren’t even human beings. 

I share this with you, because this is all part of Mr. Banda’s story… Ashamed of his disability, his family deserted him at a young age. But by the grace of God, a missionary couple spotted him one day, while he was begging for money and placed him in the care of their ministry.

Their goal in bringing him into their ministry was not only to give him a warm meal, but to help build him a future. They wanted to help him develop a skill or trade that he could one day use to support himself. Because they knew that one day he would need to step out on his own and he would have culture and a poor economy working against him. 

The odds wouldn’t be in his favor. 

Over time, these missionaries noticed that Mr. Banda was fascinated with art. Each day while the children were out playing soccer, they noticed that he would always be inside drawing.

How you may ask?

By using his feet and his mouth! And his work was absolutely amazing!!

Word quickly spread throughout Malawi of the beautiful artwork of a man who had no hands. Over time, many foreigners sought him out to hear his story and purchase his artwork. I’m very pleased to tell you that today, at the age of 53, Mr. Banda is one of the most well known artists in all of Malawi.

AND he is known for the beauty of his artwork, not the limitations of his disability.

God has given us all unique gifts and callings. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Never forget that! 

God, help us to see people as you see them. As unique, valuable and with purpose. And when we encounter those who cannot see it themselves, may we speak over them! 

By: Keeton Storts, Modern Day

Nov 18
17

The Power of Prayer

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Prayer is something that used to be scary for me. It was something I thought was supposed to be done silently and behind closed doors, except for the leaders of the church or before a meal, of course. I definitely didn’t have a good relationship with prayer, and therefore did not have much of a relationship with God. I prayed when I wanted or needed something, or if I was scared or going through a difficult time, but I was far from someone who “prayed without ceasing.” Don’t get me wrong, I believe God still hears our silent prayers and that they are still just as effective. But there is so much power in voicing our prayers. Saying them out loud does two things:

The Enemy Hears Our Prayers – When we pray silently, only God can hear that prayer. That is more than enough knowing that He hears and listens to me, but when I pray out loud, I know the enemy is also listening. I’m showing that I don’t have fear because my God is greater! The enemy’s strategy is to cripple us in fear, and when I am too scared to pray out loud, I am letting the enemy win. Even if there is something I don’t want the enemy to know, I still pray out loud because I have more faith that God will help me through whatever the situation is. Satan will not have that power over me! 

Other People Hear Our Prayers – When someone tells me, “I will be praying for you,” and then they don’t pray right then and there, I still believe them. I of all people know how scary it is to pray for someone on the spot. But when they stop what they are doing and actually pray, that is so comforting. Hearing other’s prayers really lift me up and make me feel closer to the Father. I will even step out on a limb and say that when other people can hear us pray, it encourages them as well as gives them an idea of what they can be praying for. 

I recently went through a Discipleship Training School with YWAM, and a huge part of that ministry is hearing God’s voice. The first time we did intercessory prayer, I was scared out of my mind. It wasn’t something I had ever done before or had even heard of prior to joining this school. But, something amazing happened: I heard God’s voice. Not a literal booming voice, like I imagined it might sound like, but it was a whisper in my spirit. It was a picture or vision to be more precise. And the picture that I received from God aligned with scripture and other pictures and words that other people received. I was definitely skeptical beforehand, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that God speaks to us in so many different ways, and that praying out loud is so powerful! I still have a long way to go, and a lot more to learn, but I have to say that my life has improved by praying out loud. 

For more information on Taylor and her ministry, click here. 

By: Taylor Smith

 

Nov 06
9

Great Expectation for 2020

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“Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 2 Chron. 20:20 

Several spiritual leaders in the Body of Christ have prophesied that 2020 will mark the beginning of a great harvest of souls, the ending of abortion, and laborers being sent into the nations of the earth.

