Haiti has been on the ban list since June, but the new rules remove several exceptions that had provided some breathing room. 

“In general, this new ban makes it very complicated for Haitian families who have family members already in the U.S., and that’s the case for many, many families in Haiti,” says Kate Michel with Radio-TV 4VEH, a partner ministry of Trans World Radio that serves Haiti. “[The ban] puts a lot of pressure on those who are earning and sending money back to Haiti.”

(Photo of Haitians is a representative stock photo courtesy of TopSphere Media via Unsplash)

The ban places a psychological pressure too, Michel adds, as Haitians living in Haiti “realize that they are excluded from potentially being in the U.S. and starting a new life.”

January 1 also marks Haiti’s Independence Day. Families will make soup joumou, a traditional, pumpkin-based dish that has been a staple since the early 1800s. “Typically, on New Year’s Day in Haiti, people will go from house to house and enjoy this soup joumou with different families. Each home, each cook, has a different way of cooking it,” says Michel.

But developments like this travel ban take a toll on Haitians’ hope.

“People in Haiti don’t want to leave Haiti. That’s not their first choice. They really are looking for a way out of their current very difficult circumstances,” says Michel. “People are looking for a better life. They’re looking for meaning. They’re looking for ways to take care of their families.”

4VEH is beginning a read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year program to help Haitians stand firm in Scripture. Many don’t have the option to read the Bible for themselves, for a variety of reasons, Michel explains.

“We would invite you to pray with us for the gospel message to be proclaimed across Haiti and beyond,” she says. That includes the technical details of radio broadcasts, as well as a deeper level. 

“Pray that as people are feeling unwanted, that they will get a sense that God is offering them hope, offering them a future, offering them being adopted into His family, and that people will turn to Christ and give their lives to Him.” 

Pray for endurance as believers broadcast critical updates and the hope of Christ.
(Photo courtesy of Radio-TV 4VEH)

Header photo of a Haitian celebration is a stock photo courtesy of Bailey Torres via Unsplash.

Samuel with Redemptive Stories explains the economic side of things. “The economics of inflation, and the sanctions that have been placed on Bashar al-Assad from the international community, have only exacerbated already existing economic issues.”

“Four years ago, there was a lot of war. But at least the currency was stable.”

At that time, $100 was worth 5000 Lira. Four years later, it’s only worth 400,000 Lira. Even if Syrians have the money to buy what they need, the war in Ukraine means shortages of bread, gas, and electricity.

ISIS

But economics isn’t the only concern. ISIS had made a resurgence in parts of Syria. Samuel says, “They control an area that’s quite desolate, a certain area that is also able to access Iraq, because there is ongoing ISIS influence in Iraq.”

Years of attacks against ISIS have failed to rid the country of its presence. Samuel says, “ISIS is an ideology. It is theology. And you can’t root that out with violence. It has to be transformed out of a person, I believe.”

How to pray

As Syrians flee ISIS violence, many encounter Christians for the first time. Ask God to move among them. Samuel says, “In the areas where churches are responding, they’re seeing actual fruit from those engagements. And that is causing part of this transformation that I just spoke of.”

And pray for an end to the U.S. sanctions against Syria. Samuel says they are not having the hoped-for effect and are hurting the Syrian people.

He even encourages readers to write their senators about the issue. “If you talk to an average Syrian Christian or Muslim, they’re begging the world stage for the sanctions to be removed.”

Header photo courtesy of Christian Aid Mission.

Spoken Worldwide is a Christian ministry that equips leaders to share the Gospel with oral learners. Their work includes orality coaching, pastor development, and oral Bible translation initiatives.

Like many of their ministry partners, Spoken Worldwide is feeling COVID-19’s impact on their supporters.

Uncertainty in finances

(Photo courtesy of Nik Shuliahin via Unsplash)

Ed Weaver, President of Spoken Worldwide, says, “We’re completely dependent on the generosity of believers and when they express fear and uncertainty in terms of their careers or their personal wealth, then it creates a downstream problem for us. As confident as we want to be in the Lord and His provision for us, how do we provide confidence to those who support us?”

It is understandable that charitable giving decreases in times when families aren’t sure how to pay their bills or afford groceries.

Rather than making financial decisions out of fear, Weaver encourages believers to bathe their situation in prayer. He also says nonprofits should empower and trust their donors to make wise decisions as the Holy Spirit leads — even if that means a decrease in giving.

