She Made Kenya Her Home: In Loving Memory of Dana Jacobs

(August 24, 1967 – January 13, 2017)

Dana Jacobs exuded love, compassion, and genuine concern for all people. She cared deeply for every abandoned or orphaned baby who came through the gate of the Africa Gospel Church Baby Centre, whispering to each one, “Your parents are coming for you.” It was a sacred calling to care for these children and to tell them that they were loved, they were wanted, and they would have a family someday.

This calling to serve with World Gospel Mission in Kenya came after some resistance. At the time her husband, Dan, felt God’s pull to Kenya in 2005, Dana was happy and comfortable in the life they had built in the United States, the result of years of hard work. They had four kids, a lovely home, and a secure future. But God had something else for them, and when Dana surrendered to His leading, they found that He enabled them to find purpose in a ministry that was greater than anything they could have imagined. 

Dan gave leadership as the director of the baby center while Dana coordinated the many teams and visitors who came to the center each year. In this role, she managed the logistics involved in housing and feeding large groups, helped visitors process what they were experiencing, and served as a liaison between supporting partners and Kenyan staff. And she was famous for her delicious homemade pizza. 

Dana made Kenya her home. She embraced the role of sister and mother to staff and babies alike. Dana’s impact on the lives of children will stretch across decades and around the world. 

“When you go in obedience to God’s calling and surrender your life to Him, miraculous things happen,” Dana wrote in 2016 when she was at WGM headquarters for a training event. We are grateful for the years of remission she was able to have after her cancer diagnosis. Yet we still grieve, wondering why Dana lost her life at this time. Our hearts hurt for Dan, Hope, Carson, Talia, Nathan, and Andrea, and for all who knew and loved Dana. 

We have confidence in knowing that she loved her Savior to the utmost and served Him with everything she had. We rest in the knowledge that she is with Jesus. Hebrews 10:23 (NIV) reminds us, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” We rejoice that Dana is in the presence of the Source of that hope today. 

GIVE: Africa Gospel Church Baby Centre is a home for orphaned and abandoned children in Ngata, Kenya. You can honor missionary Dana Jacobs' memory by partnering with this ministry. 

September 25-30: Praise God for the wonderful examples given in the Bible about how we are to treat foreigners. 

Is It Worth Sowing Seeds among Troubled Kids?

Tracy Dubois, Support Staff, with Terry and Colleen Hawk, Regional Directors
The Call, January-March 2017

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 RSV)

When you plant pumpkin seeds in your garden, you expect to harvest pumpkins. If you plant sweet corn seeds, you expect to eat sweet corn soon. However, when it comes to sowing the seeds of God’s love in the hearts of children, the harvest is not always immediate or what you expect.

According to www.churchleadership.org, the average age of when people become Christians has steadily dropped over the years. Roughly 80 to 85 percent of people who become Christians do so by:

• the age of 18 (1978)
• the age of 16 (1988)
• the age of 15 (1998)
• the age of 14 (2008)

Didier is living proof of this promise and these statistics. He was born in Honduras and lived with his grandparents. The family was very poor, forcing Didier to dig through garbage to find food. His grandma died when he was 8, and Didier started getting into trouble. Three years later, Didier was sent to Escuela El Sembrador by his grandfather, who was unable to care for him. Didier studied at El Sembrador from 1993 to 1997, when he completed sixth grade.

Didier accepted Christ during a church service at El Sembrador when he was 13. Jorge Pacheco, a former El Sembrador student who was serving as a counselor at the school, helped lead Didier to the Lord. Terry and Colleen Hawk directed the school at the time.

Didier later walked away from his faith and moved to the U.S. But, by God’s grand design, Didier returned to the truths he learned at El Sembrador. He and his wife, Lourdes, began attending church and decided to renew their commitments to God and raise their two young sons in His light.

