THAILAND
AFRICA
1. RE-SUPPLY DR. DON’S MEDICAL BAGS What began as a short term mission trip taken by Dr. Don, Dr. Bunny, and a dedicated team of FPC members over a decade ago has grown to become Southeast Asia Village Health Care Outreach, Inc. (SEAVHCO ). Working in partnership with the local church, over 170 health care worker-evangelists have been trained from the Lahu, Akah, and Lisu hill tribe villages in rural northern Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Laos. SEAVHCO, Inc. teams provide the training in basic health care practices. The trainees in turn render this care while on evangelistic missions to villages within their own countries and in bordering countries, such as China; reaching many who may otherwise not receive care or ever know the healing touch of Christ’s love. As they minister to both the bodies and souls of the suffering and destitute, their medical bags are rapidly depleted. Your prayers and gifts will help re-supply their medical bags and help keep this much-needed ministry going.
2. SOW THE SEEDS OF FAITH IN SWAZILAND Darkness and despair hung over the village of Mgambeni. With one in three household having lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS and leaving hundreds of orphans to fend for themselves, there was little hope left. Working with the local Swazi church, Advocates for Africa’s Children (AFAC) provided a well and helped start vegetable gardens to address the orphans’ physical hunger and provide a means of support. This tangible expression of Christ’s love not only brought hope, it also sowed the seed of faith and planted a village church. The villagers now hunger for the spiritual nourishment of God’s Word. Bibles in their native language of siSwati will provide everlasting spiritual nourishment. AFAC has a goal of providing at least 50 Bibles for the villagers. Your gifts will help them to reach that goal, and your prayers will help the villagers become firmly rooted in God’s Word.
GIFT OPPORTUNITES A. $25 Re-supplies fever and pain medicines. B. $100 Re-supplies a medical bag.
GIFT OPPORTUNITIES A. $50 Gives a Bible B. $100 Gives a Bible & replants a garden
“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” Luke 8:8
3. ALICE’S GENERATOR — LET THERE BE LIGHT At God’s urging, FPC member Alice Yoder returned to Kenya to visit the mission station where she was born. Located on the site, the AIC Githumu Hospital serves a large, poor population in the remote mountainous region north of Nairobi. With only 30 beds, one doctor, a small staff, and insufficient resources, the hospital struggles to provide medical care. Seeing the hospital’s need for fresh, clean, running water, Alice worked tirelessly to raise the funds for a well. In 2008, the well went into service, and in gratitude the hospital staff refers to it as “Mama Alice’s well.” But Alice calls it “God’s well,” knowing it is God’s faithful provision. But Githumu Hospital still needs help. The frequent blackouts in the area have created a dire need for an automatic generator to keep the lights on, and the well pumping. At a cost of $20,000, a generator is out of reach for the hospital’s limited funds. Your gifts will help provide a generator and shine the light of Christ’s love in Githumu Hospital. GIFT OPPORTUNITIES $50 Helps to raise the $20,000 needed for a generator at Githumu Hospital.
PHILIPPINES
BANGLADESH
4. REACH OUT WITH LIFE CHURCH Church-to-church — “C2C” — is a ministry partnership between First Prez and Life Church of Palawan, Philippines. “C2C” represents the best of what is possible when an investment is made in what God is already doing in the world through the local church. Rooted in the common goal of sharing Christ’s love with their communities and the world, “C2C” ministries equip, affirm, and empower families.
5. JOIN THE MERCY TEAM Life is wretched in the overcrowded slums of Dhaka. Plagued by malnutrition, poor sanitation, illiteracy, heroin addiction, and unemployment, more than 12,000 people exist devoid of hope. It is here in this desolate place that the Saydabad Mercy Team of Youth With A Mission Bangladesh has taken up residence.
Gifts this year will benefit Life Church’s iREACH community transformation programs focused on three impoverished rural villages. By establishing and equipping day care centers, they minister to the educational, health and welfare needs of the village children. This outreach helps Life Church establish relationships with the villagers thereby opening doors to introduce the life transforming love of Christ. Say a prayer, give a gift and help Life Church reach hearts for Jesus. GIFT OPPORTUNITY A. $25 Provides children’s educational materials. B. $50 Helps to establish a village day care center.