“I know that there’s plenty of people that suggest that part of the ministry is a ministry to donors and to disciple donors. Well, I’m never one to presume that I know more spiritually than a donor does so it’s not like I can counsel them. If someone is experiencing fear in what to do with their money and maybe they want to pull in their horns, who am I to say that’s not what God’s telling them to do?”

(Photo courtesy of Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash)

Uncertainty in leadership

The pandemic has also put leaders like Weaver in very tough positions. As people look to their leaders for guidance and encouragement, ministry heads especially have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders.

“We know that we need to stiff-arm fear and recognize that’s not from our Lord and God…but then how do you really face that? How do you articulate that to your team — that you are confident [but] at the same time, not unaware of what everybody else’s fears and uncertainties may be, and then helping them manage through what their fears are?”

Weaver says being proactive in team communication is key. “We’re not in the office together and so, therefore, we really can’t very tangibly lift each other up or have each other’s back. So there has to be some intentionality that not only I have to deliver to the team, but the team needs to be able to lift each other up in the process.”

Spoken Worldwide also supports indigenous ministry leaders around the world in orality Gospel movements. Weaver says he is also trying to empower these leaders in their own contexts to support and encourage the people they work with.

“There’s compassion that we need to have on our local leadership…and provide whatever strength and support that they’re going to need in navigating this uncertain time.”

Uncertainty in the future

(Photo courtesy of Nikko Macaspac via Unsplash)

Personally, Weaver is no stranger to financial devastation and uncertainty. He and his wife Laura got married in 2001. Within a year, they both lost their jobs.

“Our income for the next three years was never more than ten percent of what we had made collectively before we got married. So you go through three years of that and every time you reduce a certain expense, it’s just never enough. Finally, after a while, you don’t have anything.”

However, Weaver says times of future uncertainty and even tragedy are reminders that our confidence shouldn’t rest on the money we have in our bank accounts.

“We’re all equally in a dependent position on God and His provision for us. If we look…at His Word and we read what He says about His faithfulness to us,…we typically interpret that as saying, ‘Well, then I’ll never lose my job.’ No, He means He’ll never leave us or forsake us. That doesn’t have anything to do with our income and our livelihood.

“We are just beginning to realize how dependent we are on God, how dependent we always were. Nothing has changed from yesterday to today.”

Certainty in God

Finances, leadership, and the future may all be uncertain. But one thing is sure — we serve a God who is certain.

(Photo courtesy of Whoislimos via Unsplash)

“That is what my go-to is,” Weaver says. “It’s the parallel between God’s Word and my personal experience that prove He was faithful. But you know what? I did lose my job. I did lose my income. It was a long, painful process and there were a lot of things I had put my faith in that God said, ‘You don’t need to have your faith in that. You need to have your faith in Me.’”

If there’s one thing we as believers can do to take advantage of this season, it’s pray.

Please pray for Spoken Worldwide and other ministries to persevere in telling people about Jesus. Ask the Lord to give nonprofit donors and supporters wisdom. Pray for many people to turn to Christ for hope and peace in the midst of uncertainty.

Weaver asks, “Pray that God will reveal Himself to us in a new and fresh way and remind us that He is the same God today as He was yesterday. He’s the same God today when things are uncertain as He was when we thought things were certain two months ago. I think reminding each other of that is incredibly powerful.”

Click here to learn more about Spoken Worldwide!

Header photo courtesy of Milada Vigerova via Unsplash.

Losing Value

The economic and currency crisis in Lebanon means that compared to the dollar, the lira is coming in short. The exchange rate is close to 1500 lira for one dollar, but on the black market, the exchange rate is almost 2000 to one.

For Lebanese and Syrian workers alike, this poses problems. People don’t want the lira, and there aren’t enough dollars to go around.

Nuna with Triumphant Mercy says, “But the economical crisis is now taking a toll on all refugees because they can’t get jobs like before. Even Lebanese can’t get jobs now. The financial crisis is so bad, that Lebanese are being laid off work and cannot find ways to sustain their own families.”

Without enough money to buy necessities, for many refugees, returning to Syria is starting to sound like a good option.

Go Back or Stay?

The problem with going back is that many people came into Lebanon illegally the first time. For them, there is added fear if they cross the border legally.

Nuna says, “They’re afraid that at the border they will be caught, or they will be taken to prison because they are deserters. So they’re thinking about, ‘When is a good time for us to go back over the mountain and go back to their own villages?’ So there’s a lot of talk, much more than before [about returning].”

