INSIDE
Winter 2023/24
Colombia
Reflections, Renewed Visions, and Renovations
Guatemala
Equipping, Encouraging, and Challenging Pastors
South Africa Caring for the Physically and Spiritually Ill
Sponsorship Malawi Orphan Care
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF WORD & DEED, AN INTERATIONAL REFORMED RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY
>FOREWORD BY RICK POSTMA
Employing A Christian Worldview “Western nations, organizations, and foundations wage war against the bodies of African women,” writes Obianuju Ekeocha in her book Target Africa. The goal is to “. . . drastically reduce the source of population growth in Africa—female fertility.” Ekeocha goes on to highlight the billions of dollars spent by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on “family planning” and writes of Melinda Gates, “. . . with her incredible wealth she wanted to replace the legacy of an African woman (which is her child) with the legacy of ‘child-free sex’.” The partition of Africa in 1884–1885 by a number of European nations and the resulting rule over those nations such as Nigeria (Britain), Algeria (France), Congo (Belgium), and many more is a very controversial topic in terms of their ultimate impact on the populations of those countries. Independence for many of these nations came in the 1950s and thereafter. Africans developed a predisposition to “look up to the white man,” Ekeocha writes, and they continue to do so for good or ill. This tendency to view the white man as the expert means that when Western leaders urge the legalization of abortion and LGBTQ lifestyles, African leaders listen. The tens of billions of dollars in Western aid sent to Africa each year with strings attached only makes it even more irresistible. Ekeocha argues, “Africans by and large believe that sex is sacred, that human life is precious from womb to tomb, that children are blessings, that motherhood is desirable, and that marriage between man and woman is life-generating. These are Cover Photo: An 85-year-old woman with her granddaughter, receiving food aid in Cubulco, Guatemala.
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the basic family values that our parents and grandparents transmitted to us. They are embedded in our customs, enshrined in our laws, and even encoded in our native languages. To take them away from us amounts to invasion, occupation, annexation, and colonization of our people.” These are sobering words. We are witnesses to the disintegration of God’s appointed building block for society, the nuclear family, in the West and now the same deeply flawed set of solutions is being aggressively exported. The problem definition includes over-population (on the contrary, many countries are facing negative population growth with grave consequences for the future) and the need to free women from their enslavement to motherhood and their role in the nuclear family. Ekeocha employs a Christian worldview to take a strong stand against this new form of colonialism. In this issue of the magazine, you will hear of how a Christian worldview is being employed to provide loving support to those suffering from AIDS at the Nakekela Clinic in South Africa, the launch of a Reformed university that is teaching from a Christian worldview perspective in Indonesia, of pastors in Guatemala, the education of students in Colombia, and family-based care for orphans in Malawi. In the meditation, Dr. Reuben Bredenhof urges us not to tire in showing mercy as a reflection of God’s character. May we all be faithful in so doing, both locally and abroad. W&D Rick Postma is the Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries.
WORD&DEED
MEDiTaTiON
Official Publication of Word & Deed An International Reformed Relief and Development Agency Free for sponsors and friends
BY DR. REUBEN BREDENHOF
WINTER 2023/24 Editor Rick Postma Assistant Editor Scott Koopman Graphic Design Knor Graphic Design Solutions Copy Editors Shelly Crites, Hanna Korvemaker, Kara Luiting, Bethany Post, Susan Trentacosti Word & Deed North America is an evangelical and Reformed humanitarian relief and development organization. Our aim is to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people in the developing world in accordance with biblical principles for the glory of God. With cooperating offices in St. Thomas, Ontario, and Hudsonville, Michigan, Word & Deed partners with Christian agencies in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Kenya, Myanmar, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Malawi, South Africa, South Sudan, and Tanzania..
