Love is the Mission | Best Gift 2022

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BEST GIFT 2022 COMMUNITY OF FAITH

“He has told you, O man, what is good— and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Micah 6:8

The Community of Faith family has always had a tradition of giving. Over the last 19 years, Laura and I have been privileged to work together with you to build upon this tradition, bringing hope and new life to thousands and thousands of people here at home and all around the world. We hope these stories will help you see that your gifts matter. Your prayers matter. You are making a huge difference for the Kingdom of God! Thank you for your commitment to live generously. We are so thankful to partner with you as we continue to make a Kingdom impact in our world.

Mark & Laura Shook Founding Pastors

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COMMUNITY OF FAITH CYPRESS, TX “I DECIDED! It started in my heart. For the past few months, I felt this tug on my life that I knew could only come from the Father. I have wrestled with thoughts of not being good enough, righteousness enough or living Holy. Most of my life I thought before I get baptized, I surely had to be clean, free of sin and living a life that exuded God’s word. This morning on the way to church I made up in my mind that because of my life’s current situation that I should wait to get baptized, until my heart was in good and stable place. As I entered the sanctuary, I felt an overwhelming comfort. It was as if God himself wrapped me in his arms. During praise and worship, I went to grab my change of clothes. I still was a bit unsure but something Pastor Mark said spoke to me. I learned that I didn’t need to be perfect or put together to be baptized. God wanted me to come just as I was. He wanted me to lay my brokenness at his feet. Today my baptism was my beginning! Thank you, COF, for your enormous amount of love, support, and community! I DECIDED!” – Kristen Washington

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MARRIAGES AT COF CYPRESS, TX After being at COF for over 10 years, I feel I can be very transparent. Being married 55 years, I did NOT want to hear sermons on marriage! I thought, “if I haven’t gotten marriage by now, I just won’t get it!” I knew there was a need for that topic for all the young families our church has been blessed with but just not for me and Tom. Boy was I wrong. I have learned how special my place is in our marriage and how God designed the woman’s role as “Azer-Kenegdo” – a beloved warrior!

Each week I leave with a full, spirit-filled heart. Thank you, COF, for sharing God’s words of wisdom. I love my church!

– Missy Berry

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COMMUNITY COUNSELING CENTER CYPRESS, TX The Community Counseling Center was excited to add Diedra Simmons to our staff this year! Diedra is a licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Houston, and a Master of Science in Juvenile Forensic Psychology from Prairie View A&M University.

Diedra’s role with the counseling center is to help bridge the gap between addiction services and the surrounding community, and she is already doing that!

In 2022, we have provided over 2500 hours of counseling to the community, as well as many hours of free counseling to our partner organizations. Together we are empowering individuals, couples, and families to live a life of greater health and deeper meaning.

“The COF Counseling Team met me in my trauma and showed me there was a way through it.

It is a journey, but one that I do not have to walk alone.” – Client “When I first walked into the counseling center for my appointment, I was literally hanging on by a thread. As I sat in the waiting room, my body slowly began to still as peace seemed to radiate in the space. Meeting with Jennifer, I finally began to feel safe. As the session progressed, dots began to connect, and I could almost literally feel the layers of pain begin to melt. We accomplished in an hour and a half what all my previous counselors could not, and even more importantly, it has lasted! Jesus, through COF and the Community Counseling Center, is a true lifesaver, and I mean that in the literal sense. I truly thank God for COF.” – Client

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ROBERTS ROAD ELEMENTARY HOCKLEY, TX Gary Smith was a regular COF Volunteer classroom reader at Robert’s Road Elementary School prior to the COVID pandemic. During the pandemic volunteers were not allowed to serve at the school. Gary says, “It’s been my way of serving the Lord and using my spiritual gift. During that time, it was a huge hole in my life.” After months and months of hoping to resume reading to the students, in September of this year Gary was invited to return to his volunteer position.

“As a life-long reader, and having read to my children’s elementary school classes, I found my purpose more than eight years ago, reading books to kindergarten through second grade at RRE, through COF. I have experienced immense joy! I am just so grateful for their smiles and hugs.

There is nothing better! Serving will add richness to your life, it will add substance and meaning, and it will stimulate growth in your spiritual journey.”

– Gary Smith

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MISSION OF YAHWEH HOUSTON, TX Mission of Yahweh is very grateful for the long-standing relationship we have experienced with Community of Faith!

