Joyful, Patient, and Faithful at Christmas
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:12,13
Pete Wooding from the UK and I recently visited our missionaries in the eastern Ukraine war zone a few miles from the frontline. Seeing their resilience and joy in the midst of affliction is a very real example of the scripture in Romans 12.
As part of our Christmas project, we hope to send funds to the war zone for needy families. These missionaries are church planting, visiting the poor, and sharing the gospel. They often wake up at night from mortar fire.
Today, the families still living in Avdeevka are there because they have nowhere else to go. Buildings were shelled, children were traumatized, and there is no heating. These missionaries choose to stay and minister to the people of this region.
Christmas Joy Project Update
As a quick status update: The Firewood for Poor Families, the Hearts of Love Winter Heating, and the Winter Bible Camp for Teens have all been fulfilled. Thank you very much for your help!
500 Christmas Presents – $25
The shopping in Ukraine has started for blankets, bed sheets, and chocolates. Our diverse group of 15 family-care coordinators from different regions of Ukraine will distribute these presents during the holidays from December 20 – January 15. We also plan to deliver presents by train to the eastern frontline in the Donetsk Oblast. Mercy Projects will pay for all transport expenses, but we still need a total of 500 more presents or $12,500 to complete this project.
A Tractor for the Armenia Dairy Farm – $15,000
Funds are in the bank for the cows. Now that we have a green light from the government, we are saving for a used tractor. We recently started plowing to prepare for spring planting, and are starting construction on a few buildings. We are looking for a used John Deere tractor in Armenia or a neighboring country. The approximate budget is $15,000 and we are thankful for any help toward this goal.
Get the full December newsletter here.