Yet even if a family or person makes it back into their home town undetected by the government, there is still the issue of physical and financial security.

(Image courtesy of upyernoz on Flickr https://bit.ly/2UprbIq)

“There are parts that are not so secure, but there are parts that are becoming more secure. Now the problem is also financial in Syria because of the dollar devaluation of the money, the Syrian pound. The same like Lebanon, the devaluation of the money is the same in Lebanon, and it’s also affecting Syria a lot.”

However, even with those drawbacks and the lack of public infrastructure like schools and hospitals, refugees are thinking of returning.

With the continued issues in Lebanon, their situation is not much better. In fact, in some places public opinion is turning against refugees, blaming them for the economic crisis. They fear crowds retaliating against them.

Whichever side they approach the issue from, refugees face similar issues.

Offering Hope

Triumphant Mercy tries to help refugees on either side of the dilemma talk and think through these concerns in a Biblical light. Often the situation feels hopeless, but Triumphant Mercy knows that is not the case.

“There is a hope that God has a plan.” Nuna states, “There is a hope that the plan is not just to stay in the position that you’re in, and in misery because this is not the gospel. Jesus came to give life.”

In addition to offering hope through Christ, Triumphant Mercy provides connections and contact information for other NGOs on the ground in Syria. This helps returning refugees find help when they return.

They also offer schooling and practical training for those going back. In addition to exam prep, they help students learn skills that will help them rebuild their cities, homes and lives in Syria.

Prayers for God to Reign

There are so many ways to pray for Syrian refugees and Triumphant Mercy but Nuna asks for prayers that God would be glorified and His name would be the only one that is proclaimed.

“That’s my prayer. And that’s what I encourage everyone to just pray, not against one country or against another or with a regime or … enough. It’s not that. It’s just God’s kingdom to come.”

Please pray that many Syrian refugees would praise God’s name and take the truth of the Gospel to their Syrian friends and neighbors.

Learn more about Triumphant Mercy here.

Image Courtesy of Anthony Gale on Flickr https://bit.ly/399vNGz

Global Disciples’ campaign GoGlobal 1Day runs through the summer and invites people to think differently about missions and how they can creatively contribute to the Great Commission. The GoGlobal 1Day campaign culminates in a celebration where people can learn about Global Disciples’ mission to reach the least-reached with the Gospel and how they can get involved.

“It’s a lesson in generosity for families and kids,” says Global Disciples’ Communications Vice President Wendy Nagle. “They can be missionaries in their own backyard and they can also be part of the giving opportunity and the praying opportunities to reach people just like them around the world.” 

(Photo courtesy of Global Disciples)

This year, the GoGlobal 1Day event took place in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on September 6th. Approximately 300 adults and kids participated in GoGlobal 1Day.

But a surprising and joyful result was how the children responded.

Andrea Brubaker, a board member with Global Disciples and a long-time supporter, was enthusiastic about organizing a way kids could participate in GoGlobal 1Day. As a music director at her church for 22 years, Brubaker enjoys writing musicals and drama for kids to perform and decided to incorporate this into the event.

Brubaker says, “It was a way to involve them and get them to learn about GoGlobal and also get them to be missional right on the stage as they share about the love of Jesus.”

For each child who performed at GoGlobal 1Day, Brubaker gave them $10 as an honorarium in the form of one $5 and five $1s. She then talked to them about honoring God with our talents and resources and giving back to Him.

(Photo courtesy of Global Disciples)

“One of the things I always say to my kids, my cast before performing is, ‘Who gave you the gift?’ — and I’m obviously referring to their gifts of talent and their abilities,” says Brubaker. “I love when they reply back, ‘God gave me the gift.’ Then I say to them in response, ‘Then Who are you going to give the gift back to?’

“I think too, as we talk about missions and how do we pass on to the next generation that they become mission-minded, the one thing I just feel very passionate about is to remind our children, to remind these next generations that everything they have comes from God.”

There was a table set up for donations at GoGlobal 1Day. All financial gifts supported ministry efforts to share Jesus with least-reached people through Global Disciples.

For many of the kids, it clicked.

“Those children, many of them came up to me and said, ‘Can you go with me to the table? I want to give.’”

Brubaker says, “It’s just really fun to have them open up their envelope and stand there and they were so excited to be able to know that the money that they were giving,…what it’s being used for is to reach the least-reached.

