love mission Community of Faith is the
BEST GIFT 2021
The impact that you have continued to expand here in Houston and around the world is what I love the most about you, Community of Faith. Thank you for continuing to live generously this past year when it might have been much easier to pull back. I am confident that 2022 will be a year of even greater reach and impact, bringing hope and freedom to men, women, and children all around the globe. Brandye and I look forward to celebrating each of those stories with you in the days ahead. “You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when we take your gifts to those in need, it causes many to give thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:11
Wes & Brandye Jackson Lead Pastor
Please pray for wisdom for Wes Jackson as he leads COF’s Cypress campus.
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FOR OUR CITY CYPRESS, TX Throughout 2021, COF volunteers have given up their Saturdays to participate in For Our City, serving our local partner organizations. Adults, students, and kids have served thousands of volunteer hours to encourage and support these partners, shining the light of Jesus across our city. We are so proud of you COF! “I love to serve at For Our City events because it is truly watching the heart of COF in action. People show up to work hard together while serving others and laughing and making memories at the same time.” – Wendy, COF Volunteer
Pray that each person who attends COF will find their place of service and use their gifts to reach their family, friends, and neighbors for Christ. Page 4
WEEKDAY PRESCHOOL CYPRESS, TX COF Weekday Preschool has had a great year! 103 children are receiving the highest quality care, developing emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually, all while learning about and experiencing the love of Jesus. 2021 saw the addition of our new Director, Cyndi Quian, who has over 20 years of preschool experience and a deep passion for preschool children. These kids will change the world!
Please pray for the healthy growth and development of each of the children in our care. Pray that each child daily experiences the love of Jesus while they are at preschool. Page 5
COMMUNITY COUNSELING CENTER CYPRESS, TX The Community Counseling Center at Community of Faith has provided over 2000 hours of counseling so far this year! Our licensed counselors and certified life coaches are trained and have experience treating a variety of concerns, including anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, parenting, and more. We have seen clients get treatment and find victory over all types of trauma, addictions, family issues, and concerns related to gender and sexuality. This year, we have helped many cope with the emotional fallout of the COVID pandemic. Ongoing support groups and workshops for grief care, boundary setting, recovery, and relationships have brought lasting healing for many in our community. “I am so grateful for the staff at Community Counseling Center. They walked me through the hard work of trauma recovery. I finally feel free and whole, and I’ve experienced peace like never before.” – Beth, Client
Please ask God to give our counseling team divine insight and understanding with every client they meet. Ask God to break through strongholds and addictions and bring healing and growth for every client.
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ROBERTS ROAD ELEMENTARY HOCKLEY, TX Roberts Road Elementary School, Hockley, is COF’s closest partner! For 10+ years, our volunteers have donated thousands of hours to ensure our local children have the best opportunity to thrive in school. From providing backpacks and
school
supplies,
to
classroom
readers,
teacher
appreciation events, and building and grounds improvements, you have faithfully served this community.
Please ask God to bless the administration, teachers, and students of Roberts Road Elementary School with a great school year! Pray for wisdom and creativity for the teachers. Pray that any student who is struggling will find success this year.
THE LANDING HOUSTON, TX An estimated 25 million people worldwide – including over 300,000 in Texas – are victims of human trafficking. At The Landing, Houston, we have had the opportunity to walk alongside survivors to help them find safety, empowerment, and freedom. The drop-in center is a safe place they can come to make friends, meet with a counselor, eat, or rest. Thanks to your support, this year, we have seen clients get sober, achieve their GED, find employment, be admitted to college, and move into safe housing. Thank you, COF, for partnering with us because everyone should be safe, loved, and free.
Please pray that God will break the chains of human trafficking in our city. Pray that many will find help and hope at the Landing in 2022. Page 9
ABBA’S HOUSE CYPRESS, TX “Ruth” is representative of many refugees arriving in America. She and her two children come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a nation torn apart by years of war and ethnic conflict. When government forces destroyed her village, she was forced to flee for her life with nothing more than the clothes on her back and a child in each hand. For the last 12 years, she has gone from one refugee camp to another, experiencing firsthand the unspeakable injustices prompting human rights groups to label her country “the most dangerous place in the world to be a woman.” Together with Abba’s House, Cypress, you have provided a safe community of healing for refugee women and their children, restoring their dignity as ones created in God’s image by caring for their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being during their time of transition to life in the U.S.
