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Harvest of Hope

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News and stories about how our Sponsor A Child program transforms the lives of both donors and recipients.

Sponsorship Eases Parents' Burdens in Mali

Posted on 08 Apr 2011 · By Elizabeth Brink, Harvest of Hope Coordinator

Pastor Nouh, leader of ministry partner Tahanint N'Massinag E Tinbuktu (meaning "the merciful grace of God for Timbuktu") shares this update on the sponsorship program in Timbuktu, Mali:

Children in the schools in Tassinsak and Bariz and Elijah House are the beneficiaries of the Sponsor A Child program in Mali, West Africa. They are all very poor kids. The kids in the program come from families who barely have a bowl of porridge for breakfast and go to school having no hope of a meal other than a poor dinner. Feeding these kids daily is already a challenge for most families and they can’t afford to do more when it comes to their schooling expenses. This is where the Sponsor A Child program comes in to help. By the grace of God and through your generosity, you are providing many of their schooling concerns. Beyond that crucial and visible need, we take opportunities to announce the Gospel to reach their needs beyond human vision.

One father expressed his appreciation for the sponsorship program, saying, “Sponsorship money allows us to breathe as parents of kids at school. Before receiving that money, it was an endless list of needs coming through our children every day saying ‘The master said: book, notebook, celebration, event, etc.’ It was not fun at all to send a child to school. I have three kids in school, and I am a mediator for buying or selling empty plots of land. But money is scarce, and there is no way to find work every day. So many days I am jobless and my family is hungry. Every request, even the smallest, can become too heavy for us to afford. So, we appreciate you and want you to know how refreshing it is for us to receive help, which helps us to help our own children. Thank you so much. May God reward you.”

There are currently 23 children in need of sponsors in TNT's program. If you would like to help one of these children have a brighter future, go to www.partnersintl.org/sponsor to sign up today!

Sponsorship: Changing Whole Communities in the Philippines

Posted on 04 Feb 2011 · By Elizabeth Brink, Harvest of Hope Coordinator

The following update comes from Edith Dominguez, director of our child sponsorship program in the Philippines. Enjoy her report and reflection on the past year of ministry!

We thank the Lord for the blessing of the Sponsor A Child ministry this past year. It has been a hard year because of the economy, but our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ has carried us through these difficulties. We praise the Lord for parents who have come to know the Lord. Former and present sponsorship recipients who are in high school are now serving as Sunday school teachers, praise and worship leaders, as well as officers and evangelism workers in the local churches. They are all growing in their faith. Regular home Bible studies are also conducted in the homes of the recipients by follow-up workers in order to reach whole families with the Gospel.

At present we have 318 children in 44 villages enrolled in the program. Last year, 28 children graduated from high school and 166 parents, brothers, sisters, and relatives of the children came to know Christ. There are 96 home Bible study groups meeting regularly. One former sponsored child has enrolled in Bible school, preparing to serve the Lord full time. Relief and medical help were also given to many families affected by the two consecutive super typhoons we experienced. By God’s grace we pray that the sponsorship program will continue to be a channel of blessing, especially to unreached and needy families.

The impact of the program in the community cannot be underestimated. This is the testimony of a group of believers which 12 years ago did not welcome the preaching of the Word of God in their midst. They were so against the Christian workers that they ridiculed them every time they shared the Gospel. Still, we began a sponsorship program in the area, and many children were enrolled in the program. This was the beginning of many home Bible studies being held in the different homes and people began to open their hearts to the Lord. “The Lord of Harvest Christian Church” was established in the area. The same people who used to ridicule the Word of God are now sharing their faith, and the church is growing. The former sponsored children are now Sunday school teachers, and their parents have become leaders in the church. The change in the lives of these believers has attracted other people to give their hearts to the Lord. They have become a living testimony for the glory of His name. 

Thank you for your sponsorship, which impacts children, their families, and whole communities!