Bob Jones, a well known prophet who went to be with The Lord on February 14, 2014, had a powerful experience in 1975 where the enemy killed him because he was prophesying against abortion. When he stood at the gates to heaven, he saw that 98% of the people standing at the gates were sent to hell. This grieved him and he said, “Lord, I will go back for just one soul!” The Lord replied, “I am sending you back not just for one soul, but to pour into a few key leaders who will usher in the 2020 Billion Soul Harvest.” This will be worldwide and the Lord specifically told Bob that it would be 1 Billion Youth.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGD_OimVazg)

It is significant that Bob Jones was prophesying about abortion when the enemy killed him and the Lord spoke to him about this “Great Wave” that would bring in 1 Billion souls. Revival and the ending of abortion are connected. For over 15 years The Call, Bound4life and believers all across the nation have prayed this prayer:

Jesus I plead your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation. God end abortion and send Revival to America.

God is about to tip the bowls of prayer and send Revival to America and to the nations of the earth. He has heard the cries of the saints and the unborn. If we had not killed 60 million babies in America (250 million worldwide) over the past 40 years, could we have seen the return of Jesus by now? We are killing our future missionaries. Satan has tried to delay the return of Jesus but God is a vindicator and a judge. He is stepping in and speaking LIFE over nations. He is calling His Church to be the answer to her own prayers by walking out the message of adoption. As abortion ends, who will take in all of the babies? It is the Church’s role and commission from the Lord as it says in James 1:27, “….”

Another prayer we have seen erupt in the Church over the past 6 years is the prayer of Matthew 9:38, “Lord of the harvest, send forth laborers.” Once again, God is calling us to be the answers to our own prayers. He is inviting us to go to unreached nations. And as we partner with Him to bring in the 1 billion youth and adopt the unborn children, He is going to raise a large percentage of these ones to be missionaries to the ends of the earth and to usher His return.

As we look towards 2020 with great anticipation that we can partner with the Lord in prayer and prepare our hearts for what God desires to do! A few practical ways we can do this are:

  • Removing idols in our hearts and in our land
  • Praying for our government to align with His government
  • Praying for laborers to be sent to the nations
  • Praying for families to adopt 

Would you consider taking a few minutes each day to pray for these things as we prepare for 2020?

For more information on Danielle and her ministry, click here.

By: Danielle Helmer

 

Nov 04
19

Why I Moved to a Dangerous Country

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When I was little, missionaries would come to our churches and share stories of their lives in other countries. As I got older, we had pen pals whose family were missionaries in a foreign country. I would tell people, “I am going to be an evangelist when I grow up!” Did I even know what that was?! As I grew up hearing the stories of people taking the Gospel to foreign lands, a part of me knew that was for me. I imagined myself eating rice 3 times a day, wearing long skirts and walking on long dirt roads, and the first movie I ever cried in was watching a movie about a girl who gave up her life as a martyr for Jesus… Some of my favorite books were biographies of missionaries from long ago. I dreamed of taking care of kids who had no home and no parents. I loved South East Asia and had a written plan of what I wanted to do there. 

I was nearing graduation time from a small missions college, wondering what was next for me, seeking the  Lord day and night, asking Him what I was supposed to next, when I felt He say to me “Stop asking just for me hand to be revealed (what He could do for me) and seek my heart, my face (who He is, His heart and His character).” In this time, He began to draw my heart into a much deeper faith. I became interested in getting to know this One as a Friend, not simply as a Master who would tell me what to do. 

A few years later I learned about the Moravians who were so convinced of the worthiness and beauty and glory of Jesus that they sold themselves into slavery and as they sailed away, they were heard saying, “May the Lamb who was slain,  receive the reward of His suffering!” And that phrase has echoed within my own heart. Am I living fully for the Lamb of God to be glorified? Is there any area of my heart that has glorified its own desires over the will of God? 

One day I was taking a missions course and the teacher was sharing about the statistics and facts concerning where we are at in the goal of reaching the world- every tribe, tongue, nation and people group with the Gospel and the Word of God. He was saying, “If the goal of missions is that the King, our Bridegroom Jesus, would return here and all things be made New, (because Jesus said that this Gospel would be preached to the ends of the earth AND THEN THE END WILL COME), then we know that the End will not come, Jesus will not come, until the Gospel has been preached to every people group! We know the groups that haven’t  heard yet! We have reached the point where we actually KNOW where we need to bring the Gospel, and what languages still need the Scriptures translated!” We actually have determined where and who these people are, so the End is actually in sight! What an exciting thought! Jesus could be coming home soon!- but not yet- those groups that haven’t been reached yet, mostly in what we call the “10/40 window” of the earth- they aren’t easy. They aren’t “open” and easy to reach, knowing that there may yet be much blood of the martyrs spilled in the process of taking the name of Jesus to those areas where He is not yet loved, adored, worshipped. There is still a need for those with a pioneering spirit to take the leap and say “I’ll go”. It may not be safe, but if I am in the will of God, that is the safest place to be!  

