Doing the Great Commission
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28: 18-20
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Global Outreach Ministries
Gary Angstadt | Global Outreach/Discipleship Pastor
(513)-459-0800, ext. 306
outreach@hope-church.org
Following the
challenge of Matthew 28:19-20, this ministry focuses on growing His
Kingdom throughout the world by sending money, supplies and teams to
encourage those actively involved in the work of missions. From
Appalachia, to Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Israel, and elsewhere, we
equip teams at all age levels to be actively involved in the work of
the Kingdom, here and everywhere the Lord is working. If you feel
called to join us in the various harvest fields around the world,
contact the Global Outreach Office today.
Pastors Visit Swaziland, Africa
Pastor Larry Bergeron, Pastor Gary Angstadt, and John Warden want to
let you know they arrived in Africa safe and with no problems. They want
to thank all of you for your prayers and ask that you keep praying for
them as they go about their mission in Swaziland. They left on
January 21 and will return on February 4.
The objectives of their mission in Swaziland are to:
1. Explore the opportunity to feed the hungry through our emerging
Kids Against Hunger effort here at Hope Church.
2. Explore the holistic orphan care effort we are committed to
(i.e., material, emotional and spiritual support). This involves
orphanage construction, school building, educational programs,
working with the local church to make disciples, etc.
Swaziland Demographics:
- Population: 1.2 million / ½ the population is under 15 years old
- Median age: 18 years / Life expectancy 33 years
- 60% of the population is below the poverty line
- There are currently 70,000 orphans, projected to rise to > 120,000 by 2010
Pray for this work to be led of the Lord completely.
UPDATE: 021008
Our
thanks to you and the people of Hope Church for the prayer cover while
on
this missions trip. We are home now and reuniting with our families
and
adjusting to the differences. Pastor Gary and John will be
presenting some of
our experiences in their sermon on Sunday, February
17. This was a vision
trip in which we were led to a special place to
see what the Lord sees everyday.
Now the work begins in describing the
vision for all of Hope Church - what does
the Lord request of us?
We spent considerable time at one particular Care Point, where 85
children come
each day (some from many km away) to eat a porridge meal.
There is very little
shelter from the intense sun. The porridge is
cooked over an open flame in a
mud and stick "kitchen". There is no
fresh water well - whatever water is
needed daily must be carried a
great distance.
Many of the children are orphans and some are "vulnerable children" -
which
means one parent may still live but their poverty is extreme and
life threatening.
Luke 3:5 captures the imagery of the setting - we see a church at this
Care Point,
a kitchen, a well, a multi-purpose building used for
classrooms, shelter, a training
center, etc. We see a garden. We see
people brought up from the depths of
despair, we see new believers
coming from the surrounding hills, we see a
crooked road made straight
and people on them coming for food and medicine
AND we see God lifted
up in glory.
Blessings,
Larry
UPDATE: 012808
The email below was sent by Pastor Larry Bergeron on Monday, January 28.
Pastor Larry, Pastor Gary Angstadt, and John Warden left for Swaziland on
January 21 and will return February 4.
Friends, it's very hot today - over 100* on border of Mozambique. Parched
land, no water. At this care point, there are over 120 children who come for
food and water. They are fed corn mush and beans, 1 cup of juice. They
come in the AM (several miles for some) and leave in the afternoon.
The hut in the picture has a gogo (old lady) and 8 children living in it.
The tent (or what is left of it) is the church. They haul water from 1.5
miles away. They need a well (about $5000) at this care point and a new
tent for their services (the sun is a killer here). AIDs is wiping them out;
children have no value. They need medical teams, construction teams
to build huts and block buildings, clothes for the children, socks and
shoes. One gogo in another hut died recently leaving more children
to fend for themselves. The gogos are priceless. The pastor
shepherding this care point is a good man - Pastor Timba - pray
for him. Hard to describe the state of extreme poverty we have seen.
Not sure when we can update you again. Communication is very
slow. All is well. Blessings.
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Hope Church | 4934 Western Row Road | Mason, Ohio 45040 | © Hope Church
Phone: 513-459-0800 | Fax: 513-459-1073 | contact us
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