In May 2016, at age 35, Didier was baptized by Jorge—the same man who helped lead him to the Lord in 1997—in a Hispanic church in New Orleans. The Hawks were present for this grand celebration.

“It was a special God moment when Jorge baptized Didier,” Terry and Colleen recalled. “May this be a call for people to invest in the lives of young children, because you never know what the seed you plant will bring to harvest. It is truly worth it!”

Jorge added: “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58b NIV).”

“I feel very blessed walking with the Lord,” shared Didier. “I have established a Christian home and have my own construction company. Lourdes teaches a Sunday School class, and I am waiting for the Lord to show me what He wants me to do in the church.”

PRAY: Pray that Didier and Lourdes will remain strong in the Lord, that Didier will find his ministry niche, and that their family will be a testimony of God’s love and faithfulness.

GIVE: Help other boys like Didier and invest in the life of an El Sembrador student today. 

We Prayed

Leatha Jenkins, Missionary, Papua New Guinea
The Call, October-December 2016

We absolutely could not go to Papua New Guinea without our prayer team! No way. Let me tell you about some of the ways our people have prayed with us. 

At the beginning of 2016, nine of us agreed to meet once a month for 30 minutes of sharing and prayer. Butch and I had humbly asked these local friends to carve time out of their busy schedules to join us in prayer, specifically to seek God’s favor for our ministry in PNG: scheduling meetings, funding, health, and wisdom. 

God blessed us with His touch, again and again. As we prayed specifically, we saw specific answers, again and again. Work team travel and logistics were flawless. Funding spilled over the minimum that we hoped for. Burdens were lifted. We all shared concerns and heartaches, offering them to the Father together. Praying together strengthened us. 

Besides our monthly prayer group, there were prayer opportunities with so many of you along the way. These ranged from planned and spontaneous meetings and random moments to prayers by email, phone, or face to face. Often only two or three of us would pray. God is good, and the answered prayers are too many to count! For those situations and concerns of which we continue to hope and watch for a clear answer, I have found that praying together brings the peace that passes understanding.

The bond that develops between us as we seriously pray together will never be broken; it is eternal. Thank you, prayer partners. The community you provide is a blessing beyond measure. 

Matthew 18:18-20 (NIV): “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth shall agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three  gather in my name, there am I with them."

Pray: Form your own prayer community for missions. Every Tuesday, through Prayer Lifeline, WGM posts new praises and requests coming from our missionary staff. Gather your prayer team together once a week and pray over these concerns for the cause of missions.

Living in Community

Dora Wesche, Retiree, Kenya
The Call, October-December 2016

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had” (Romans 15:5 NIV).

Sometimes it takes a heaping measure of grace to live on a foreign mission station. I didn’t get the hang of it in the beginning, but failure can be the back door to success.

My husband, Bob, our 1-year-old daughter, Dawn, and I first arrived in Kenya in 1967. As we faced challenges, some memories stand out, specifically in areas of obeying authority, loving your neighbor, and “keeping up with the Joneses.”

One day, Bob had come home from a long day at the hospital, and I was giving vent to a list of frustrations. As I paused for a breath, Bob, known for his one-liners, said, “You are saying you know how to run the mission better than the mission leaders.” Totally shocked, I thought it over. I was even more shocked to realize it was true–not that I could run things better than the leaders but that I thought I could.

A new missionary had arrived on the field. His ideas were different, feathers were ruffled, and there were some unflattering comments made. During a chapel service at a retreat, this strong impression came to mind: “Do you want him to accept you just as you are, with all your faults?” Well, yes; I hadn’t thought about that before. “Then accept him just as he is with all of his faults.” I applied that lesson many times in the years that followed.

One day, the door flew open; our little toddler spread her hands out wide and in great frustration asked, “WHERE is my little red wagon?” Oh! We had brought dolls and lots of games but NO red wagon. However, since a neighbor’s child had one, Dawn wanted one, too! We all needed to learn about finding contentment in what we had. 