(Photo courtesy of rawpixel.com)

“I just think it’s so important that we teach our children, this next generation, that God is the ultimate Giver of the gift. So the willing heart to give back I think is such a beautiful expression.”

The GoGlobal 1Day event may be over, but there are still many ways you can get involved in missions through Global Disciples.

First, get creative with how you give!

Consider “working for the Great Commission” for one day and donating what you would earn in one day’s work to Global Disciples! Or you can host your own fundraiser — wash cars, hold a bake sale, organize a walk-a-thon — there are many ways to creatively support Gospel ministry!

To find giving opportunities with Global Disciples, click here.

Nagle says, “We’re really encouraging people to think, how could you do something special for Global Disciples? It doesn’t have to happen near our office. But really help your friends think a little bit more about what near-culture missions is about and how you can get involved.”

(Photo courtesy of rawpixel.com)

Then, connect with Global Disciples and be encouraged by how God is moving.

“As the year goes one, stay engaged online at globaldisciples.org. Or ask us to send a newsletter and you can go online and request that as well. We’d love to keep the conversation flowing throughout the year and continue to stay focused and engaged on inviting the next generation.”

Header photo courtesy of Global Disciples.

“When you’re dealing with people, buying materials, and maintaining materials, staff, headquarters, and transportation, it does come down to the nitty-gritty,” Dehart says. “Sometimes, we need to say, ‘We do need your money, and your money is a blessing.’”

For Haiti With Love’s burn clinic(Photo courtesy of For Haiti With Love)

Most of For Haiti With Love’s American employees make a living elsewhere, since the ministry can’t always afford to pay normal salaries. American dollars go a long way in Haiti, so they are able to fund their employees at locations like the burn clinic.

“We have Haitian nurses in the clinic, and we pay far above minimum wage so they will be encouraged to do quality work and they can be proud of their positions in the clinic,” Dehart says. Still, their salaries are not always as much as the ministry would like.

Ultimately, money is “an absolutely necessary cog in the gears that keep everything moving.” They’ll stretch each dollar as far as it can be stretched, but they still need money to work with in the first place.

It’s not that For Haiti With Love is struggling to stay afloat. “We don’t waste resources, and by being small we have more control over how our resources are spent,” Dehart says. “There’s far less waste involved.”

“We plan ahead and try to be the best possible stewards of the Lord’s money, constantly keeping in mind that it is His money and it is ultimately God that we are accountable to.”

Last year’s Christmas in August banquet (Photo courtesy of For Haiti With Love)

The ministry always has to think about where money is going to go. Dehart says it eventually comes down to wise spending, working together with the Church to do the Lord’s work in Haiti, and trusting in God’s provision and plan.

Because they need to be careful with every penny, the projects they do plan exist for a reason. That’s why For Haiti With Love is asking for support for their burn clinic and the medical supplies it requires, not to mention the Christmas in August fundraiser coming up in a month.

(photo by http://epsos.de/Simple-Safe-FOREX-Trading-Strategy-Advise)

Int’l (FHH) — This time of year, it’s sometimes hard to know how best to express one’s charity.

Barry Gardner with Food For The Hungry gives some helpful tips on how to give around the Christmas season, without the guilt.

There’s the bell-ringer outside the store (always able to make me feel guilty, even if I gave yesterday). Celebrity-sponsored tel-a-thons on television. The walk-a-thons, ski-a-thons, bike-a-thons for various diseases. If your e-mail or postal mailbox is like mine, it’s stuffed with once-a-year “friends” who plead with me to start giving to help solve at least one of the world’s problems.

But what motivates me to take action? What makes me respond to that e-mail, to call a phone number, or send back that letter? How do you choose?

If you’re like me, deciding amongst the competing voices comes down to three things when giving.

1. The first thing I look at is whether the charity is focused on problems I think need solving. For example, if I’m motivated to bring clean water to the poorest people in Africa (or Latin America or Asia), I’m going to be giving to that particular cause, regardless of how many cute pictures I get of needy dogs at the local animal shelter.

At this time of year, Food for the Hungry (FH) helps its donors understand the breadth of projects that we’re engaged in. They hope that there’s something in that list that each donor might find attractive. That’s the reason they have a catalog and appeals for various causes. But more than informing you, they hope they inspire you.

2. The second thing I consider is the charity’s values. It’s possible to do the right things for the wrong reasons or in the wrong way.