Director of Projects John Otten Director of Public Relations Rick Postma Director Heidi Pronk Support Staff Scott Dekorte, Scott Koopman, John Kottelenberg, Kara Luiting, Dave Vander Meer, Kasper Van Veen, Nikki Veurink, Laurenne Wattel Canadian Board of Directors Chairman – Corney Les Vice-Chairman – John Vangameren Secretary – Dave Wielinga Treasurer – Henry de Waal Wilf Bout, John Jagersma, James Neven, Paul Wagenaar, Lyle Ypma USA Board of Directors President – Paul Beezhold Vice President - Jay Van Voorst Secretary – Harry Kooistra Treasurer – Karen Vander Sloot Eric Brandt, Pastor Adrian Dieleman, Eric Greendyk, Paul Laman, Pete Vander Stel Advisory Committee Mr. Jim Beeke –
International Educational Consultant
Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes – Professor of
Old & New Testament, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
Pastor Richard Bout –
URCNA Missions Coordinator Dr Arjan de Visser – Professor of Ministry and Mission, Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary Pastor Danny Hyde – Pastor, Oceanside United Reformed Church
Pastor Mark Vander Hart –
Associate Professor of Old Testament Studies, Mid-America Reformed Seminary
Pastor Frank Van Dalen –
Former Executive Director of the Foreign Missions Board of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
Canada Office PO Box 20100 St. Thomas, ON N5P 4H4 Toll free 877.375.9673 office@wordanddeed.org United States Office PO Box 157, Hudsonville, MI 49426 Toll free 866.391.5728 usoffice@wordanddeed.org Registered Charity Number (Canada) 89 120 0941 RR0001 EIN Non-profit Number (USA) 37-1429283 Bible quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.
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Mercy Like God’s In so many ways, we are not like God. He is eternal, while we are just a mist that appears for a while before vanishing. He is almighty, and we are very weak. Reflecting on each of God’s perfections, we see how far from these realities we are.
received, freely give. You have received mercy— now show mercy, like your Father does.” For God’s children, mercy isn’t a passing pang of pity. Mercy takes action. Mercy identifies with someone in trouble and gives the needed help,
So, we just wouldn’t speak of being or doing something “like God.” Have you ever said something along these lines: “I felt a little like God today when I showed compassion to my suffering neighbor.” Probably not. It sounds improper because we are in entirely different categories than God. His ways are far above our ways. Yet Scripture commands us to be imitators of God (Eph. 5:1). That incredible imperative is founded on an indicative even more stunning: The Father has made us His children. Think of how when you observe children, there are moments when you see their parents reflected so clearly—same behavior, same words, same mannerisms. Throughout our lives, God the Father is mightily shaping us, disciplining us, and teaching us, and the result is that we begin to resemble Him.
apart from any question of what they deserve.
This amazing thing happens when we show mercy. Christ says in Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” Scripture says that mercy belongs to God, that His mercy reaches to the heavens and His mercy endures forever. All for the sake of Jesus His Son, God extends life-restoring mercy toward sinners.
