Thank you so much; we are so grateful for your prayer and/or financial support. Muriel and I often comment on the blessing of having so many wonderful friends. As Samuel Colerdige wrote years ago, Friendship is a sheltering tree.
Travel Updates
During the last two months, Muriel and I have had the privilege to visit with many of our individual donors and supporting churches/pastors from PA to ME. It was a privilege to speak at Church of the Open Door's Mission Festival in York, PA where Don, our son-in-law, serves as associate pastor. We celebrated Easter with Rob and Mary Jo in RI where Rob serves as associate pastor of Student Ministries. Christ Church partners with us in Kyrgyzstan. We also had wonderful fellowship with Calvary Hill Baptist Church in Wilton, ME, United Baptist Church in Mars Hill, ME, as well as time with Pastor Gerry Dill of Maine Coast Baptist Church. These partner with Good News Int'l.
Country Spotlight
We hear much these days in the news about the country of Malawi. We have 10 chaplains/staff serving in Malawi, a country some call the poorest in Africa. The prison conditions are absolutely awful! Recently Browncroft Community Church in Rochester, NY who partners with us in Sudan, provided a special project gift of $4,700 through one of their foundations in order to upgrade some of the prison conditions in Malawi. In particular, the gift made it possible for us to paint the walls in one prison, construct 2 toilets in another, and construct a carpentry block in a third. As you may know, the international ministry has an opportunity to apply James 2 Christianity due to the great physical and material needs in these countries. As a result of that, our chaplains have much greater receptivity to the Gospel of Christ. John Makwinja, Good News Director of Malawi, reports that there were 6,578 first time decisions for Christ in 2008 and 1,528 in the first four months of 2009. That what's it's all about! Many of you have provided gifts to help with these needed projects in other countries. Thank you, Browncroft Community Church!
Finances
The Good News Board of Directors voted at the March meeting to move our fiscal year from the calendar to July 1st-June 30th beginning this year. So, we need to end this year strong on June 30th in order to launch into the new fiscal year. As of June 1, we need about $124,000 this month to end the year in-the-black.
Many of you are aware that a foundation provided most of the funding for Good News International during its rapid growth period from 2000-2007. However, due to the economy, that foundation had to cease funding the international ministry. We are forever grateful to their great generosity without which the international ministry would not have the funds to expand from 2 chaplains in 2 countries to well over 300 chaplains in over 20 countries. We have also had several major donors affected by the current economic issues who are unable to support Good News International. We are working hard to raise funds, but we simply have been unable to catch up financially. I hope this helps you understand our present situation and why I often feel like one of the Chuck Swindoll's books, "Three steps forward, two steps back."
Good News does not have the resources in the general fund to carry the international ministry. So, as painful as it may be, I have to inform our international directors that some funding for their chaplains may be decreased in order for Good News to remain financially stable. There are no government bail outs for Good News! Neither do we want to go into debt for the future in order to fund the present.
The greatest thing you can do is pray about this need. I have to believe that since God knew in eternity past all the international chaplains we would have at this time, that He also knew the partners needed to fund their ministries. Please pray that God would touch the hearts of those He would have to partner with us in reaching those our Lord called "the least among you" (Matthew 25:40). I believe with all my heart that your present investment will reap eternal dividends. In 2008, our international chaplains reported over 100,000 decisions for Christ. There were 71,132 first-time decisions and 31, 008 re-commitments. To God be the glory!
Thank you so much for all your love, prayers, and giving. He alone can adequately reward you for your faithfulness.
In His mighty love,
Harry E. Fletcher, D.Min.
Vice President of International Ministry and Pastoral Care
Praise
- For a wonderful and productive time in PA and ME
- For the Lord's wonderful provision of friends and family
- For the privilege to serve the Lord in prisons around the world
- For God to continue to raise up the prayer and financial partners to sustain the ministry
- For God's blessing upon our chaplains serving in dark and difficult places in 22 countries.
No comments:
Post a Comment