I learned to thank God that I didn’t have to worry about running the mission, and I marveled at leaders who were exercising their gifts of administration, of which I have none.

Today, some of my dearest friends are “old” retired missionaries as well as wonderful new “young” missionaries on the field. I am eternally grateful that God brought us together. I am also coming closer to learning to be content in all things. Being a missionary brought the greatest joys of my life. I love The One who taught me how.

ACT: Have your feathers been ruffled? Are you living in discontent? Do you need to repair your attitude toward your community? Take time this month to dig deeper into God’s Word and put into action His direction. Here is a good resource to get you started.

Prayer Calendar Dec. 4-10,2016

Coming tomorrow on The Call blog:

I walked through the door, and I was immediately met with the delicious aroma of good food lingering in the air. Bright tables and chairs were coupled with the familiar sound of rapid conversations in Spanish. I had stopped by a local Mexican restaurant to see if they would be interested in having me volunteer once a week to teach an English as a Second Language class before they opened for the day. 

Ask God to help you reach out with His love to someone who needs Him today. 

God's Influence Showcased

Erin Curtis, Volunteer, with Bob Margaron, Missionary, The Center
The Call, October-December 2016

As a community outreach, The Center is catalyzing powerful shifts in the lives of people in Stockton, California. Evidence of God’s transforming power is touching many individuals and slowly replacing the brokenness of the multigenerational gang lifestyle. Recently, The Center held a special event that showcased God’s influence: the wedding of Ernesto “Daniel” and Becca De LaRosa, two community members who met at The Center as children.

Daniel and Becca met in 1997 as elementary students. Bob Margaron, director of The Center, fondly remembers Becca running up to him one day with tears streaming down her cheeks, saying, “Daniel won’t quit picking on me.” Knowing this to be uncharacteristic for Daniel, who was generally quiet and gentle-spirited, Bob asked, “Do you think he likes you?” Becca ran away, yelling, “Eww!” Little could anyone predict how Bob’s comment would foreshadow future events. 

Both Daniel and Becca came from broken households, and each family knew hardship and heartache well. Daniel grew up in a single-parent home, and Becca’s father was incarcerated for much of her childhood. Becca married a man in the Marine Corps and become a mother of two but left her husband and returned to Stockton after he became abusive. Daniel had remained unmarried and was working steadily. When Becca returned, they reconnected and moved in together. He embraced her two children as his own, and together they had a baby. 

As He grew their household, God also moved in Daniel and Becca’s hearts, burdening them with the desire to honor Him by being married. They sought Bob out. He agreed to officiate the wedding and walked with them through premarital counseling for three months. The couple also agreed to abstain from sex until they were married legally. 

Becca dreamed of marrying Daniel in the place where they’d met, so the Margarons joyfully opened The Center’s facilities for the wedding. The De LaRosas have been a testimony in Stockton. Together, they stood in front of the kids at The Center and spoke about their experience. At the wedding, friends and family witnessed their passion for glorifying God as they stepped away from sin and into His design for their lives. Bob hopes that those who see the De LaRosas will see “that God will be with them through any of their situations and that He carries them through.” 

PRAY: Pray for the missionary and volunteer staff who give selflessly to provide the children of this community stability and safety. Pray that Jesus will be lifted up and glorified in all the ongoing activities—Bible club, special events, tutoring, etc.—at The Center.

Prayer Calendar Nov. 20-26,2016

Anna Redding came to Tenwek Hospital in 2014 with her father, Dr. Mark Redding. He is a neurosurgeon who was serving on his third short-term medical missions trip to Tenwek. When they returned home, Anna wondered if she could do something to make a difference in the lives of the babies and moms in Tenwek’s nursery. She was entering her senior year of high school in North Carolina, and one of her senior assignments called for a community service project. 

Praise God for Anna Redding's heart - and impact she made for the Kingdom. p.14

From Jerusalem to the Ends of the Earth

Victoria Herring, Support Staff
The Call, October-December 2016

"Why should I donate so that someone gets to take a glorified vacation?”