It’s true that works of mercy can at times seem pointless, such as when our kindness is rejected or when the need simply reappears a month later. Or we see all the misery in this world, all the suffering, all the sadness in so many places, and our mercy seems so small. Too many tears to dry, too many cups of water to bring, too many wounds to bind up. Then we remember our God who “delights in mercy” (Micah 7:18). It is His joy to show compassion, to pardon sinners, to ease burdens. He doesn’t tire of it, and neither should we. May we always delight to show mercy because this is God’s way. And as the little children of a perfect Father, our mercy honors Him. W&D
Because this is what our Father is like, Christ says it should become the spirit and pattern of how we treat other people: “Freely you have
Dr. Reuben Bredenhof is the Professor of Ministry and Mission at the Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary in Hamilton, ON. WINTER 2023/24 I WORD&DEED
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>CoLOMBia
BY LILIANA GIRALDO BAYONA
Reflections, Renewed Visions, AND Renovations
In Colombia, the pandemic brought great challenges for education between 2020 and 2021, as well as when our students returned to school in 2022—a demanding year for the schools, teachers, students, and families. For Conviventia and its four “God is Love” schools, located in Bogota, Soacha, Barranquilla, and Cartagena, going back to school was necessary to resume relationships, habits, routines, and ways of learning that had been forgotten during the time of online learning. We also had to face the impact that time had left on the students’ emotions, social skills, and their desire to learn. By God’s grace, we have overcome many of these hurdles and we also seek to continue to strengthen our students’ spiritual lives as well. It is gratifying to keep moving forward with renewed vision on our educational objectives, contributing to school access and quality for children and families in Colombia who are vulnerable. Through our educational model “School with Purpose,” we ensure that all of our schools achieve their main goal of guaranteeing the next generation’s preparation for our nation’s present and future, based on Christian principles and values. A total of 2,300 Colombian children are cared for in our schools. They receive not only an education, but participate daily in prayer and Bible teaching. They also have access to supports such as risk protection, health care and nutrition, specialized learning programs for students with educational difficulties, and other social and academic supports. It is also important to mention that this year we are purposing to strengthen the teaching with the English language to our older students, which will help establish a vital skill and the expansion of opportunities for our students when they graduate.
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Students hard at work at the Altos de Cazuca school.
Additionally, in 2023, our school God is Love Altos de Cazuca—located in Bogota’s outskirts—is moving forward with a major school renovation. We are grateful to God and to Word & Deed for believing in this dream to improve the school building that will allow children to be educated in an improved facility. Although it is a complex renovation process, the students have done well in adapting to noises, space reduction, and the construction process in general. They all are excitedly awaiting the use of the improved facility, but in the meantime the school directors and teachers have assured us that the children continue to learn well.
COLOMBIA Word & Deed partners with Conviventia to fund a number of projects in Colombia, including the Family Protection Program and Christian Education. Through the hope of the Gospel, these projects are making a difference in this country that often struggles with violence and corruption, which has the largest effect on those who live in poverty.
We are blessed to continue offering Christian education and are thankful for the freedom we have to teach all our students biblical principles and values. We are pleased to be able to present families in these communities with opportunities for their children to be taught under God’s Word, for the furtherance of His kingdom, and to the glory of His name. W&D Liliana Giraldo Bayona is the Children and Youth Officer for Conviventia in Bogota, Colombia.
Altos de Cazuca School.
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>GUaTeMaLa BY PASTOR LUCAS FERRO
Equipping, Encouraging, AND Challenging Pastors Guatemala is one of the countries with the most evangelical churches per capita in the whole world. Although there are only 2,790 registered churches (6 for each Catholic church), the Evangelical Alliance estimates that Guatemala has approximately 44,000 evangelical churches throughout the country. That gives a total of approximately 1 church for every 386 habitants. When hearing this data one can assume, wrongly, that Guatemala is an almost completely evangelical country. When I arrived in Guatemala 17 years ago, I found a country that has an evangelical culture, but that has more social problems than the majority of Latin America. Poverty, violence, and robberies is what one hears about in the news every day. When AMG Guatemala began to work with pastors, we realized pretty quickly that many of them did not have any type of theological training. Some of them had merely opened the garage of their houses one Sunday morning and formed a small church. We also found, in the rural areas especially, that some pastors did not know how to read and write. Our first reaction to this, coming from a different culture, is that
Pastors Gathered for Training.