Please pray that Abba’s House will continue to be a place of solace and respite for those families who spend time there. Pray for supernatural grace and peace as they walk through grief, homesickness, anxiety, and culture shock.
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OUR DAUGHTER’S HOUSE CHAPPELL HILL, TX Our Daughter’s House, Chappell Hill, is one of COF’s newest partners. Every year in the U.S., 25,000 children will age out of the foster care system. At this point, they are incredibly vulnerable to homelessness, trafficking, and abuse. Our Daughter’s House steps in at this critical time to provide housing, education, counseling, guidance, and support that are so desperately needed. Most importantly, they provide a sense of family and a place to call home, protecting the girls from what could have been and helping them step into the future they deserve.
Please pray for each young woman who enters the doors of Our Daughter’s House. Pray she will feel safe, loved, and welcome. Pray for wisdom for each one as they transition into adulthood. Page 12
MIRACLE FARM BRENHAM, TX Rooted in Christian faith and western heritage, Miracle Farm, Brenham, partners with families to help struggling young men experience healing, find connection, earn an education, and learn respect. Through their innovative horse program and on-site academic and vocational training, young men learn to believe in themselves as something more than society has painted them to be; and to see themselves through the loving eyes of their heavenly Father. Thanks to your faithfulness, 22 young men have experienced restoration this year! 364 hours of counseling and training have been provided, and 6280 volunteer hours have been served!
Please pray for more house parents at Miracle Farm so they can increase the number of young men they are able to serve. Page 13
COMUNIDAD DE FE LEON, MEXICO Central Mexico has traditionally been very closed to the Gospel message. Thanks to your faithfulness to give and to pray – that is changing! Comunidad de Fe, Leon, has continued to see growth during 2021 and has recently baptized 30 new followers of Jesus! Missionaries Dennis and Mary Johnson are grateful for your partnership with them in Mexico.
Please pray for a missionary couple from Costa Rica who will join the Johnsons in Leon in 2022. Pray for continued spiritual breakthrough in this difficult area. Pray for protection of these new believers and that they will be bold in their faith.
COMUNIDAD DE FE MEXICO CITY Comunidad de Fe, Mexico City, was getting ready to launch in early 2020 when the pandemic struck. Quarantines and lockdowns took place around the world, but this didn’t deter Franco and his wife, Rocio, from pouring into the lives of those who were ready and eager to learn more about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Throughout the course of 2021, they have continued to meet online with their small groups, done pre-marital counseling, and led Bible studies. Just a few months ago, they were able to come together and celebrate their first baptisms! Thank you for your prayers and support as the groundwork is being laid for a vibrant church in this great city!
Please ask God to provide a meeting place for this new church as soon as they are allowed to gather again. Pray for wisdom and protection for Franco and Rocio as they continue to lead. Page 15
COMUNIDAD DE FE CANCUN, MEXICO Every week at Comunidad de Fe, hundreds of children just like Esteban have the opportunity to hear how much God loves them. These kids and their families are taught the truth found in Scripture, and they are encouraged to continue on their spiritual journey. Thanks to your faithfulness to give, eternal destinies are being changed, and families are being transformed across the Yucatan peninsula.
Please pray for the protection of Comunidad de Fe Cancún and their leadership team. Pray the church would become well known in the city as a place to find hope and healing.