Coordinating missions trips as a job has allowed me to hear a lot of feedback from people who are not only preparing to go on missions trips but also donating to make these trips possible. Recently, it seems there is a lot of criticism toward short-term missions trips. I hear this a lot: “I think you should help people right here before worrying about people in other countries.”

The reality of the situation is that we are called to do both. “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NIV). It’s not an either/or situation. It’s also not a choice. It’s a command to do both. How can we work together to ensure that we are carrying out the Great Commission not only in our local community but also globally? 

I believe one way we can accomplish both of these goals is through teamwork. Not everyone is called to serve outside their community, whether long or short term. However, there are ways we can support those who are called to share Jesus with cultures outside of their own.

1. Pray: All missionaries will tell you that their prayer partners are a vital part of their ministry.

2. Give: It doesn’t always have to be financially. We can give our time, talents, and spiritual gifts too. And while we are doing this to support our partners around the world, we can at the same time help those in our local community. Consider volunteering at a local food bank, homeless shelter, or after-school program. 

Even though we all have our differences, our goal of the Great Commission is the same. God in all His wisdom made us unique with talents that He will use to work toward that goal. Whether you are called to serve people right here or to travel across the globe, working together is teamwork at its finest. 

GO: Gather your team and pack your bags. Short-term trips are available. Start the application process and pick a location at www.wgm.org/teams. 

ACT: Choose a local nonprofit to volunteer at this month. Food banks, homeless shelters, and after-school programs are always looking for volunteers.

Escaping Home

Adhanom Hidug, Missionary, South Sudan
The Call, July-September 2016

Nine years ago, my friend and I had to escape from a system that not only wanted to stop me from practicing my Christian faith, but also resolved to put me in prison just because I followed Jesus. We walked for four days and three nights to enter a Sudanese border city. It was a very risky journey. The Eritrean border patrol units crisscross the terrain near the Sudanese border, and they have a “shoot to kill or injure” order against anyone leaving the country illegally. If we were to try to leave the country legally, it would be like a rat teasing a cat in an open field where it cannot hide. 

God allowed us to walk through the camp of these units unnoticed. I wondered if He had made us invisible to them. We crossed a dry river without being physically aware of it. We only realized that it was a river bed after finding ourselves on the other side of it. God changed the route we had planned to follow and made us follow a route He planned for us. As we slept for three nights in the open semi-desert, He protected us from all sorts of fierce wild animals, and He made us survive the extreme heat. He was in charge of our lives.

Throughout my journey, I believed the words: “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared” as if they were said to me (Exodus 23:20 NIV). I kept remembering Jesus, who had to escape to Egypt as a baby. I would pray, “Jesus, You made a risky journey while You were a baby. Please keep me safe.” 

While I was living with my family as a refugee in Kenya, I would pray, “Jesus, You once were a refugee in Egypt, and we are now refugees. Please, take care of us.” 

As refugees we had many challenges, but our main challenge was harassment and extortion by the police. However, our challenges strengthened my faith in the Lord. Now that I am in my newly adopted home among the friendly Canadians in Edmonton, Alberta, I consider it a noble act and a ministry to regularly pray for Eritreans, Syrians, and people of other nationalities who are going through similar circumstances that I went through. The Lord delivers!

PRAY: Acquaint yourself with specific types of suffering and persecution that Christians face around the world today. Pray for these Christians and their persecutors as you read the Word, especially passages like the stoning of Stephen in Acts.

Prayer Calendar September 11-17,2016

Pray for Christians who are suffering because of their faith.