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it didn’t make much sense and that these men were not qualified to be pastors. We were very wrong. When visiting some of these pastors and learning about their ministry, we saw a heart so close to God’s, far outweighing their little theological knowledge. One of the pastors told us that he was going to pray for a member of his church who was sick and that he had to leave because it was a three-hour walk there and three hours back. That day we began to understand that perhaps the pastors did not have theological knowledge, but they did have a correct heart to serve God and that type of heart is not taught in seminary. That was why AMG Guatemala, with the support of Word & Deed, began to create the Pastoral Training Center (PTC). This program’s goal is to equip, encourage, and challenge pastors through the teaching of fundamental doctrines of the Bible. The PTC is a two-year program that teaches basic Reformed theology, seeking to train pastors and help them carry out their ministry in a more biblical way. When the PTC began in 2021, the goal was to have 16 students, but God brought us 37. Due to the pandemic and the distance of the villages
“ from the capital, we set up two locations where we provided internet so that the students could stream their classes. The local churches participated with providing lunch and facilities where the pastors met to study the Word. In 2022, we grew to 60 students and four locations and this year God brought us a total of 102 students at seven locations. We have figured out that altogether the PTC is impacting over 3,000 church members in all of the pastors’ congregations.
PRAYER
REQUESTS
Last year we wondered how we could further challenge our graduated pastors. That is why we created the Leadership Training Center (LTC). During 2023, we are recording classes to train local church leaders, but these classes are being recorded by pastors who have graduated from PTC. This not only challenges pastors but empowers them among their members and in the rural areas where they serve. In the last three years we have seen pastors grow in their knowledge of God’s Word, grow in their ministries, develop relationships of fellowship and accountability with other pastors, and in some ways help create a pastoral community that supports each other. We are encouraged and expectant of what God will continue to do through these ministries, to build up the local church for His glory. W&D Pastor Lucas Ferro is the Director of Ministry for AMG Guatemala.
GUATEMALA
MEDITATION 1. Thank the Lord for His gracious mercy and that His ways are far above our ways. COLOMBIA 1. Thank the Lord that the God is Love schools located in Colombia have recovered well from the challenges of the pandemic. 2. Pray that the construction on the Altos de Cazuca school would stay on schedule, on budget, and that the result would be a blessing to the staff and students. GUATEMALA 1. Ask the Lord for His continued blessing on the PTC, that all of the pastors who go through the program would graduate with an increased knowledge of God’s Word and a renewed passion to serve the people of their churches. Thank the Lord for the willingness of so many men in Guatemala to obey the calling of the Lord on their lives. 2. Pray that the Lord would plant a new appreciation in your heart for the multitude of educational opportunities that you have access to in order to increase your knowledge of Him and His Word, and that you would steward this knowledge well.
AMG Guatemala’s goal is to “meet people at their point of need, whether it be hunger, sickness, or hopelessness, and to show them Jesus as the only answer to the problems of this life and the only hope for eternal life.” May God continue to bless their work in Guatemala! Budget for Pastoral Training Program for 2023: $23,100 CAD / $17,300 USD.
SOUTH AFRICA 1. Please pray for the physical and spiritual health of the patients who come into the clinic, as well as for the staff who care for these patients. 2. Pray for the community where Nakekela is located; that they would recognize that the work of the Lord is being done in the clinic and that hearts would be changed.
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>SouTH AFRica BY AUGUSTUS SIBANYONI
Care for the Physically AND Spiritually Ill
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“ The Staff of the Nakekela Clinic.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / // At Nakekela Christian Community Centre, we continue the good work of caring for sick patients through both the inpatient clinic and home visits. We offer full palliative care through a committed team of health care workers, including a doctor who comes in twice weekly to assess patients and give directives for their care. In the last 3 months, 29 patients were admitted for treatment and 1,625 home visits were conducted.
In addition to patient care, we have a strong emphasis on training so as to eliminate HIV/AIDS from the community. In July, four of our staff members were sent for refresher training as part of the Dignity Campaign. This program is designed to equip youths to understand biblical lifestyles and how to prevent HIV/AIDS. Nakekela facilitators work with local schools, churches, and other community groups to connect with youths for these trainings. In August, 164 teens were trained and in September, 75 teens participated in the Dignity Campaign trainings.
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LOAD SHEDDING: An ongoing period of deliberate, widespread blackouts of electricity supply. In South Africa, the government has been facilitating load shedding since 2007 due to “insufficient generation capacity.”