Living Under Persecution

Posted on 04 Oct 2010 · By Linda Jo Reed, Sponsor A Child Coordinator

Life is hard for a single mom in any country. In Indonesia, Irpan’s mom battles not only the difficulties of providing for her family, but also endures persecution because she is a follower of Isa Al-Masih, Jesus the Messiah.

Irpan says, “I felt sad every time I saw my mother got persecuted. Seeing my mother’s faith was a disaster for our family. (My uncle) tried every effort to force my mother not to become a Christian.” She was physically abused, sent to another town, expelled from the family, and kept prisoner at home. But she not only endured, but taught Irpan how to pray in Isa’s name and to put his trust in Isa.

During the home imprisonment, no one was allowed to visit. As a result, no contact with Christians fellowship could happen—especially not when a pastor came to see her.

Irpan goes on with his story, “I thank God, He can still send me to school through this support, even now my mother has no job, but I can still continue my school. Please pray that God will open the way so I can go to Sunday School again, my mother gets a job, and my relatives will be won.”

Our God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us and this family is living in that promise. Sponsorship is giving them hope where there seems to be none.  Irpan is allowed to go to school where he has contact with other believers. Please remember this family in your prayers and consider sponsoring a child. You can make a difference in the Kingdom of God.

 

Change For China

Posted on 15 Nov 2010 · By Linda Jo Reed, Sponsor A Child Coordinator

Some years ago, when a missionary visited the First Baptist Church in Sandpoint, Idaho, talking about needs in China, two sisters, Bayley and Hillary, heard the message loud and clear.

Having already learned about China through their Sunday school teacher, Mary Vail, they were excited when the missionary came. With an idea about recovering loose change, the girls searched their couch at home, the dresser drawers, and other places pennies may be lost—and now found. With their excitement running over that evening, they presented the missionary with a jar full of pennies.

Well, something had to be done and “Change For China” became a passion for the church. Soon, other young people, parents, and many others began contributing their pennies to support a child in China.

“Change For China” revolutionized missions in the church. Stories abound about how church members asked for their change in pennies when buying items. This usually prompted a “why?” and an opportunity to tell their story. A grocery clerk offered a church member her bags of pennies from home - $20 worth of pennies!

Pennies were picked up on the streets and some parents tossed their pennies into jars for their children to donate.  Everyone got into the act!

Bayley and Hillary are now in high school and they leave a huge legacy to their church. As a result of their hearts being touched as little girls by the plight of children halfway around the world,  their actions blessed an entire church. And because of pennies, two Chinese children are now receiving help through the Sponsor A Child program.

What an amazing difference two little girls and a few pennies have made!

Faith Shows Through Sponsorship

Posted on 07 Sep 2010 · By Linda Jo Reed, Sponsor A Child Coordinator

The other day, while I was helping our Sponsor A Child team fold letters from children and match them to envelopes for their sponsors, I was overwhelmed with the knowledge that these pieces of paper had been held and written on by little children on the other side of the world. Children whose lives and struggles were completely different from anything I had ever known. The words lifted off the pages and, as I folded, I read some of the sentiments and wishes they shared with their sponsors. Through sickness, poverty and war they proclaimed a passionate love for God and thankfulness to their sponsors for giving them the opportunity to go to school and church.

At an orphanage in Myanmar, most of the children are supported through PI sponsors. Many of their letters, while expressing thanks to their sponsors, also talked about a terrible drought that is sweeping that part of the country.  Families are forced to walk miles and purchase water from those who have deep enough wells. One girl at the orphanage, with wisdom beyond her years, thanked God for His provision. She said God knew the drought would come and provided the land for the orphanage to be built on, low enough to have a constant source of water even through the drought.

As letters go back and forth across the world, the growing faith of children is revealed and the Spirit of God touches lives at every point.

-Wendy Taylor, Partners International staff member

 

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Video: Building the Church

Video about church planting and persecution

Video: Transforming Communities

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Video: Empowering Women and Children

Video about women and children