I heard that statement about a year ago and have not forgotten it since. It really made me stop and thing about how I give towards others. I see the importance and know the value of giving as my husband and I financially support several other missionaries monthly and who ourselves are missionaries and are being supported by the generosity and gifts of others who have committed to give to us and support us in what God has called us to do.
I was convicted by that statement a year ago, because in the past, we often gave based on what we could afford to give to others. In essence, it was easy to give out of our abundance but not so easy when times were tough and the check book and income coming in was nto there. We justified our lack of giving as that we just couldn't afford too.
What we have come to realize is that we can't afford NOT to give. You see, it should cost us something. It should hurt our pocketbooks to give. Otherwise I think we loose a blessing that comes from sacrificial giving. What we gain from giving sacrificially goes beyond material blessings and dividends.......when we give out of what we "don't'" have....God multiplys uses it in great and might ways- much like those loaves and fishes! Besides, what we will one day see in heaven how our sacrificial giving has blessed others and furthered God's kingdom will go beyond our wildest imaginations! I know it will boggle our minds when we see what God did with our giving.
God gave his only Son for us. It cost Him the life of His son for our redemption. What greater sacrifice is there than that....and He gave what cost Him the most, He gave it up for us. So that we would benefit eternally from it.
This is not intended to produce guilt in anyways. However, we do have a need and want to give you an opportunity to be apart of the blessing that comes from giving. We as the LHC missions team have a need and our need is for your financial gifts towards what God has called us to do. There is a mighty work being done in NE Kenya. There are villages of people who do not know that God gave His Son for them so that they may have life.
The project that we are working on is to build a school for girls so that they can receive an education and learn to read and learn about God's love for them. In our culture, we face very little gender biases. Certainly education is one that is highly promoted and equality of learning is mandatory. This is not so in many third world cultures. Here in the area we are going to, girls will not receive an education because they are not seen as equal or seen as valuable.
We have partnered with Bethany Church and Agape Church in Kenya to become a three stranded cord that is not easy broken. Bethany team went to NE Kenya in February and they were able to begin building the foundation of the school for girls. They were also able to introduce literacy training and begin educating not only girls but families in learning how to read and write in their own language. What a God ordained opportunity!!!!! Agape Church is now raising funds and working on putting up the columns for future walls to be built upon and when we arrive, it should be ready for us to come and put the roof on.
What does a project like this cost? Well, more than what we have that's for sure. On top of raising $84,000 just for our team to get there and be there (airfare, lodging, transport, food ) we need to raise an additional $25,000 just to do our part and complete the building. That's a huge amount of money! Most of that expense is just to buy the tools and materials that we will be bringing with us....so that we won't have to purchase it in Kenya. The cost of tools and materials is 2-3 times more.
Why couldn't we just send the check and have some locals do it? Because in all reality....it wouldn't happen. This is such an awesome opportunity for you to be apart of what God is doing and to enable His servants to be willing vessels, to be God's hands and feet in showing Christ's love in a very practical way.
Our challenge is for you to pray, to commit and then to give and then wait with eager anticipation on how God will use and it to further His Kingdom and I guarantee your socks will be blessed off!!!!
Checks can be made out and sent to Living Hope Church 1840 W Mason St Green Bay WI 54303 Attn: Tim Kelly and labeled NE Kenya building funds.
Thank you for giving! We can't wait to see how God will pull this one off!!
God Bless
Chrissy we are so blessed to have you and Tim lead this effort and take on all that is required to make it happen! As I grow older and my faith increases I find that it is easier to part with my money for kingdom work. I wish I had seen what you describe in your blog years ago! God has met us every step of this venture and I agree with you he will bless us who are going on the trip as well as those who are here praying and giving sacrificially to this important cause.
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