Another recent development at the clinic has been the employment of a full-time Christian counselor who works with our patients, support group members (who are mostly ex-patients), family members, and community members in crisis. She was able to conduct 46 counseling sessions in August and September in addition to daily visits with the patients. Each patient admitted to the clinic receives counseling along with their family members. The counselor explains patient care and expectations, gives advice, reads the Bible, and prays with her patients. We are thankful that we can offer this service to benefit the emotional and spiritual healing of our patients.
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A third recent development has been the addition of a solar power system. Due to widespread load shedding throughout South Africa, Nakekela was often left without any elec-
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Board Members of the Nakekela Clinic.
/////////////////////////////////////// tricity and this was compromising patient care. Now that we have solar power there is less concern about the safety and care of patients on oxygen, there is a more reliable network so we can make emergency calls when needed, and the night staff feels safer and are able to do their work without power interruptions. We are very thankful for this development. Please pray for God’s intervention in all aspects of our
daily operations and an end to the load shedding as crime increases in our communities when the power goes out. Also pray that staff members will grow in the knowledge and fear of God, that peace may reign and prevail over any evil strategies of the adversary, and that the board would have wisdom to lead well. W&D Augustus Sibanyoni is the General Manager of Nakekela HIV/AIDS Clinic in South Africa.
NAKEKELA CLINIC The Nakekela Clinic is a step-down clinic for AIDS patients in KwaMhlanga, South Africa. The purpose of the clinic is to treat AIDS patients and to alleviate the horrible symptoms that accompany the disease, while bringing the Word of God to the afflicted. There are 28 beds in the clinic and a staff of nurses, doctors, and homebased care workers. Staff members visit and assess not only potential patients but also follow up with those who have already been discharged. Budget for 2023: Operations: $202,400 CAD / $151,800 USD; Solar Installation: $23,500 CAD / $17,650 USD
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WELCOME KASPER VAN VEEN
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Please join us in welcoming our newest staff member, Kasper Van Veen! Kasper will be working with us in our Public Relations and Projects departments. He is a member of the Emmanuel Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph, ON, and is taking over many of John Kottelenberg’s responsibilities. John plans to fully retire in 2024. It is our prayer that the Lord will use Kasper’s gifts and talents as he joins us in our mission of meeting the spiritual and physical needs of precious people in the developing world in accordance with biblical principles, all for the glory of God!
UPCOMING BUSINESS GROUP MEETINGS NOVEMBER 28, 2023
Ancaster, ON NOVEMBER 30, 2023
Wyoming / Strathroy, ON NOVEMBER 30, 2023
Grand Rapids, MI DECEMBER 1, 2023
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Norwich, ON DECEMBER 5, 2023
Hamilton, ON DECEMBER 6, 2023
Cambridge, ON
DECEMBER 12, 2023
West Michigan *Please see our website for more details
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>CHaiRMaN’S MeSSaGe BY PAUL BEEZHOLD
Gracious Giving As I write this article, I am humbled once again of the generosity of God’s people even in the midst of difficult financial times. At a recent Word & Deed board meeting, it was reported that giving from year to year has continued to increase from our faithful donors. Even during those years when our world was sent into financial chaos from the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrighteous restrictions that many governments put into practice, our donations continued to come in, often to our surprise, in greater percentage than what we anticipated. So, as a board, we offer our sincere thanks to all of you who have continued to give abundantly to the work of Word & Deed and our partners around the world. There are so many principles that we can learn from the Word of God on giving to the mission and ministry of the church. One of these is that giving is the fruit of God’s grace in our hearts. In 2 Corinthians 8:1–4 (ESV), Paul writes, “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints.” Paul writes about “the grace of God” and then goes on to describe the generous giving of the believers. In other words, it is by grace, not our own inclination, that we give to the work of missions in the church. Indeed, our natural tendency is to be selfish and to hold on to our money and our resources for ourselves. However, God, in His grace, changes our hearts. When that happens, giving becomes a joy—which is how God wishes us to give. Our giving becomes a joy—specifically the joy we have in salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate example of generous giving. For, as it says in verse 9 of the same passage above, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” Jesus gave it all, even His very life, for the sake of his covenant people. As we see in the passage above, it is God who graciously changes our hearts so that we can follow the example of Jesus, who shows us the true
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nature of giving. Thanks again to all our donors for their gracious, joyful, and generous giving. W&D Paul Beezhold is the President of the Board of Word & Deed USA and attends the Oak Glen United Reformed Church in Lansing, IL.
