Friday September 3, 2010

RIGHTING A WRONG

Last month, our family faced a minor crisis - we became victims of online bank fraud. Thousands of hard-earned dollars were literally stolen from our bank account. For many days we heard: "Our hands are tied"; "There's nothing we can do"; and "There is no guarantee you will get your money back". We truly felt hopeless as we exhausted every option for help. Through this experience, God gave us a small glimpse into injustice – sadly, what some people face every day. Too often, specific groups of people (like the Roma) experience helplessness and hopelessness. They face injustices, living in squalor, shunned from society, with no means to survive and no hope for a better life. This is where our ministry comes in; by sharing and showing the love of Christ to them. SHARING the same Good News that Jesus Christ brought nearly 2,000 years ago. SHOWING the love of Christ through tangible ways to help the Roma develop better lives for themselves. Thanks to those willing to fight for justice, a difference was made in our lives, and we finally received all of our money back. This happy ending would not have happened if injustice had been tolerated. God wants to use people to make a difference in the lives of those who are oppressed, both spiritually and socially, and turn a wrong back into a right.

“He has shown you, Oh man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8)

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TANGIBLE BLESSINGS

We have seen God’s faithfulness in so many ways, and we want to make mention of several tangible blessings we’ve received. To name a few….One of our friends created a beautiful painting for us, representing our ministry to the Roma people. Ladies from Marcella's small group at church have pitched in to help de-clutter our home, pack things away, and even held a garage sale for us on our behalf. A few other ladies helped paint our home, preparing it for sale on the market. In fact, one of these ladies’ has now become the new buyer of our home! Greg's former business CPA has agreed to provide tax services to us once we're on the mission field. And, a few people have committed to send us care packages once we're on the mission field. Another friend from Canada, sent his coin collection to us, allowing us to trade it in for financial support towards our ministry. Others have arranged opportunities to share our ministry both at homes and at churches. And a few dear friends continue to post our ministry needs on their Facebook pages. We are grateful for these tangible blessings and for how they aid in making a huge impact upon God's kingdom.

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SUPPORT UPDATE

Raising financial support is one of our primary roles at this point in our ministry. The summer months showed us how support raising can come to a grinding halt! However, as summer now comes to an end God has encouraged us with some new monthly supporters. To summarize, we have met 100% of our need for prayer support partners. And over 85% of our need for one-time expenses has been raised. Our main obstacle to departure now is our need to grow our monthly commitments – currently we are at 55%. As you can see, there is still much to raise. Considering our support status, we have adjusted our target departure date to January 2010. If you are intending to support us, but just haven’t made the commitment, it would encourage our hearts greatly if you could formalize your commitment. Formalizing commitments also helps us be better stewards of the minimal time we have left to share and raise what is needed to do the work He has set before us. The process is easy. Simply click here to be taken to the Pioneers website where you can sign up online. Thank you all for the many ways you have already supported our ministry to Albania.

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