COMMUNITY CENTER SAN CARLOS, NICARAGUA This year saw the start of English classes at the Community Center in San Carlos, Nicaragua, and 19 students have already graduated from their first-year program! Several of the children from San Carlos have scored “exemplary” on recent standardized tests, making others take notice of the great things happening in the San Carlos community. “This trip restored my belief in humans again and inspired me to do more serving because I got to see firsthand how our brothers and sisters in Christ are being the hands and feet of Jesus for their community.” – Cristal, COF Volunteer
Please pray that each child who enters the San Carlos Community Center will experience the love of Jesus. Ask God to raise up Christian leaders from among them. Page 17
CASA DE MI PADRE SAN CARLOS, NICARAGUA Despite the travel restrictions presented by the pandemic, COF was able to send a group to Nicaragua this year. It was such a joy to reconnect with our partners, Juan Jose and Ximena, at Casa de Mi Padre, Nicaragua. Saying yes to missions won’t just change others — it’ll change you, too. “On this mission trip to Nicaragua, I truly experienced like never before the indescribable joy of giving everything of myself unreservedly to those I served and those I served with. There is no greater joy this side of heaven.” – Linda, COF Volunteer
Please pray for the end of COVID and travel restrictions so that COF teams can begin to travel and share the light of Jesus again. Page 18
RESCUE PINK INDIA Just before COVID struck, Rescue Pink, India, had launched a kitchen gardening class. The girls manage every part: preparing the soil, planting, tending, harvesting, marketing, selling, and saving. They were quickly learning, but then COVID hit, and the country went on complete lockdown for a few months. Once restrictions started to lighten, we sent our coordinators to visit the girls at their homes. They were shocked at what they found – a huge garden of fruits, vegetables, and flowers – legumes, gourds, papaya, guava, rose, and hibiscus! Thank you for the faithful support you give so that our sweet girls can learn life skills that will enable them to break out of the cycle of poverty.
Please pray these new life skills will set these girls on a life course of success. Pray that, through nurturing their gardens, the girls begin to see and understand God’s tender care for them.
RESCUE PINK INDIA In spite of the pandemic, Rescue Pink has been able to continue training women entrepreneurs, granting them loans, and helping them launch their new businesses. The provision of this training and support, and the love and encouragement provided, is making it possible for these mommas to rescue their own daughters from the horror of female infanticide. Over 150 women received training and business loans in 2021.
Please pray that each new entrepreneur will have success as she starts her business. Pray that families and communities will be transformed. Pray that the needs of these families will be met. Page 20
RESCUE PINK INDIA Malnutrition is a huge reason that many pregnancies are lost to rural women in India. At Rescue Pink, pregnant and lactating women are provided health education for themselves and their babies, as well as a monthly nutritional supplement package. Most importantly, they are given the love, support, and community they need to deliver healthy babies. Over 200 mothers and their babies have benefited from this program so far in 2021.
Please pray that Rescue Pink will see their ministry to pregnant and lactating women grow in the New Year. Pray that as healthy babies are born and nurtured, these families and communities would understand the reality of God’s love. Page 21
MY REFUGE HOUSE PHILIPPINES The motto at My Refuge House, Philippines, has always been “Restoring ONE life at a time.” That remains as critical today as ever! The world around us is aching in so many ways. But when we protect, uplift, and value ONE, we put into motion the ripple effect of transformation. Thank you for partnering with My Refuge House to rescue girls from the horror of sex trafficking, bring healing and restoration to young girls like these who simply want to enjoy a childhood free of abuse, complete their education, and become productive members of their communities.
Please pray that the girls at My Refuge House will find complete healing and restoration as they encounter Jesus and become all that God created them to be.
CHANGING DESTINY SOUTH ASIA Born to a trafficker, this young boy has seen poverty, abuse, neglect, and all horrible things no child should ever see! This trauma left him feeling unloved and rejected by all. Three years after joining Changing Destiny’s residential school program in South Asia, he is now filled with joy, hope, and compassion for those in need. When he grows up, he wants to be an engineer, but his ultimate dream is to provide shelter to the homeless and the deprived. He wants to restore lives the way he feels his life has been restored!
Please pray for the protection of Changing Destiny’s ministry as the local government is cracking down on Christian ministries, ministers, and churches. Page 23
CHANGING DESTINY SOUTH ASIA “When I grow up, I want to become a footballer” – This is the dream of one of the boys at Changing Destiny’s residential school. What’s our response? We supply him with soccer balls, cleats, and a field to practice. Our students have already faced and overcome so much injustice. We believe they can do anything with the right support and love. Thank you for being a part of making this boy’s dreams come true.
Pray that God will raise up future Christian leaders from among the children at Changing Destiny. Page 24
UK-USA Ministries UNITED KINGDOM UK-USA Ministries, United Kingdom, exists to reach the unbelieving and uncommitted, to grow and deepen them in their faith, and to send them out to impact their world for Jesus Christ. Over the years, COF has supported several young missionaries serving in the United Kingdom with UK-USA Ministries. This year, Mackenzie Stark crossed the pond to work in the local schools and shine her light for Jesus! Her investment will see eternal rewards!