COF not only supports us financially every month but has always been there to help with so many things when help was not available. Here are just a few of those highlights: Every month Community of Faith hosts a birthday party for the resident children having a birthday in that month. This is such a great time of celebration and fun as the children get to play with mom and their friends, enjoy cake and singing, and recognize the birthday children.

Your support helped make possible the recent Spiritual Retreat in Galveston for our women. It was an amazing evening of worship, prayer, Bible teaching, and healing. Some of our residents heard the Gospel for the first time that weekend.

COF has provided literally hundreds of turkeys every year at Thanksgiving for our Community Outreach. COF volunteers have regularly distributed Bibles and words of encouragement to our community during this event, as well as shared a Thanksgiving meal with our residents.

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COF Women have provided “Empower Shower” gifts for our women who are exiting to their new home. Helping them with the first few days of the move are important and having the basics when moving in helps to give a hand up – not a hand out. We are very grateful for this support.

The COF Community Counseling Center has provided many hours of counseling services to traumatized families, and to families needing support because of their situations, helping to bring transformation and healing to our women and children as they begin to see that God loves them and is with them.

Thank you, Community of Faith, for all you do for our resident women and children.

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ABBA’S HOUSE CYPRESS, TX Kalanga Mulumba and her four children are a prime example of the type of family that Abba’s House was made for. She lived almost her entire life at an extremely remote and primitive refugee camp in rural Zambia. She and her four children survived off what they grew in a small garden, and some very sporadic government rations.

They handpumped their water from the village well, cooked over an open fire, and had almost no exposure to the modern-day realities that we know here in the U.S. After 26 years in the same refugee camp, they were finally cleared to come to the U.S. It was a time filled with great excitement and significant fears. But God was watching out for her. Instead of going straight into their own apartment, they came to Abba’s House, where they were welcomed into a Christian home and surrounded by volunteers from COF and other area churches who walked with them through all the adjustments and changes that their new life involved. Tutors worked with the children to get them ready for American school, and women taught Kalanga all the life-skill lessons she needed during the time she stayed at Abba’s House. After two months of intensive hands-on care, they successfully transitioned from Abba’s House to their new apartment in southwest Houston. The children are adjusting to school, and Abba’s House was able to connect them to a local Swahili speaking church, where they have a faith community to walk alongside them for the next stage in their resettlement journey. Kalanga says often how she thanks God for watching over her and giving her a new family at Abba’s House.

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MIRACLE FARM BRENHAM, TX Cody came to Miracle Farm as a young 14-year-old in September of 2012. His family had experienced several ruptures and needed consistency, love, and boundaries.

Over his 5+ years at Miracle Farm, he and his custodial grandparents learned, grew, and matured in their relationship through the ministries of Miracle Farm. Cody struggled with learning difficulties that made reading and completing schoolwork extremely difficult, but he was bound and determined to go to college! With that determination and motivation, Cody entered Trinity Valley Junior College on a Rodeo scholarship in the Fall of 2018, and graduated in the Fall of 2020 with his Associates in Ranch Management. He transferred to Tarleton State University in 2020. He has consistently made the Dean’s List for his academic strengths and will graduate in the Fall of 2023 with a BS in Construction Business and Management.

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MIRACLE FARM BRENHAM, TX When Adam first arrived at Miracle Farm he was wide-eyed, shy, and withdrawn. He didn’t really want to interact with the other boys or the staff. He would partake in the barn activities but seemed distant and reluctant. But that has all changed! He has come out of his shell and smiles often. He and the other boys talk, play, and work together. He even said he likes work projects, which he did not in the beginning.

This picture was taken of Adam and his mother at a recent family program. When asked about the significance of the picture, Adam said he has always loved his mom and was excited to see her at visits, but lately he feels like they are growing closer together and that their relationship is better. He is learning and making changes and so is she!

Thank you, Community of Faith, for helping make these stories of life-change possible!

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COMUNIDAD DE FE LEON, MEXICO Jesus (Chuy) Malacara sold drugs in the neighborhood of Loma Dorada for 9 years. At some point he became not only a dealer but a user. Drugs destroyed his business, his family, and his dignity. When his own daughter starting using drugs too, Chuy realized how serious his situation was.

One morning at 3:00 a.m., he woke up and began to pray.