A charity might have a good program, but without sharing my values, it won’t count for much. So if I have a choice between a secular charity and a Christian one working on a similar problem, I always go for the one that shares my religious commitment. I think the Christian organization will more completely share the spirit of why I gave, hopefully with a witness to Christ–the Hope who inspires us all.

3. The last thing–but not least–I consider is trust. After I make my gift, my control ends. Will the organization follow through on its promises? Will my money be kept safe? Will the organization act responsibly toward my intended recipients, people like me, made in the image of God?

Based on those three principles, sorting the mail or e-mail isn’t so hard. I depend on charities to be instruments of my heart. When I can trust them to do the right thing for the right reasons, it’s easy to give my money away and partner in doing good works, just like Christ commanded.

Last month, VBB sent out a plea for help to raise about $15,000 for shoes. And they have announced that all has come in except about $6,000. It was just three weeks ago that they were asking for people to help with the last chunk of money.

VBB says they are very grateful for the generosity of the donors and volunteers. They are hoping that the shoes will demonstrate the love of Christ to those who do not have shoes.

Pray that God will use these shoes to demonstrate His love and protection for those in need.

Greg Forney with
Food for the Hungry says child sponsorship has been an effective way to help children out of poverty, while helping the entire family. "It's amazing to see how praise erupts out of the children and the families — praise to God for someone who has shown love to them. It really opens them up to hear the Gospel."

When you sponsor a child for $32 a month, the money goes toward providing food, water, medical care, education, and more, giving hope and a future to the children they serve.

Christmas is a a celebration of God's love for us. It's a celebration of God sending His only Son to earth as a baby — crossing the great divide between sin and holiness — to become the sacrifice for our sin. Forney says being a child sponsor is kind of a picture of that. "[It's] extending your love across a great distance, reaching into the hard places around the world to help children in need."

Food for the Hungry's sponsorship strategy is geared toward empowering and equipping families, the local church and the leadership of the community to meet the needs of their children. They focus on long-term solutions — strengthening families and the communities in which the children live. Your monthly pledge will help meet the critical needs of the child you sponsor as well as other children in the community. At the same time, it ensures that each child will hear the Gospel.

Forney says sponsoring a child "is just one of the many ways that you can really get involved in the spirit of Christmas, which is really a relational act by God to bring us into fellowship with Him. We extend that to others when we help the poor, and those who don't know Christ, and child sponsorship is a great way to do that."

You can sponsor a child in someone's name this year for Christmas. "You can use sponsorship as a tool to teach your children about poverty, about sharing God's love with others, and helping the poor, which Jesus emphasized."

If you'd like to sponsor a child, click here.

"Last winter they sent us a woodstove, and we were able
to…receive that from U.S., connect it at the home. We see already an
improvement in the costs that we're spending to heat the house," said the founder of the home, Cami
Cismaru of Kids Alive International.

In the spring, the home planted 70 trees to provide wood for
the stove. 

"This is how God works, because it was just through His
grace that I talked to this friend of ours in Portage, Indiana,"
Cismaru explained. "I shared about our
problems with high bills in regard to gas…and he said, 'I work for this
woodstove company.'" 

The gas bill had been the home's largest expense, before the
arrival of the stove. 

"With children, there are many needs, and sometimes we have
to economize our finances in order to have some resources in our accounts to
pay the bills," Cismaru said. "Some winters are harder than others, and in a very cold winter we can spend as
much as $6,000 just for gas to heat the building." 

Ten girls aged seven to ten years old live in the home,
which was founded in 1999. The home is
unique because all of the girls arrived as babies. Romania is trying to serve its
orphans better by placing them in foster homes rather than orphanages, but the
new system is still under development. 

"It's a better situation for children, but the need of
affection still exists, and it's always work to do in this area for children in Romania,"
Cismaru said. 

The money saved could open new opportunities for the
children in the home, providing for their educational and spiritual
development. 

"As the children grow, of course they need more materials–educational materials," Cismaru said. "We
want to send them to Christian camps, things like that. So yes, I see how by saving money on our
heating bills, we can spend the money to help the children and to provide for
them different ways of growing spiritually and knowing God." 

Most of the girls recently had cases of the chicken
pox. Cismaru asked for prayer for them
as they grow. 

"Pray for continued safety and protection of our children —
good development educationally, spiritually, physically," she said. "And pray for God's provision, to be able
to raise these children for Him and for His glory."

You can help support the children's home in Dobrun.