GLOBAL VOICES
Words of Thanks from Around the World Missions Team
Thank you for generously supporting the Lord’s work around the world! As we entered the fall, we knew of the financial challenges many sustained and had no idea what to expect for the Missionary Christmas or Thanksgiving Eve Offering. Both of these—the Christmas gifts we send to our missionaries and the support of our missions projects—are dependent on what is received. That said, both offerings exceeded 2019!
Please pass on our immense gratitude. It has been a hard year with many colleagues leaving, and the workload for those of us who remain would not be sustainable in the long term. Yet God has provided for all our needs, and now he is helping more workers get back to the mission field. The prayers, support, and gifts of College Church have been an enormous help and blessing to us during this year. We are deeply thankful for your partnership with us.
As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, we say to you,
In Jesus,
Dear College Church Family,
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.” (2 Cor. 9:12-13) Thank you, College Church, for your generous hearts. We praise God for you and with you! MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS 2020 Total: $47,800 (nearly $10,000 more than 2019) Missionary Christmas is a unique tradition of College Church and an immense blessing to our missionary family. We encourage our missionaries to use these personal gifts for non-ministry-related purposes, to take a step back out of the busyness and to find rest and renewal. We want each missionary to take a moment to care for his or her own soul, and for their family to do something relaxing and, hopefully, fun. Thank you to each of you who give financially and pray for our missionary family. Our missionaries always send notes of gratitude for these gifts. Here are a couple of them: We are so grateful for the generosity of the College Church family. We are also keenly aware there are many prayers which accompany the gift. Your prayers and faithful support have allowed us to live and serve in South Africa. Thank you very much. We pray the Lord will guide and direct you as you enter 2021. For the Kingdom, Rod and Kathy Duttweiler (South Africa)
Jim and Michelle Albright (Midterm in Papua New Guinea) THANKSGIVING EVE OFFERING 2020 Total: $32,460 (over $2,000 more than last year) The offering went to empowering communities in India, supporting education in the Dominican Republic and supporting the suffering in Greece. Each of these ministries is thankful for your generosity: ENABLED Becky and I want to thank you for your Thanksgiving Eve offering gift towards the ENABLED ministry of Pioneers. We are humbled by your sacrificial giving. We have always been so grateful for the STARS Disability Ministries of College Church. We appreciate that College Church has had a long-standing commitment of providing care and dignity for persons with intellectual and/or developmental needs and their families. Likewise, ENABLED is a holistic, faith-based health and development initiative started by Pioneers missionaries working in Northern India to respectfully empower the local community to consider an alternative response to their challenges through support, practical care, and Christ-like restoration of dignity. Your gift allows ENABLED to sponsor a center to support the needs of 20 remote villages. These satellite centers extend disability services to remote mountainous areas. The funds may also be used to train pastors or employ national disability support workers. All these funds will be carefully stewarded to provide access to family support for those with disabilities. Thank you again for blessing Pioneers, our partners in India, and extending the gospel to the unreached! In Christ,
20
Bruce and Becky Wilson