I remember at this time the Lord began to turn my world and my ideas upside down, concerning what I thought I was called to. He began highlighting the nations of the Middle East to me, and, to my shame, all I felt was fear. I was completely ignorant about the nations in that region, the cultures and history, etc. All I knew was what I heard on the news or saw in movies. Nothing ever beautiful or positive. Just war and terror. And I was asking the Lord, “please don’t ask me to go there!” My heart was torn because I loved Jesus and wanted to be willing to go anywhere or do anything for Him. I was hurting inside, because I wanted so badly to love and to please God with every breath and decision of my life, but here was one thing that I was hardened about. And the fact that there was an area of my heart that was stubborn and not willing to obey the Lord in- it hurt me and I was a mess. But you know what happened in that time? The Lord showed me such grace and mercy and one day in prayer He told me, “Sarah, I am not asking you to take 10 steps right now and to go jump on a plane and go to ____- I am asking you to take ONE STEP right now.” And I realized that I needed to extend patience and mercy to myself in this story and to simply begin walking on this journey with the Lord, asking for His help in every area, and that if there was an area of stubbornness in me, I needed to repent and ask Him to lead me to the point where I was open hearted and willing to follow and do anything or go anywhere that He would lead me. I simply needed to ASK HIM to change my heart. And He did. Over the next 3 years, I began meeting people from various Middle Eastern nations, learn about the vast number of cultures, languages, religions, and issues going on, and even beginning to learn a language! I began attending prayer meetings for the Middle East, getting connected with others who loved the region, and I found my own heart changing and growing in love for those I hadn’t yet met. He loves the nations of the earth. He made each one, and His heart yearns for them to come into His family, and come fully into their destiny in Him that He created them for. 

When I gave my life to the Lord, He became the LORD of my life. My life is in His hands, and I exist for His fame and glory. And as I have grown in knowing who He is, how good He is(!), how can I help but go where His name is not yet loved, where His heart is not known or understood? I have to go love Him there, and see what He will do in those places. May the Lamb receive what He has already given everything for. 

To learn more about Sarah and her ministry, click here. 

By: Sarah 

 

Oct 28
11

The Boy With Dreams

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May I tell you a little story? Trust me, you’ll want to read this.

It’ll move your heart and stir up your faith!

Jesse, the street kid, loved and seen by God:

was 14 years old when he lost his dad and now, a year later hasn’t seen or heard from his mom in months due to her drug addiction. He wanders the streets of the big city of Nairobi, Kenya to beg for money and then heads back to the slums late at night to get some rest. 

While I was in Nairobi, Kenya the Lord led Jesse to us. 

My friend and ministry partner, Ashleigh and I wandered into the city with our Kenyan friend, David. Our goal was to find a phone charger. What was supposed to be a 20-minute trip turned into a 2 hour trip full of glory and Jesus! 

Nairobi, Kenya is the home of 3.1 million people, so you’re always rubbing shoulders with someone (literally and figuratively). As we walked into the store I noticed a homeless woman with a baby sitting on the side of a busy road. 

I immediately heard the Lord say to buy the woman and her baby a blanket. I told Ashleigh and David, and before you know it, we’re buying her food, toiletries and some other miscellaneous items. It was fun! But I heard the Lord say “You’re not going to give it to the woman you expect to give it to.” It was surprising but I knew we’d find someone else. 

We walked outside with all of our little gifts and sure enough, the woman was gone. 