Team members visit neighborhood homes to train families in simple sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, and preventive health practices. Severely malnourished children are placed on feeding programs. Two small houses serve as both base clinics and daycare centers where single mothers find a safe place to leave their babies while they work to support their families.
6. GIVE HOPE AND LITERACY In Dhaka, Bangladesh, the poorest of the poor labor as garbage collectors and street sweepers earning meager wages barely enough to provide for their families. Routinely, parents keep their children from school so they can work instead and boost the family’s insufficient earnings. As a result, the children are growing up illiterate, trapped in a cycle of poverty. With a heart to uplift these children, Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Bangladesh set up the The Garbage Collectors Children’s School in the slums where they live adjacent to the city garbage dump. For two hours before they have to go to work, the children are given lessons in reading and writing, a place to clean up with soap and water, a meal, a snack to take home, and hope for a better life.
By addressing the most basic of physical needs, the Mercy Team builds relationships and gains the trust of the residents, thus providing The friendships and trust created through the opportunities to introduce the life changing school fosters openings to share the gospel of grace of Jesus. Jesus, and the hope that only He can bring, to the children and their families. Share the healing touch of Jesus with your gift and prayers for the Mercy Team and those to GIFT OPPORTUNITIES whom they minister. A. $10 Provides children their own toothbrushes and toothpastes GIFT OPPORTUNITY B. $50 Provides the students lunch and snacks A. $20 Provides a month of daycare. for a week. B. $50 Provides a feeding program. . . . “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40
LOCALLY ON O‘AHU 7. LOVE A BABY When a single young woman finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, her whole world is turned upside down. Frightened, confused, lacking practical resources, with nowhere to turn, and struggling to answer the question “What do I do now?” — the decisions she makes will have a profound impact on her life and her unborn child. The Mary Jane Home is a life-affirming residential program for pregnant women whose support networks have broken down. It provides a safe, supportive environment where an expectant mom can live, prepare for her baby, and work towards creating a future for them both. Through mentoring in infant care and parenting, counseling, and assistance with social services, the Mary Jane Home is helping mothers realize all that God intends for them and their babies. This Christmas encourage a new mom with your prayers and honor the baby Jesus with a gift for a precious newborn. GIFT OPPORTUNITIES A. $20 Supplies a new mom with diapers for a week B. $50 Helps a new mom afford necessities to welcome her baby.
8. LIFT UP OAHU’S HOMELESS “Lucky we live Hawaii” — while we enjoy our blessings, many of our fellow residents are not so lucky. Struggles with tense family issues, unemployment, financial troubles, and homelessness leave many islanders without the comfort of food and shelter. At The Lighthouse Outreach Center, needy families and individuals find a place where the worries about their day-to-day existence are alleviated. First, a clean, safe place to sleep, and a wholesome meal; followed by assistance with social services to help them begin planning for the future and progress to a more independent living situation. In a hands-on partnership with The Lighthouse, FPC members provide and serve dinner to shelter residents one Sunday each month.
9. PROVIDE HOT MEALS TO SHUT-IN SENIORS As our island’s elderly community continues to grow, more and more individuals are unable to manage the simple day-to-day responsibilities of preparing a meal. Back in 1979, First Prez was one of nine churches that gathered people and resources to found Hawaii Meals on Wheels (HMoW). Today, HMoW volunteers deliver hot, nutritious meals along with the comfort of a friendly smile and touch to our frail and elderly homebound neighbors in eleven Oahu communities. Share your loving holiday spirit all year long by adopting a shut-in senior citizen. Your gifts and prayers will help HMoW continue to provide hot meals delivery served with aloha every day to seniors and expand the service to more neighborhoods throughout Oahu.
This Christmas you can reach out to a needy islander with prayers and a gift to support the shelter. In the new year consider making GIFT OPPORTUNITIES a resolution to join the serving team one A. $7 Delivers dinner to a senior citizen. Sunday for just a few hours and be a blessing to B. $35 Delivers dinner to a shut-in senior for a islanders in need. week C. $140 delivers dinner to a shut-in senior for GIFT OPPORTUNITY a month. $50 Helps The Lighthouse Outreach Center provide food and shelter to Oahu’s homeless.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Matthew 25:35