"Nine years ago, my friend and I had to escape from a system that not only wanted to stop me from practicing my Christian faith, but also resolved to put me in prison just because I followed Jesus. We walked for four days and three nights to enter a Sudanese border city. It was a very risky journey. The Eritrean border patrol units crisscross the terrain near the Sudanese border, and they have a “shoot to kill or injure” order against anyone leaving the country illegally. If we were to try to leave the country legally, it would be like a rat teasing a cat in an open field where it cannot hide." More of this story coming tomorrow on The Call blog. 

Change + an Unchanging God

Barbara Pinkley, Missionary, Kenya
April-June 2016

Transition: “The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another; move, passage, transformation, handover.” 

Since July 1987 when Tenwek School of Nursing opened at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya, only two things have been constant: 1) Change and 2) an Unchanging God.

Transitions are rarely comfortable. They usually take a lot of work and sometimes seem impossible. But God has walked with us in our journey through transitions. Our program follows the Kenyan government curriculum, which trains nurses to be triple qualified as nurses, midwives, and community nurses, though our motto has an added focus to train them to “Care in Christ’s Name.” We have changed from a two-and-one-half–year enrolled level certificate program to a three-and-one-half–year registered level diploma program. Our location changed from a hospital ward basement to a beautiful setting next to Tenwek Hospital. At first, all of our teachers were missionaries, and now we are blessed to have Kenyan graduates of our school holding all the leadership roles.

Our yearly intake has changed from 16 per class to over 30 per class. Testing methods have varied but are still mainly short answer and essay plus practical and oral exams. Our library now has computers as well as books. Tenwek Hospital now has electronic charting. Our students have to be intentionally disciplined in their use of Facebook, the Internet, and mobile phones. We are now a testing center for twice-yearly national nursing board exams. Exam results are now released via the Internet to schools and via texting to students. Even our uniforms have changed. 

In the midst of transitions, God has been faithful: understanding our struggles, calming our hearts, directing, strengthening, and encouraging us. He has rejoiced with us and cheered us on. He has led many people like you to join us in prayer and support as together we join God in what He is doing. 

More students require more space to teach and accommodate students, more exams and assignments to mark, and more practical assessments. We need prayer for time management (for both students and teachers) in our busy schedules. We expect more future changes and know God will be there for us.

PRAY: Ask God to give the staff at Tenwek School of Nursing creative ideas and strength during transitions to effectively train even more nurses to “Care in Christ’s Name.” 

GIVE: Your financial gift can assist in building and remodeling classrooms and accommodations for our larger student body at Tenwek School of Nursing.

Transition Through the Eyes of a Child

Rees Many, Missionary Kid, Kenya
April-June 2016

Rees Many serves at Tenwek Hospital with her parents, Heath and Angela. As the Many family prepared to serve in medical ministries in Kenya, they went through a series of transitions that are normal for the missionary lifestyle. Rees shares with us what packing up your home and moving overseas feels like for a missionary kid.

Moving from one country to another can create a sense of both happiness and sadness. I experienced these contrasting emotions when our family moved from America to Kenya. One enjoyable occurrence during our move was discovering what our house looked like with nothing in it. When it came time to go to the airport, I felt incredibly excited! We would land in our new home in 24 hours! Upon arriving at the airport in Nairobi, I became so joyful. When we got to Tenwek, I made new friends I could play with every day!

But even though moving was very enjoyable, it also brought sadness. Because I had to give away some of my special things, it became emotionally tough to pack our belongings. Once we reached Tenwek, we could not have a house of our own until after our first two years here. Living in a house belonging to others made Tenwek feel less like home.

The most difficult aspect of moving was leaving my best friends. Three hard months passed before I made new ones. Moving from one country to another creates paradoxical feelings. Though moving felt happy and sad, I love it here in Kenya, and I am glad that it's my home.

PRAY: Pray for missionary kids like Rees who are both happy and sad about the missionary calling their family has. Pray that God will bless them with feelings of home and great friends to enjoy the journey with.