We decided to ask the Lord what direction to go because we knew we wanted to give the gifts to a woman with a baby. We heard the Lord say “Right”. We took a few steps and we were met by a homeless woman with a baby strapped to her. She approached us like she knew we were coming. I casually said “This is for you!” and handed her the bag of goodies. She smiled and gave us handshakes and as she turned we saw that she had another baby strapped to her back! Twins! It was such a pleasant surprise. We got to pray with her and tell her about Jesus. Her English was limited (which is actually hard to come by since most everyone is fluent in Nairobi) but praise God for David who spoke Swahili!

You’re probably wondering “What about Jesse? When does he come into the story?”

Remember I said this was a glory night? More good stuff happened before we could meet Jesse.

After the woman walked away we noticed a man sitting on the ground, he was missing a leg and we thought “Might as well make more friends!” So, we started to pray for him and get to know him. As we prayed and talked, 2 teen boys (one being Jesse) passed by and put some changes into the man’s cup. 

They returned with questions for us. 

“Who are you?”

“Why are you here?” 

“Can you help me?”

As we got to know Jesse and his friend we learned that they were both from the slums and Jesse recently had to drop out of school because he couldn’t afford it. But we also learned that although their situation was terrible they still had faith that God was going to do something miraculous for them.

Stick with me, I promise it gets better.

As talked more with Jesse and his friend, our hearts broke. I’ll never forget Jesse’s words:

“People forget that I’m human and that I have feelings. I have goals and things that I want to do with my life.”

Even though he knew his circumstances were rough he believed the Lord would do something. This boy’s faith in God is unmatched.

Ashleigh and I felt helpless as we left him. We were only going to be in Nairobi for about 24 more hours. We wanted to help him but neither of us had money to give him, so we left him with David’s contact info and promised that even when we’re back in America we would try to help him.

Long story short, the ministry David works for got into contact with Jesse and went to his home. They confirmed that in fact, all of the information he had given us was true and that he was an honest 15-year-old and not a kid trying to cheat us out of our money.

With the help of Ufungamano House, the ministry David works with, Ashleigh and I were able to get Jesse to school and starting this January he will be out of the slums and attending a boarding school!

We were are so blessed to be able to support Jesse but it is a lot more expensive than we thought it would be and as a missionary every dollar counts! 

So my question to you, faithful believers- can we make this a team effort? Would you pray about supporting Jesse with Ashleigh and I?

Both Ashleigh and I will each be paying $43 a month.

$43 a month to get a 15 year old boy out of the slums.

$43 a month for Jesse to have 3 meals a day.

$43 a month for a Christian education.

$43 a month for bed to call his own.

$43 a month to help Jesse achieve his dreams! 

If you can’t give $43 a month, any amount is appreciated!

To give or to learn more about Angel and her ministry, click here.

By: Angel Mabuni

Oct 23
9

A Rising in Lebanon

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Frustration is boiling in Lebanon. 

Plagued by war and government corruption, the Lebanese people are done. Over the past several years, there has been rationed electricity, water shortages, gas strikes, an unstable currency and an unemployment rate of 50%. 

But to top it off, the government recently announced that they were going to impose a tax on the networking app, Whatsapp.  

To give you a clearer perspective on why this is significant, I don’t purchase minutes for calling or texting on my phone here. I purchase data because Whatsapp is my primary method of communication. This is the same for the Lebanese people. 

This announcement made Lebanon hit the roof, or the streets to be exact. The people have said, “enough is enough” with government corruption and have decided to take action.

 Over the past seven days, over two million people have filled the streets in protest. Many main roads are blocked, shops and schools are closed and if you’re working it’s most likely from home.

The atmosphere is charged. Whether you attend the protests or are just driving around Beirut, you can feel the excitement of the people demanding change. Where there was once an underlying depression, there is a pride rising up and refusing to take anymore. 

 As a foreigner, I am often asked where I’m from and I reply, “I’m an American.” 

To this, their response is always the same, “Why are you here? I wish I was in your country.”

Every time I heard it though I understood it on a shallow level. It broke my heart to hear the Lebanese people wanting to flee and live in my nation. My nation… when I love theirs so dearly.

