June 16 2005
Dear Missions Partner,
You are receiving this letter as Shirley and I leave Canada for overseas,
Ministering in Europe and Asia, returning here in October.
In January until mid May this year we ministered in several areas in Indonesia and Sri Lanka traumatized by the tsunami. The floodgate of benevolence, which opened for the disaster victims as the world responded, allowed us to assist many thousands of homeless, starving and bereaved families. Within five days of the disaster Global had teams and funding on the ground providing basic life-giving help.
Since January we have had several additional groups providing further long- term assistance in the form of truck loads of building supplies for housing, church rebuilding, sewing machines to tailors and seamstresses who had their machines washed away with their homes in the flood. Five fully equipped new fishing boats with engines, each with three sets of seasonal fishing gear have been supplied to fishermen whose businesses had been destroyed. Emergency food and medical supplies have continued to the worst affected areas. All funds designated to this relief have been dispersed.
Thank you for opening your hearts and check books to make a world of difference, bringing hope where there seemed none. To see the children beam with joy in their new clothes or play excitedly with a single toy. Tears of joy flowed down a Father or Mother’s cheek’s as a new bicycle was handed over. A truckload of bicycles was disbursed to replace those lost in the tidal wave; now instead of walking they could easily ride the many miles to work again.
Wherever villagers gathered by the trucks to share in the supplies, opportunity was taken to present the good news of hope through Jesus Christ. The Gospel clearly shared in every way possible, saw many respond for salvation, many for prayer for a myriad of needs.
The tsunami touched millions of hearts around the world in an instant and vast sums were quickly available and fully distributed for humanitarian purposes.
As Shirley and I leave again in a few hours, for our normal preaching of the Gospel and Pastor training schedule, it’s a very different story. The emotion of the tsunami is past, the funds that flowed for food, medicine, pots and pans have ceased, and adequate funds for the more important ministry of soul winning and discipleship are missing. We are leaving now totally under funded for five months, but in faith trusting Him that the need will be met even as we are on the field. Why oh why, is the eternal need perceived to be less vital than the temporal? Most every aid agency is reporting a critical shortage of normal ongoing support. This is generally believed to be the result of retaining normal monthly donations to make up for the greater earlier giving.
*** The rest of this newsletter has more details that was mailed out to ministry partners. Please contact the ministry for more details.
GLOBAL OUTREACH FOUNDATION PO BOX 2190 ABBOTSFORD BC V2T 3X8
Phone: Office 604 556 7889. Res: 604 864 8468