A Leader Leading

Carolyn Wade, Missionary, Kenya
April-June 2016

In January 2004, Hubert Harriman, president of World Gospel Mission, was the Holiness Emphasis Week speaker at Kenya Highlands Evangelical University (KHEU). After a service one evening, my husband, Ken, and I asked to speak with him. 

 

As we met in our back garden area, we explained that we had a growing desire to be out in the villages with the people, sharing Jesus and encouraging Christians to surrender their lives to Christ. 

 

Hubert stated that this was for sure a need in the Africa Gospel Church. At that time, WGM did not have a couple working in such a capacity as the church had earlier experienced. He encouraged us to follow God’s call on our hearts. When we shared this with the Kenya country director, he, too, encouraged us to follow the Lord’s lead. 

 

KHEU graduation in July 2004 closed a chapter in our lives. We returned to the United States for homeland ministry assignment with plans to begin a holistic, grassroots ministry. The Lord built this by supplying donors, providing a new truck, and locating an apartment for us in Kericho. 

 

Through the encouragement of a missional leader, we moved forward in God’s timing and through His resources to reach out to people who had never seen a WGM missionary, to others who had never understood what a Scriptural marriage looked like, and to yet others who had never understood what a full surrender to Christ was. 

 

Only eternity will tell what has been done through AGC Enhancement Ministries! God will reward all who have prayed and given to help this ministry stand. May we always have missional leaders who will encourage missionaries to follow God’s lead.  

Take this month to focus prayer time on the leaders of WGM. God’s wisdom and direction are necessary in moving forward.

Matching Names to Faces

Meet WGM’s Newest Missionary Disciples
Tracy Dubois, Support Staff
January-March 2016

If you’re like me, it’s easier to remember names when you can match them to faces. I feel more connected to the people, and, hopefully, I can say hi to them by name when we meet again. This brief introduction to WGM’s newest missionary disciples may help you recognize them and show you how you can pray for them.

Anointed To Proclaim, Heal, Teach: PETE AND ANGELA OLSEN

The Olsens will serve through medical and education ministries at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya.
“From our time at Tenwek, we learned that the people who work in and live near the hospital are thirsty for more of Jesus and His truth. They want to learn what it looks like to have a real relationship with Him.”

Serving And Teaching With Excellence: MIKE AND JULIE GANEY

The Ganeys (career missionaries) will minister to children and surgical residents at Tenwek.
“We pray that the love of Jesus will be visible to the children we minister to as we serve their physical needs and that we will be a source of encouragement to the surgical residents as we help train them.”

Healing In The Name Of Jesus: 

ELI AND KRISTA HORN

The Horns will bring physical and spiritual healing in the name of Jesus at Tenwek. “We feel called to a medical ministry in particular because healing was a primary part of Jesus’ own ministry, and we have seen firsthand how meeting the physical needs of a person can lead to spiritual healing as well.”

Loving In Jesus’ Name: BILL AND JOY IRWIN

The Irwins are called to care for women and children in sub-Saharan Africa through medical and administrative ministries at Tenwek. “We are going to Kenya to love and serve in a place where there is a great and desperate need. Our great desire is that women and children will know that they have a Savior who loves and values them.”

One Step At A Time: ESTHER LEININGER

Esther will teach at Taylor Christian School and volunteer at Taylor Community Center in McAllen, Texas, on the Texas/Mexico border. “This is an exciting time to work on the Texas/Mexico border because of the transition that is happening. People tend to be more receptive to the gospel when they are surrounded by change, because change shakes them out of their routine.”

Addressing A Void: DYLAN AND JESSICA NUGENT

The Nugents will minister at Tenwek and the surrounding community. “The need for quality healthcare in Africa is staggering. The World Health Organization recommends five orthopaedic surgeons for every half a million people. In the U.S., the ratio is 43 orthopaedic surgeons, while in Kenya the ratio is less than one surgeon per half a million people.”

