Have you ever traveled somewhere and left a part of your heart there? It happened to Berry and Elizabeth Long on their first trip to Africa in 2000. After returning home to Florida, they couldn’t get Africa out of their hearts and minds. For sixteen years, they have been faithful volunteer workers for The Outreach Foundation.
Read MoreDear friends,
A special prayer of thanksgiving from Joan, Craig and the staff at Home of Hope, to which Dave and Ria say Amen.
Heavenly Father, we thank you above all for loving us so much that you sent your only begotten son, Jesus, to walk with us sinners, to be with us in the flesh, showing us your amazing love, grace and mercy. Thank you, Jesus for dying for us sinners on the cross as our substitute so we can have a new life, an eternal life, set free from the bondage of our sin, to be forgiven and to be given the free gift of salvation. We thank you Lord for all those who have given so much love and care for the poor of Zimbabwe and who have given us at Home of Hope so much support. We pray that you will bless them, guide them, protect them, heal them, shine your face upon them, their families and friends and fill them with your peace. Thank you for your amazing grace, we pray this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Read MoreDear friends,
I had been asked to be the speaker at a conference for aboriginal youth. Earlier in the week they said on the news that a tropical storm had formed in the Pacific southeast of Taiwan. They weren't predicting that it would amount to anything, so I didn't give it too much thought. But the day before I was to leave for the east coast, they were predicting that it might seriously intensify and was headed to Taiwan. After weathering through so many typhoons over the years, I know that typhoons have a mind of their own and things can change dramatically. I called the pastor in charge of the conference to ask her what she thought (I was secretly hoping they would reschedule the conference.). She replied "We're going ahead. Just pray!"
Read MoreGreetings from Mwandi, Western Province of Zambia, in Jesus’ name. The Lord has continued to multiply his grace and peace in our lives and ministry. Please continue to pray as we approach the upcoming Zambia general elections on August 11th. The political environment is very unstable. There have been a number of violent acts in some cities of our beloved country Zambia. This instability in the nation led the pastors and leaders of Senanga, whom we were scheduled to train in June, to request that we postpone the Intensive Training session to a another date after the elections. The dates will be announced later.
Read Moreby Marilyn Borst
In the midst of multiple crises unfolding in the Middle East, The Outreach Foundation has used your generous gifts to strengthen the hands of Christian partners in the region. They are the face of Christ to many who have lost everything…
JORDAN
Siham and Jeries Abd Rabbo are a Palestinian couple from Bethlehem who are serving Muslim refugees on behalf of the Shepherd Society – the mission outreach of Bethlehem Bible College.
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Dear brothers and sisters,
Greetings from Don and Martha Wehmeyer in Yucatan. I am teaching an intensive course for pastors working on their master’s degree called “Three Medieval Theologians.” I am going to use Benedict, Bernard and Kempis to see how each one treats the topic of humility. This is the greatest tool to fight against hubris, the greatest of the deadly sins. So this is a class that will be hard to grade: should the students be trying to get an A or an F?
Read MoreDear friends of God's mission in Russia,
Last month, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel with PC(USA) missionary Al Smith to visit with many of Outreach’s partners in Russia. It was an encouraging and rewarding trip. We began in Kursk with a visit to Pastor Andre Beskorovaini and his wife, Larissa.
Read MoreThe Outreach Foundation has been involved in the ministry of Reconcile in South Sudan for about a decade. Their ministries of peace-building and trauma healing are essential components of our overall project, “Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan.” Listen to these compelling stories from Presbyterian Mission Co-Workers Nancy and Shelvis Smith-Mather. Then pray for peace in South Sudan and give as the Lord moves you.
Read MoreDear friends,
Once again it is graduation time and, as is now the norm at Justo Mwale University, our sparkling new graduates have already been serving as pastors since November or December. This year I (Sherri) took it upon myself to ask some of them what the biggest surprise has been in their first few months of pastoral work. In their answers I found insight to the challenges they face; I also found tidbits of challenge and inspiration for me as an American Christian. Read on, and let our recent graduates challenge you, as well...
Read MoreAlthough the tragic events in Iraq from the summer of 2014 have mostly faded from our daily news cycles, the past is very much present for Rev. Haitham Jazrawi and his congregation at the Presbyterian Church in Kirkuk. It began with a persistent knocking at the church’s gate late one night. It was soon inescapably evident in the streets around town as entire families stood dazed and bewildered, clutching small parcels and, for the fortunate ones, a suitcase containing a few changes of clothing and their important documents. And then the reports soon reached their ears of entire congregations of the Syrian Orthodox Church seeking haven in safer villages not far from Kirkuk….
Read MoreDo you like having fun with kids? I do. I love seeing the wonder on children's faces when they encounter something for the first time. One of my favorite recollections of wonder as a child was when I first saw oil poured into water. I kept trying to stir the solution faster and faster to see if the oil would dissolve, yet every time, the little bubbles of oil would push through the water to remerge in its previous state, a layer of oil. You just can't mix oil and water. Many times the same is true of Jews and Arabs, and even Messianic Jews and Palestinian Christians. We don't mix. I am not saying that we don't attend each other's congregations or pray together at conferences. Of course we do. But we don't let our guard down, talk about the tough questions and bring each other into our lives.
Read MoreHe heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
Officials in Rwanda recently shared “official” numbers: 1,074,017 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were brutally killed in the one hundred days of genocide in 1994, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of orphans, widows, widowers, and people with disabilities. It’s nearly unthinkable about how such an atrocity could happen in modern times. And, it’s hard to imagine how Rwandans could ever heal from the ordeal.
Read MoreDear Tete Province friends and partners,
Some of you have asked how the work has been progressing in Tete Province this year and I want to provide an update. Nedson, Sarah, Sebber and their families are well. Nedson and Sebber have been busy conducting leadership training seminars and overseeing some important construction projects.
Read MoreDespite an attempt at peace talks, war rages in Syria. But, the Presbyterian Church is faithfully bringing spiritual, emotional and physical relief to the people. They need our help.
Please CLICK HERE to learn more about the crisis and access resources to help your congregation better understand the situation in Syria. Together, we can help the Church in Syria to help its people.
Or, CLICK HERE to make an immediate donation to the Syria Emergency Appeal.
Read MoreDear friends and supporters of the Philemon Preschool,
The Philemon Project Preschool focuses on the (mostly Muslim) children of low-income immigrant workers and Syrians, providing quality care and an avenue along which Christ may be made known to the children and their parents. The Philemon Preschool is under the auspices of the National Evangelical Church, a sister-denomination to The Outreach Foundation’s principal partner in Lebanon, the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon.
Read MoreDear friends,
We had an extra-special Easter this year. Robert had the weekend off from college, and we were able to be together as a family in Decatur, GA with the azaleas and dogwoods blooming.
Read MoreDear mission partners,
Greetings in Christ from Guatemala! The tradition of missionary home assignments (“furloughs” years ago) started with the Apostles. In Acts, we find Paul returning to his sending church in Antioch after his first missionary journey. Ever since, missionaries have periodically headed home, interpreting their work, bolstering support networks, renewing ties to loved ones and seeking spiritual and vocational rejuvenation.
Read MoreFour in 1980 and four hundred and forty-four in 2016. Quite a big difference, yes? And, amazingly, it represents the somewhat exponential growth of the number of students being served by the Matanzas Evangelical Theological Seminary – our Presbyterian partner in Matanzas, Cuba! The Rev. Dr. Carlos Emilio Ham, who was installed as president this past June, has experienced it all. Our Outreach Foundation team met with him on the verdant seminary campus which overlooks Matanzas Bay.
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