Please pray for Mackenzie and her team members as they daily share the love of Jesus in the local schools and churches of Tees Valley. Pray that students will be drawn to Jesus through them. Page 25
WORSHIP HARVEST UGANDA Our friends at Worship Harvest, Uganda, have seen God do something miraculous throughout 2021! Over the last year, they have grown from 14 to 22 campuses meeting each week for worship. Weekend attendance across these campuses has grown from 2700 to 11,000 people! Small group attendance has grown from 1200 to 8000 in 545 groups! Most exciting of all is that 12,661 people have given their lives to Jesus this year as a result of Worship Harvest’s ministry. God is on the move in Uganda! Thank you for your partnership with us!
Please pray for Pastor Moses Mukisa and the leadership of Worship Harvest. Pray for wisdom as they continue to see remarkable growth. Pray for protection from the enemy as they advance God’s Kingdom across Uganda. Page 26
The Abundant Church of Mukike BURUNDI, AFRICA This year, we celebrated the groundbreaking for a new church building in the neighborhood of Mukike, Burundi, Africa! Our Batwa friends have continued to spread the love of Jesus they have come to know with their families and neighbors, resulting in this new church plant. They will actually make and donate all the bricks for this project, as well as labor alongside their friends until the building is complete. We can’t wait for the first worship service in this new place!
Please ask God to bless and grow the new church in Mukike. Pray they will be a bright light in their community and that the name of Jesus will be proclaimed boldly. Pray that many will find new life in Jesus in 2022. Page 27
COMMUNITIES OF HOPE BURUNDI, AFRICA we are excited to share some numbers that showcase just a part of the work of Communities of Hope, Burundi, this year. We hope they will help tell the story of COF’s impact in Bujumbura, Matara, Bubanza, and beyond. Families are living better lives because of your faithful partnership this year and all the previous years. Each number represents an entire family. A family benefits when a parent gets a loan; a family is blessed when medical treatment is available; a family celebrates when children eat and grow and learn. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many Burundian families! 2021 by the numbers… Kwizera Academy has been the top-performing school in the Bubanza province for 6 years in a row, leading the way in primary education.
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Burundi Fortified Foods has fed 55,000 children every morning across 22 communities in our “One Cup A Day” feeding program. Put another way; we served 10,260,000 hot meals of fortified porridge in 2021. Burundi Fortified Foods nutritionist reports that 120 days of participation in our feeding program results in children doubling their weight! THIS is what it looks like to beat malnourishment. The Laura Shook Health Clinic in Bubanza delivered 96 babies in 2021. Our infant / maternal mortality rate for 2021 is zero! Not a single mother or child died in childbirth in our clinic. The Laura Shook Health Clinic served 12,997 patients in 2021. Patients were most commonly presented with malaria, parasites, Covid-19, ringworm, and injuries from accidents.
Kwizera Trade School has graduated a total of 1500 students over the last 6 years of operation. 250 students graduated in 2021. Altogether they have created 48 new businesses and 1,728 new jobs in their community. Kazoza Bank gave out 2,878 loans in 2021. Loan amounts ranged from $300 to $25,000 with an average of $5,500. These are local businessmen and women getting access to the support they need to grow business, employ neighbors, and provide services for their communities. Kazoza Bank currently has 46,598 members with active accounts. 98 mothers completed our first-ever bread-baking class in Buturere. These women can now provide daily bread for their families and make some to sell at the market. Communities of Hope partnered with 90,000 families across all our enterprises in 2021!
Please pray for continued success across the ministries of Communities of Hope. Let all that we do point to Jesus and lead people to find a personal relationship with Him. Page 29
Laura and I could not be more proud of you, Community of Faith! We have watched you live your faith out loud during a difficult year. Your faithfulness, generosity, and compassion are unmatched. We look forward to all God is going to do in 2022 as you continue to pray, give, and serve. “When you cared for one of the least of these, my little ones, my true brothers and sisters, you demonstrated love for me.” Matthew 25:40
Mark & Laura Shook Founding Pastors
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LOVE IS THE MISSION COMMUNITY OF FAITH | BEST GIFT 2021
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