If you’d like to download the printed version we mailed out:
The Greatest Gift
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NASB)
We aren’t saved as a result of our good works. Salvation is a GIFT! Hallelujah! In addition, though, God has prepared opportunities for us to do good works- not because we HAVE to, but because we WANT to! As we do, we are emulating our Father, the ultimate Gift Giver!
We believe that God wants us to both TELL people, as well as SHOW people God’s love, in tangible ways. We believe in giving in ways that are sustainable and don’t reinforce dependency. And we believe God has a special place in His heart for the most vulnerable. Doing so pleases our Father in Heaven and gives us unique open doors and open hearts to share about God’s generous gift of eternal
life through faith in Jesus Christ. How can we best SHOW Gods love? In this letter we want to share some opportunities with you. Perhaps during this season of remembering God’s generosity to us, you might want to partner with us in expressing that love to our neighbors in tangible ways. Thanks for being such faithful partners with us in God’s Gospel Mission!
Cell Phones For Widows
What does a widow in rural Kenya need with a cell phone? I know, it sounds a little crazy at first but we are really excited about the potential for this new project and its multiple uses.
Use 1: Check in and Emergency Contact
When the pandemic hit, we had to find a new way to check up on the widows. Many live in remote places that are hard to find and hard to get to. It was unfeasible to try to visit each one in person every month. Using cell phones, we can easily check on them, and so can their families and communities. Also, in case of emergency, the widow can call for help.
Use 2: Audio Bible & Teaching
Many of the widows struggle with reading due to both poor eyesight and lack of education. Being able to listen to an audio Bible on some type of device, in their own tribal language, would be ideal. With a cell phone which includes a speaker phone and a memory card, we can not only put the Bible in their native language and make it easy to navigate, but we can also include teachings of various sorts to help them understand even more!
Use 3: Bank Account
In Kenya, pretty much every business can accept MPESA, in which your phone account basically acts like a bank account. In exchange for a tiny transaction fee, you can buy and sell just about anything. If one of our widows needs food, medical supplies, or anything else – we can transfer money to them at the touch of a button, from anywhere.
Milk-Goats for Widows
Most of you are already familiar with this ongoing program and other similar ones from other organizations. A milk-goat provides a lot of sustenance for a widow, with a very small ongoing cost. There is almost always something around in these rural settings that a goat will eat – which makes feeding them convenient and cheap. Besides the milk, the goats are able to have offspring – the first couple of which are given to other widows, expanding the reach of these gifts. Then, after that, additional goats can provide more milk or be sold or used for meat.
Water Projects
$2,195 for a Rain Harvest System at a school
$3,215 for a Community Water Connection
$25,000 to Drill a New Water Well
In Kenya, it is estimated that 25 million people do not have access to safe drinking water. The health risks are enormous. In addition, the amount of time many Kenyans spend every day just fetching unsafe water and boiling it that still might make them sick, is tremendous. Having dependable access to clean water nearby greatly improves the health in a community, and gives many poor people time back to devote towards education and other economic endeavors, which helps to lift everyone out of poverty.
Student Tuition
Abram – 11
Daniela – 15
Eddy – 17
In Nicaragua, access to education is minimal. Most schools don’t have a single computer and very little access to learning skills like speaking English. If you know how and have access to a computer connected to the internet, and can speak fluent English, however, whole worlds of educational and economic opportunity open up. We have started a small school with two campuses that focuses on providing this kind of technical training at CrossWay TecNica. Economic conditions are such that many families just can’t afford the full ongoing tuition costs. We are convinced that the potential long-term impact of this investment in education will reap great rewards for the rest of the lives of these young people and benefit their entire community. In addition, they get to hear the Gospel on a repeated basis.
$24 per month, $288 per year x 50 = $14,400 Total
Student Tuition
In Kenya, it is estimated that 25 million people do not have access to safe drinking water. The health risks are enormous. In addition, the amount of time many Kenyans spend every day just fetching unsafe water and boiling it that still might make them sick, is tremendous. Having dependable access to clean water nearby greatly improves the health in a community, and gives many poor people time back to devote towards education and other economic endeavors, which helps to lift everyone out of poverty.