Call Solidified: BRADY AND ALICIA SEARL

The Searls will work with students and pastors in Kampala, Uganda.
“Although Uganda has a large Christian influence, there is still need for greater biblical truth and understanding. The people are hungry to learn more about Jesus and what it means to be a Christian.”

MORE: Subscribe to the weekly Discover Missions email at www.wgm.org/discovermissions to be alerted when stories are posted about new missionaries. Upcoming articles will feature Darin and Laura Arnott, Jodi Brumbaugh, and Aaron and Stephanie Kelley.

The Portrait Project

More Than a Picture
Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
January-March 2016

Cydil Waggoner, missionary in Albania with husband, Nathan, and kids, Ellie and Reni, loves taking photos and has a great eye for capturing special moments. When the Waggoners moved from the capital city of Tirana to a small village, they wanted to find a way to get to know their new neighbors. As anyone who has moved to a new place knows, the task of getting to know people and building relationships can take a long time. Cydil had the idea to offer each family in the village the gift of a photo session and a canvas photo mounted on a stretch frame. Thus, The Portrait Project was born.

With over 100 families living in the village, the Waggoners began to make contacts, visit homes, and take photos. Within one year, they had visited over 50 homes and matched each family with a ministry partner in the U.S. who had committed to pray for the Albanian family. At each photo session, the family was also given a personal invitation to the programs and services at the ministry center where Cydil and Nathan serve.

Partners in the U.S. who committed to pray for a family were given a postcard-size photo, with names and prayer requests written on the back. Many of the partners also contributed $15 to cover the cost of the canvas print.

As Nathan and Cydil have made their way through the village, they have come to realize that, for the families, even more meaningful than the physical gift of a family portrait was the realization that they are being remembered by their prayer partners in the United States. One lady from a neighboring village, in tears, said, “I wish I lived there so I could be part of The Portrait Project!” When Cydil assured her that they could take her family’s picture, too, she replied, “I don’t care as much about the picture. I just want someone to pray for my family!”

And that’s what The Portrait Project is all about.

ACT: Create your own portrait project. Ask to take photos of the families in your neighborhood so that you can pray for them. Then print the photos, and each night for the next year, commit to pray as a family for your neighbors.

Prayer Calendar March 20-26, 2016

With over 100 families living in the village, the Waggoners began to make contacts, visit homes, and take photos. Within one year, they had visited over 50 homes and matched each family with a ministry partner in the U.S. who had committed to pray for the Albanian family. At each photo session, the family was also given a personal invitation to the programs and services at the ministry center where Cydil and Nathan serve.

Pray for a family in your neighborhood that is in need of divine intervention. p. 20

The Good Samaritan

Jim Ritchie, Missionary, Kenya
January-March 2016

I love the painting The Good Samaritan by Vincent van Gogh. He painted it in 1850 while he was a patient in an asylum. He was struggling, and he found solace and direction in his artistic meditations.

The painting is dense with meaning. The Samaritan is himself struggling, awkwardly pushing the ambushed and injured Jewish man onto his donkey. The Samaritan has given up his place of relative comfort on the donkey and has emptied his luggage, treating the man with oil, wine, dressings, and clothes. But the Samaritan man isn’t glorified in the painting. His face is in shadow, and his leg serves as a step-stool for the Jewish man.

The injured man doesn’t even appear to be particularly grateful to the Samaritan. His countenance is heavenward, which is more appropriate. The priest and the Levite, who should have stopped to help a fellow Jew, pass by on the road, ignoring the need and the struggle.

Sometimes those who serve in missions feel like the Samaritan in the painting. Struggling, awkward, stepped-on, unappreciated. We have given up our place, our treasure, our comfort, our time. And sometimes the people we are serving seem oblivious to what we left behind or even contemptuous of our effort.

Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan after a Jewish lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” In Jesus’s story, He doesn’t praise the one being served. Jesus exalts the server. After telling the parable, Jesus asked, “Which of these three proved to be a neighbor…?” The answer was “The one who showed compassion toward him.”