 But now the roads are flooded with protesters dancing (a very Lebanese way of protesting) and chanting for their country. These same people, who were once telling me that they wanted to live in my nation are now proudly waving their country’s flag and demanding a greater Lebanon. 

It fills my heart with so much joy. 

Though there has always been something to Lebanese pride, this pride has been crossing barriers, barriers of religion and society. It is creating unity, a unity that I hope will not be shaken. One that I will pray remains and bring this nation to the unity in Christ. 

As the protest continues, we are constantly praying that it remains peaceful. We know that within a minute, powers from underneath could attempt to make it into a riot.

Please join us in praying for Lebanon. 

“Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field will be regarded as a forest?” (Isaiah 29:17)

The Lebanese people are not a soft people, they are hospitable and warm and welcoming but not soft. They are strong, they are bold and they want change. 

Please pray with them as they look to forge the Lord’s future for this nation. Pray that the Lord’s hand remains over these protests, that they remain peaceful and that His name will be lifted high from this nation. These promises are real for this nation and for the region of the Middle East. Join with me to see Jesus be the ruler of this country and that the Bride of Christ will arise from Lebanon. 

“Come with me from Lebanon, my bride.” (Sos 4:8)

 For more information on Kelsie and here ministry, click here. 

 By: Kelsie Krull

 

Oct 22
8

Tireless Missionaries Return Sight To Blind

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SEPIK RIVER, Papua New Guinea — During a typical morning aboard the ship formerly known as the Young Tide Circle — a humanitarian-aid vessel — eye clinicians began operating on patients no earlier than 10 a.m. That wasn’t the case during a frenetic day in 2017 that saw dozens of lives transformed by vision-restoring surgeries. On that morning, patients were on the ship’s deck by 8:30 a.m. waiting to receive back their sight. This set the stage for 13 hours of nearly uninterrupted labor for the international, interdenominational collection of Christian volunteer medical professionals and their aides.

Local villagers lined up for a rare opportunity: Treatment from an ophthalmologist, of which there are fewer than 15 in this nation of about 8 million people. The surgeon and his team of six helped people who came from far-away places for the chance to have cataracts removed.

One of those villagers was 60-year-old Litau, who paddled four hours — upstream — in a dug-out canoe to reach theYoung Tide Circle and a chance at restored eyesight. After having surgery performed on one of his almost-blind eyes, his plan was to return home and make the journey again the following day to have his patch removed, then receive an operation on the other eye. Another elderly man was carried on his son’s back to reach the Sepik shore to be registered for a medical consultation, adding to the backlog. 

Although cataract surgeries can last less than 20 minutes, the team inside the ship’s operating room struggled throughout this morning to keep pace with incoming patients. As soon as they would conclude their work with one patient, at least one would arrive on board. Clinicians worked for five hours before breaking for mere minutes to hastily eat lunch before resuming surgical procedures for another eight hours. 

Despite the intensity and length of this work day, the ophthalmic team exuded a sense of joy as it received each patient. The group was comprised mostly of Papua New Guineans who were delighted by the chance to help their countrymen by offering a service most rural residents scarcely have the opportunity to receive. 

For the cataract patients themselves, experiencing the joy felt by the health care workers was an exercise in delayed gratification. As they sat waiting for their names to be called, most were visibly nervous. Many had never seen or been on board a ship or been operated on or met foreigners — each of which they were now experiencing as Western volunteers assisted with evaluating and registering patients.

Some of the patients were stoic during the waiting period. Sarah — a Sepiker in her 60s who had been blind in both eyes since 2010 — seemed irritated by the long delay in receiving her operation. 

Twelves hours into this medical marathon, the doctors and nurses began urging their non-professional assistants to retire for the evening. But all decided to continue until every patient had received care — which was finally accomplished 90 minutes before midnight. One volunteer called the experience “a really long, really fulfilling day. It was really good.”

The next day, every patient was feeling that same sense of fulfillment — including Sarah. Her demeanor was drastically different as she was able to walk without a stick for the first time in seven years. A smile seemed frozen on her face as she gratefully anticipated receiving surgery on the other eye.

For more information on Raymond and his ministry, click here.

By: Raymond Billy

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