Have you ever heard of Kiva?
From their website: Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe.
Kiva is in the game to alleviate poverty, but I’m wondering how the concept changes the game for churches and missions agencies as they seek to proclaim Christ, establish churches and alleviate poverty. I do think what Kiva is doing is a good way for us to put our money where our mouth is. Micro-financing (when done well) is effective and very helpful to families and communities.
It seems as though Kiva might change the way we think about how churches partner with churches (or communities without a church) in far away places. Maybe we need a similar organization with this vision: (insert name) is the worlds first church to church website empowering churches to invest lives, time, and money in communities and infant churches around the globe.
Maybe the way we impact a community is to lead with micro-financing (or whatever their greatest need) with the goal of developing long term relationships, while be Christ and proclaiming Christ – One church invests in one community.
What do ya think?
Tim Neufeld writes about his Father’s Day in Togo and an Imam who preaches too long, and his son’s reaction to the long sermon on Noah. I guess if you’re a Baptist or Muslim the PKs (Preacher’s Kids) and the IKs (Imam’s Kids) have the same hope: short sermons. Read more…
We go to Walmart weekly and purchase what we need so it’s hard to comprehend that a man named Ibrahim in Mango, Togo needs 2.5 acres of farmland to feed his family. If you’re not growing it or purchasing it from some one who grew it – in Mango or Kara, then you’re not eating. Keep reading to learn more from Tim and Esther – on the front line in Mango which by the way is in the 10/40 Window.
Read more…
Missionaries need our prayers. Some of them carry heavy burdens that are unique to where they invest their lives. Would you take five minutes and pray for a GLBC missionary?
Here they are: Adelsberger, Cropsey, Ebersole, Hayden, Herrick, Hitibran, Lowe, M&S N., Reynolds, Schmidt, D&N W., J&B T., and Zimmerman. Learn more about our missionaries by clicking here.
Need to learn how to pray for Missionaries? Click here.
“I’m leaving now.” These are the words of a faithful Togolese sister who is now at rest. Her words stand in contrast to what might have been had the Gospel not been brought to her family and tribe – a contrast of Voodoo animism vs. rest in Jesus Christ. This is update # 19 from ABWE Missionaries in Mango, Togo – Northern Hospital Outreach. Read more…
Update # 9 from ABWE Missionaries in Mango, Togo – Northern Outreach.
We should be praying for the new followers of Christ in Northern Togo – their obedience to Jesus runs against animistic rituals which are intermingled with Islam and other cultural expressions. Pray for missionaries there as well – the labor is hard. Excerpt . . .
The Tamberma people are very idolatrous, and there is a clash between their customs and the Christian faith we proclaim. Kpatcha told us about a young lady who refused to go through the animistic coming-of-age rites, and who was beaten by her older brother and chased from the house. Kpatcha and his wife gave her shelter, and then sent her off to Kara where she would be safe. So the older brother came by his house to insult and threaten him, actually sending a group of young men to bring her home by force.
Read more…
Update # 2 from ABWE Missionaries in Mango, Togo – Northern Outreach.
November 16, 2008
It’s Saturday afternoon, and I just returned from the house of the Imam, Abdoulaye, where I took his blood pressure to report to Dr. Stan Haegert. I’m afraid it wasn’t a very accurate reading, as he got into a quarrel Read more…
I’ve been following along as Tim & Esther Neufield blaze a trail to the northern part of Togo, West Africa. They are missionaries with Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) and have begun a new work in Mango. Mango is a city in the high dessert region of Togo with a high Muslim population and ABWE is working to establish a new hospital as well as plant some churches. My goal in posting his regular updates is to connect you to what God is doing so that you can pray, see the vision, give, and maybe even go and work among the Togolese. Read more…
I’ve never heard the word Djinn before, not even sure how to pronounce it. A Djinn is the Islamic equivalent to a demon (or spirit) but unique in that it can procreate (this is probably not the right word) and have offspring.
A Missionary writes here about an encounter with a Muslim boy who has trouble with a Djinn. The interesting part of the story is not that this boy has trouble with a Djinn, but the interaction this missionary has with the family. I think that if you want to be a missionary – don’t pick some easy place, pick a hard place and go to a Muslim country.
