I N T E R N AT I O N A L M I N I S T R I E S

JUNE 2018

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On The Ground

Over the last few years, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting with a couple of our partners, seeing the work of their ministries, and meeting the people that have been impacted for Christ through their tireless efforts.

I’ve seen first hand the impact that child sponsorship can have. My church sponsors a boy in Kenya named Kangasur. When he first entered the program, he was so thin, eyes yellowed, face gaunt. He walked with his head down, not wanting to meet your gaze. He rarely spoke, but even when he did, his voice was so quiet you could barely hear him.

A year later, he greeted me with a bright, big smile. His eyes were clear, face filled out, a new confidence in his stride. He was surrounded by friends, making jokes, playing soccer. The difference in him was remarkable! Two years after that, he’s grown so much and is now taller than I. Still a little shy, but confident in who he is. He gave me letters he wrote, in English, for the children at my church. We talk about all he’s learning in school, his desire to go to secondary school, and his dream to become a pilot. I’ll see him again in a few months, and I can’t wait to see how he’s continued to grow and learn. This is what sponsorship can do.

The Power of SponsorshipAndrea Burris - Harvesters International Ministries

PAKISTANOmega MinistryPlease pray for our pastors and congregations in Pakistan who face increasing challenges. Recently, churches have been closed due to the security situation there. We are thankful for the recent baptism of 13 new believers!

INDIASion Assembly ChurchCongratulations to Pastor Rajendra on the receipt of his Doctorate degree in Theology from North Carolina Theological Seminary! He was able to receive his degree in person and is traveling through the eastern US visiting supporting churches.

RWANDASeira Community ChurchThe Rwandan government recently closed over 7,000 churches that fail to meet construction standards. Several of the Seira Community Church church plants, which met in temporary locations or in buildings requiring upgrades, can no longer meet until their facilities are improved. The local congregations work hard to make bricks and provide other labor; however, they need financial help to purchase cement, roofing materials, windows, and doors. If you’d like to help, visit our Donate page at www.harvesters.net and select SCC.

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Harvesters International Ministries

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There are regions of the world where the smallest and most fragile of us are among the most neglected. Our partners are dedicated to working to provide for those at-risk children. Whether it’s feeding children in dire need of nourishment, providing house parents so that children can live in a home environment, or organizing child sponsorship programs, the love of Christ is shown to these children with grace and kindness.

In this issue, you’ll see how childrens’ lives are being transformed through the love and care of our partners. If you’re interested in learning more about sponsorship, please contact Doug Radford at doug@harvesters.net or Andrea Burris at andrea@harvesters.net.

In This Issue

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The D.R. Congo (DRC) is a difficult place for anyone. For a homeless orphan, the situation can be especially dangerous and terrifying. Sadly, years of wars, atrocities committed by rebels and bandits, high rates of HIV infection, and other causes of early death have resulted in countless children being not only parentless, but also hopeless. A total lack of governmental assistance makes the situation even more compelling for those outside the DRC to help these children. Left alone, many of them must turn to prostitution and other crime to survive.

Harvesters’ ministry partner in the DRC is being used by God to rescue orphans from the streets. Led by Athanase Habimana, the “Orphan’s Framing Center” provides a home, food, medical care, spiritual encouragement, clothing, and an education to 83 children who would otherwise likely find themselves in desperate circumstances. The Center is located in the city of Goma in Eastern DRC.

“A Kid’s Hope” child sponsorship program offers an easy way for people in the U.S. to help save an orphan in the DRC. Coordinated by a church in North Carolina, A Kid’s Hope partners with Harvesters to provide the funding needed to support the Orphan’s Framing Center. The program connects donors with a specific child being cared for by the ministry. Sponsors are asked to pray for and exchange letters with their child, creating a relationship that brings hope and encouragement to the child by knowing that someone truly does care about their well-being and success. The cost of sponsoring a child is $39 per month and can be easily started by visiting www.aKidsHope.com.

Hope in D.R. CongoDoug Radford - Harvesters International

To say that sponsoring a child “makes a difference” is an understatement. Studies have confirmed the expected increases in educational attainment, health, and other tangible impacts resulting from sponsorship. Likewise, the emotional improvements that result are very real for the recipient children. They have been proven to demonstrate greater hopefulness in their attitudes towards life as a result of knowing that someone cares about them and their needs. In short, sponsorship truly brings hope. Their future aspirations reflect optimism and motivation.

During my visits with the children, it’s always interesting to hear them share their dreams. They speak of becoming physicians, nurses, pastors, engineers, teachers, and pursuing other careers. It’s a great blessing to witness their confidence, especially in consideration of their past. For example, Shadrack, who was born in 2004. Both his parents were killed by rebels in 2007. Neighbors brought him to Goma to find help. Amina was born in 2007 and both her parents died while she was a small child. Eight year old David lived in a refugee camp for months without his parents and is unsure of what happened to them. Story after story of devastating circumstances that, because of the love of God’s people, have the opportunity to end well.