KENYA WELLS
BY DAVE VANDER MEER
MEDITATION 1. Dr. Bredenhof reminds us in this meditation that God’s ways are far above our ways. Name some specific times in your life when you had to be reminded of this truth. 2. What is the encouragement that this Meditation reminds us of in showing mercy to other people? COLOMBIA 1. Aside from a Christian education, what other things do the students of the Dios es Amor schools benefit from and why are all of these items important? 2. What skill is being taught to the students in the older grades? Do you know another language, and if so, how does it benefit you in your daily life?
In the Spring issue of our magazine, I wrote about my trip to Kenya and the lack of access to basic necessities for many people in that country. I mentioned the start of a new church and a pond in that area that served as the spot for drinking water for thousands of people and animals. I am happy to report that since then two wells have been drilled; one on the new church property and another at a church close to that pond. We are thankful to the Lord that the water quality is very good. The most important part of the project may be the signs placed by each well, which will be a way to present the community with the Gospel message whenever they come for water. The signs say: Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst” (John 4:13–14). W&D Dave Vander Meer works for Word & Deed in the Public Relations and Projects departments.
GUATEMALA 1. The beginning of this article lists some statistics on the number of registered churches in Guatemala. How do these numbers compare to that of Canada or the United States? 2. What was the assumption of the AMG employees when they first started visiting pastors in Guatemala and why was this assumption right or wrong? 3. Many teenagers who have grown up in our Reformed churches in North America have a much more thorough knowledge of doctrinal truths than the majority of the pastors who participate in the PTC. Do you take this knowledge for granted? How are you using this knowledge to increase your relationships with Christ and with others? SOUTH AFRICA 1. Why do you think it was important for Nakekela to hire a full-time Christian counselor? 2. What are some benefits that the clinic has experienced since installing a solar power system? CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE 1. What needs to happen to us for giving to become a joy to us?
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Sponsorship
Malawi Orphan Care
Check it out
Word & Deed supports 2,100 orphans in Malawi, Africa. Each of these orphans live with extended family members or guardians in their village and attend an after-school program. Some of these children have lost both parents, others have lost one parent, and still others have been abandoned by their parents. All these children are living in poverty. Some benefits that the children involved in the Orphan Care Program receive are:
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• Meals 3–5 times per week • The provision of school supplies and uniforms • Help with homework • The provision of secondary school fees when needed • Biblical instruction • Family support
GENERATIONAL BY IN
IMPACT GIVING YOUR WILL
Your will is your final act of stewardship and care, a means to purposefully allocate your resources to support the people and causes you hold dear. By including charitable giving in your will, you model a legacy of generosity to your loved ones, and you help ensure that Word & Deed Ministries continues to have an impact, well beyond your lifetime.
It is our prayer that these efforts will produce godly leaders who will one day be instrumental in transforming Malawi for God’s glory.
To learn more about this or other ways to give visit our Planned Giving Page: https:// wordanddeed.org/get-involved/ planned-giving-canada/
You can sponsor one or more of these children for $8 CAD (5 children for $40) or $6 USD (5 children for $30) per month. You will receive an update of the Orphan Care Program once per year. Contact Laurenne at office@wordanddeed.org or by calling 1.877.375.9673 if you are interested in supporting this program.
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