Let us be compassionate toward our neighbors, regardless of where they are, regardless of their acknowledgment, and regardless of the attention of others. The One who sees and remembers our compassion is He who taught us about compassion and showed the greatest compassion of all. He is never oblivious, never contemptuous of the things we do in His name. Awkward, struggling, yes. But never unrecognized or unappreciated by the Great Servant King. Serve on.

PRAY: Father, help me to be compassionate toward my neighbors. May I be sensitive to opportunities to be Your hands and feet for those hurting around me. Please use my talents for Your glory, and I will praise Your name in everything I do. Amen

Prayer Calendar February 21-27, 2016

Rev. Isaka Bushingagira, 93 years old, was born before WGM began its work in the central African country of Burundi. He got saved at the age of 16 in 1938, and, two years later, began serving as the chaplain for the dispensary at Kayero. He pastored several churches before being assigned to the Buranga church district in 1945. He has served as a pastor, a district superintendent, and as the general superintendent for the denomination. 

Pray for Pastor Isaka and for all pastors in Burundi as they reach out and minister to the Burundi people. p. 7

Prayer Calendar: February 14-20, 2016

Later, I walked through the doors of Sanyu Babies Home, still wondering if God had mistakenly chosen the wrong person: “I’m not strong enough or brave enough for this.”

Pray that God will break your heart for the unloved, unwanted, and abandoned - and ask Him to help you find a way to reach out to them, p. 8

Standing On The Promises

Paul and Lois Steward, Retired Missionaries
January-March 2016

Revised from The Call, May/June 2010, Page 19

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”  (Psalm 32:8 NKJV)

What a promise for two new missionaries left in charge of the isolated mission station of Santa Maria, Bolivia. Having been on the field only a few months, we were still struggling with learning the language and the culture, and we had absolutely no medical training. We were trusting the Lord to instruct and teach us.

Nestor was a Siriono Indian who lived at Santa Maria. Several of the Siriono were invited to live there by earlier missionaries. Nestor was a slave who had escaped two different times. He earned the name El Diablo after killing a man with an ax. He had come to live at Santa Maria several years before we arrived, was converted, and now he had a small family.

Nestor was injured while he and several men were traveling on the river. The water was high and the current pushed the canoe into some trees along the river. A sharp point of bamboo hidden in the leaves entered Nestor’s arm and tore it open about eight or nine inches.

The older missionary family had left for medical reasons and we were staying in their house. Nestor’s friends brought him to us. Nestor’s wound was the worst I had ever seen. There was no one else to help, so we were the ones who had to take care of it. The Wings of Peace airplane was out of service and medical help upriver was too far away.

We asked the Lord for wisdom, and the promise that He would guide us with His eyes was very special. Lois boiled thread and curved needles (a bit rusty from the high humidity). Nestor was in a lot of pain, and I found some Novocain in the medicine cabinet. There were no disposable syringes back then, so after we boiled a glass one, I filled it with the medicine. I remember thinking: Where do I give the shot?

Then I remembered from experience that the dentist always put the shot as near the bad tooth as possible. I injected several places along Nestor’s arm and his pain lessened. We cleaned the wound and were very thankful there was no bleeding. One tendon was damaged, but it seemed like it would heal. We started at one end of the wound and began stitching. I had to give him more shots for pain, and we kept him at our home that night. We made some mistakes (we knew that a career in medicine was not for us!), but his wound healed without infection, although with a big scar. Nestor still lives today as far as we know. Truly Jesus was with us and helped us do something we never expected to be able to do.

Note: When the other missionary family returned, they said that if we had tried to send Nestor out, he would have died. This took place in 1959, so there was no way for us to communicate with the other missionaries until the next morning. We know people in the U.S. were praying for us.

PRAY: Missionaries are often placed in situations they don’t feel qualified for. This is when they need your prayers more than ever. Commit to praying for God’s provision on behalf of missionaries for the rest of this year.