The orphans we care for in the DRC are educated at a school operated by the ministry, which is located on the same site as the Orphan’s Framing Center. They also attend church on the same campus where they sing as a group and join in with other children from the community to learn of God’s love. Routine medical care is provided on-site.

If you would like to learn more about sponsoring a child in the DRC, please go to www.aKidsHope.org. The value of hope can’t be stated in ordinary terms. Neither can the joy that results to those who God uses to share it with others.

David

Amina

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Why did you decide to return to Kenya this year?For me, I just felt like I did not finish up what I was sent there to do, which is just to give love and hope. Without volunteers, I feel like these children will get lost in the system.

What is the one thing that has impacted you most through nochild and child sponsorship?What has probably impacted me the most is the love that the children have for Jesus, no matter how little they have in life. You can tell their faith is very strong, which has led me personally to walk a better road in my faith!

Nancy Mannino lives in Michigan with her husband, John. She is a mother and grandmother. Nancy is a member of Kensington Community Church and became involved with nochild.org last year after a mission trip to Kenya. Nochild administers the child sponsorship program for the three children’s homes that are operated by our partner in Kenya, Pokot Outreach Ministries. Over 800 children are cared for by POM. Nochild provides a vital link between the children and their sponsors.

How did you first hear about nochild.org?When my daughter did a mission trip in 2016 to Kenya with nochild, she came home with a changed heart. I felt like I needed to experience it myself with her the following year.

So, you decided to travel to Kenya with your daughter. Give us a few highlights of that trip.Even though the travel time between each children’s home is long and tiring, the beauty in the landscaping is undeniable. But when we arrived at the children’s home, the smiles and laughter from the children is overwhelming. I mostly enjoyed the singing and playing with the children and seeing the love of God that they hold in their heart.

How did you meet your sponsor child?At our last children’s home, in Kodich, Videl (pictured above) was one of the first children I connected and played with. I did not find out that he was not sponsored until day three. At that time, I knew that I was going to be the person to sponsor him.

Why is sponsorship important to you?I feel like I can truly make a small difference in someone’s life.

When you returned to the US, you began volunteering with nochild. What prompted that? What are you doing with nochild?When the opportunity came up to volunteer, I felt like it was important to see the full circle of sponsoring a child and to see that the money did make a difference. My job is to help update the childrens’ records for their sponsors and to mail out letters from the children to their sponsors.

Volunteer SpotlightAndrea Burris - Harvesters International

Urgent Need in IndiaKamlesh and Ranu Bairwa - Good Samaritan Sewa Kendra, India

Previously, we shared with you about the loss of significant funding from another ministry due to government intervention. Those funds were used primarily to support the afternoon school session for 200 students. We are in urgent need of sponsors at $39 per month to provide for the education of these precious children, ultimately allowing us to share the love of Jesus with our communities.

Our schools begin with prayer and chorus singing. Bible stories are taught during Moral Science sessions. Children are given the Gospel before forces of darkness creep into their minds. They take the Gospel to their homes. As a result, the Gospel has reached several villages. A few fathers have stopped their liquor drinking habit upon listening to their children - our students. The light of the Gospel is dispelling darkness in these remote areas, and we praise God!

Though we don’t receive a single cent from the government, our schools are registered with them. With government registration, our curriculum is recognized for higher education and studies thus opening doors for our students to get good jobs with higher salaries. Doors open for their economic, social, and all round development. Parents want their children to have these advantages and seek out our school. We are grateful that this draws them to us, but our basic thrust is to bring the Gospel in the whole area.

We are grateful for your continued financial and prayer support! May the Lord continue to bless you!

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a special couple. Today, they live in a small apartment and care for five orphan siblings that were all living in different orphanages. At the time, they only had room for two children, but were determined not to let these siblings be apart any longer! If that isn’t enough, they bring orphans to their home from the orphanage on holidays and weekends through a new program the government has started. For me, the “wow factor” kicks in, and I get excited to see what God is doing to expand the kingdom when people like Sergey and Anya follow His call! We are blessed to have four HFL Homes and work with many other couples who are only able to care for one or two orphans. Together, we make up an HFL family with the goal of giving hope and sharing the Gospel with these precious lives that are often discarded.

The HFL ministry provides our families with prayer support, logistic support, and encouragement! In addition, we help families by purchasing things such as beds and clothing, building an addition or room, and monthly support. We are in need of donors to help us continue the vital work that has been started. A monthly gift or a project gift will be a tremendous help. If you would like to learn more, please contact Jeff Ballard at 843-368-9580 or via email at jeff@harvesters.net.

Summer camp at Camp Transformation is truly a transformative experience for the children that attend. Not only do they get a brief

hiatus from life in the orphanage, they also experience the love of Christ through the words and actions of the camp staff.

