In December, as part of the Advent Conspiracy, we decided to give the entire offering from one Sunday (December 18) to 3 mission opportunities. The offering that Sunday was $54,944.99! We were excited to be able to share the money in these ways:
Kids Across America Camp Scholarships: $5,250 – which will send 30+ kids to camp
Love & Hope Orphanage in Orissa, India: $16,695 (see letter below)
Castle Bluff Lodge Back Porch: $16,050
If you are a math-type person, you might have noticed that there is still almost $17,000 left – extra! The missions committee will decide where to give that money the next time they meet. How wonderful is that? Thank you for giving more this past Christmas season to these missions!
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Also, we recently received a couple of letters from people involved with the Love & Hope Orphanage; we thought you would enjoy reading them too. The first is from a woman helping to organize the building efforts, and the second is from a man working directly with the construction.
Dear Fellowship North Friends,
Annie [Manis – she and her husband Walt are missionaries that FN supports] called me this morning to let me know about your generous offering for the children’s home in Orissa, India. I am so thrilled of this news and above all of your generosity as a church to stand with us in this project to give to these kids a shelter to grow safe and with protection. We have been exactly missing this amount of money and we are very very touched that God uses your church in Arkansas to bless and fulfill this need.
May the Lord make your church receive 100% blessings as they have given so generously to the poor and despised kids. May He fulfill all your needs as church and individuals as you have fulfilled the needs of these kids.
I have communicated this news also to Suneli who is the first hand of this project in India, who is my good friend, a godly woman with a big heart for these kids and for God’s Kingdom in India. She says me to say to your church, so many thanks for helping these kids.
The money will go for finishing the rest of the house work (6 bathrooms, sanitary work, windows, doors, protection wall, painting, shelves in each room and electricity connection and whatever other work needs to be done.) Right now, Suneli’s husband is in Orissa looking after these duties that the house work is finished properly and on time. He is very knowledgeable in construction work and has been a blessing to have him them since end of August 2011.
Many many thanks in the name of these kids and the Orissa team,
Alma Stoeckli
(the following email is from Suneli’s husband, Satyam, after receiving the news)
beloved in christ jesus,
i cried for joy. this is a great news. it takes out much pressure from
our building team. we were working day and night striving for quality
and to save every 10 rupees. but now we can afford to be a little
generous to the builder and his team and even to our team.
i still feel a great compassion and i pray regularly for the thousands
of kandamal children who are like lambs without a shepherd. May the
great shepherd have compassion for them too and send shepherds to take
care.
much love and regards. many heart felt thanks for Alma Chris and their
compassionate team!! May God fulfill all the pending needs of the
generous donors!
satyam