Slava is 16 years old and has HIV. Through his experience at camp, he came to know the Lord and is slowly growing in his faith. He continues to long for acceptance and love. His prayer request is to be healthy.

Sasha is 12 years old. He was saved at camp and now openly shares his faith with his friends.

Jeff Ballard - Hope for Life Homes, Russia

Throughout May and June, individuals and church groups in Far East Russia will make their way to Camp Transformation to clean, work, and prepare it for the summer camps. Because of our capital improvement project to update the camp and heat two of the primary buildings, the camp will not close down in September, but will be used throughout the fall and into the winter!

Camp Transformation plays an important role in the HFL Homes ministry. It gives our HFL families a place to refresh, and it is the single most effective way for us to share the Gospel with the hundreds of orphans living in government orphanages.

The camp is located just outside of Vladivostok on a beautiful piece of property along the bay. This year, we have set a goal of sending 100 orphans to camp for a two week period. The cost is $250 per child. To date, we are in need of $6,400 to reach our goal. For some of these children, it will be the first time they have been to camp and the first time they will hear about Jesus. They will be met by a loving camp staff who will mentor and encourage them! This is a life changing opportunity for the orphans we can send.

Lydia, the camp director, has a vision to develop and improve the camp’s condition. Because of her faithfulness and vision, we were inspired to join her. Last year, we started a capital campaign to provide a heating system for two of the main buildings and also bring the rooms up-to-date for the campers. The total goal was $74,600. To date, we have raised over $60,000! We are still in need of $14,000 to bring the project to completion. During the next two months, a church from Bluffton, South Carolina, will match each dollar given, up to $7,000!! This is a excellent opportunity that will expand the use of the camp and allow us to minister to even more orphans!

As the Director for the HFL Homes in Russia, nothing encourages me more than to see a couple that is sold out to God and caring for orphans. In 2016, when we met Sergey and Anya, we knew from the start that they were

Heart Transformations

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Building the FutureSamuel Mwesigwa - Kerith Ministry, Uganda

Kerith Ministries was established in 2009 in Pallisa, Uganda, and has since been involved in various activities focusing on promotion of children’s rights and support to orphans and other vulnerable children. Our mission for children is to enhance and develop their mental abilities and social skills to become God-honoring and productive citizens through providing education, foster services, and spiritual guidance. We envision a just society where vulnerable children can live a life of dignity.

Kerith Children’s HomeWe are currently caring for 31 children - 17 boys and 14 girls. We have a wonderful support staff that provides them with shelter, education, medical care, and spiritual support. They range in age from 5 to 16.

Betty and MichaelToward the end of last year, the Lord brought Betty and Michael to Kerith. They were born in Komolo Manga village in Pallisa district. Betty is the sixth, and Michael the fifth born, in the family of seven children. Their father was poisoned to death in December 2015, leaving his wife to care for the children. They are living on a small piece of land with two small grass thatched houses and no space to cultivate food for survival.

She does not have any help in caring for the children. Because of this situation, these children cannot access school and other basic needs. Their mother offers labor in people’s gardens to find daily food for the entire family. We got to know them through the Community Development officer who works in Kameke who identified this family and asked Kerith Ministries to extend a hand of help to this poor widow. Betty and Michael are both happy to have a place where they can have shelter, food, and medical care, and attend school. Both attend Kerith Primary school.

Kerith Primary SchoolKerith Primary is currently providing a quality education for 160 less-privileged children in the Pallisa community and beyond. We have utilized our church buildings and staff houses to accommodate all of our classes. Approximately 70% of students receive free education due to economic circumstance. The remaining 30% pay partial tuition for food and school materials.

Children attending Kerith Primary have shown great improvement in comprehension skills. They also learn to read, write, and speak English. Since the school opened, there has been an enormous impact, not only in academics, but the welfare and discipline of the children. I must give credit to the teachers for their selfless endeavors to equip the children, as they often work for months at a time without pay and with far too many pupils.

Last year, we took a step of faith to begin construction of a permanent structure as demanded by the government for every private school. We thank God that the first phase of three classrooms has reached 60% completion. We still must add doors, windows, plastering, and furniture at a cost of $5,300.

The second phase will include the construction of three additional classrooms at a cost of $14,000. Once complete, it is our hope to attract students that are able to pay full tuition. The result would be that for every 100 paying students, 50 vulnerable children can be accommodated without any financial challenge.

Kerith Sponsorship ProgramOur sponsorship programs has three primary goals:

• Provide a meaningful relationship between a child and their sponsor • Provide prayer support for each child • Provide KCH with funds necessary to care for each child

The cost to sponsor a child is $39 per month. Please be assured that a sponsored child will receive not only an excellent education, but most importantly, an outstanding Christian foundation and a great deal of love and discipleship. Contact Doug Radford at doug@harvesters.net or via phone at 252-230-9742.

We thank God for the opportunity that He has given us to be the extension of His hands in this community, and we thank you for your continued support.

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