He told God that he could no longer go on like this and he wanted to put his life into God’s hands. Two years earlier, with the help and support of, Comunidad de Fe, Loma Dorada, had started meeting in his neighborhood. Chuy and his wife, Fatima went to the church in search of help. Their lives have been completely transformed! Their daughter stopped using drugs. Chuy’s friends now call him “Hermanito,” which means little brother in Christ. Chuy and Fatima are now part of the Worship Team, and they lead a regular Bible study.

They are being trained as future leaders of the church. Chuy is very excited about his faith in Jesus! Thank you, COF, for having a part in the transformation of this family!

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COMUNIDAD DE FE LEON, MEXICO Luis and Guillermina believed in God but had no idea what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Their oldest son Axel began to play the guitar at the south campus of Comunidad de Fe Leon, where his cousins played in the band.

Guillermina did not want her son to change his religion but was happy to let him spend time with his cousins. After dropping him off at Comunidad de Fe several times, she finally decided to stay with him and attend the service. Guillermina was surprised that the teaching was not about religion but was about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Soon afterward, Luis and Guillermina began hosting a Bible study in their home so they could learn more about God’s Word. Their lives began to change dramatically. The emptiness Guillermina felt disappeared as she learned more about Jesus. They invited neighbors, friends, and Luis’s bike riding group to study the Bible with them. Now several of the neighbors and bike riders have accepted Jesus as Savior and been baptized! Please pray for Luis and Guillermina as they continue to reach more people with the Good News of Jesus!

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CASA DE MI PADRE SAN CARLOS, NICARAGUA Under the leadership of Juan Jose and Ximena, Casa De Mi Padre ministries continues to grow. The church has celebrated 30 baptisms this year, added many new members, debuted a new worship team and two new discipleship groups! The school at Center Infantil, San Carlos celebrated their third graduation with more than 55 students completing computer and English classes! These classes are helping the teens and adults of San Carlos secure better paying jobs and financial stability for their families. 2022 also saw the addition of two more rooms at Dulce Refugio (COF’s home for homeless elderly), to make more space for those sweet men and women who need a home to live out their lives with love and respect.

Thank you, COF, for sharing the love of Christ in Nicaragua!

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COMUNIDAD DE FE CANCUN, MEXICO The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February sparked a massive humanitarian crisis across the globe. A meeting between the Ukrainian ambassador to Mexico and the Secretary of the Cancun Tourism Board sought to establish some support systems for any Ukrainian refugees who managed to reach Quintana Roo. Little did they know, Comunidad de Fe, Cancun, was already on the move! Upon learning that Ukrainian refugees would be arriving at the airport in Cancun, CDF members set up a table outside the airport with water, snacks, and information to welcome them after their long journey. They provided warm smiles and open arms to let them know their families were now safe. In addition, several CDF families opened their homes to provide room and board to those families who needed a place to stay before they were transferred to more permanent housing in Mexico City and the U.S. This is the Gospel in action!

“I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me... I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.”

Matthew 25:35-40

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EXCELENCIA FAMILIAR CHILDREN’S HOME SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA In 2006, siblings Alondra and Fauricio were the first to arrive at Excelencia Familiar Children’s Home (EF) – COF’s orphanage in San Jose, Costa Rica. They were severely traumatized, having witnessed and experienced horrific abuse. Their mother had been murdered and their father was in prison. Alondra and Fauricio grew up at EF experiencing the love of their caregivers. They received an education. They attended church every weekend and learned of God’s love for them. Fauricio shares, “Today I am 23 years old. I had the great opportunity to grow up at Excelencia Familiar where I learned about the unconditional love of God. I learned that God unites us as family, no matter where we come from. I am grateful for all those who visited across the years and demonstrated love to us. Today I am pursuing my goals as I follow God’s leading in my life.” Today, both Alondra and Fauricio are happy, healthy adults.

EF has had five girls adopted this year and 6 more adoptions are in the works! Thanks to you, COF, God is bringing forever families to these children!

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CHANGING DESTINY SOUTH ASIA

This year Changing Destiny received donated boxing equipment from a generous donor. The students began to train and their hard work paid off! Seven students were selected to go to the district boxing tournament where they won two gold, five silver, and five bronze medals!

“I got really excited about the recently added sport to the curriculum, which was boxing. I only had seen this sport on television, but now I can learn this sport in my school.

After three months of training, we heard about the district tournament. This made us more serious in our training and practice. But the biggest surprise was when I somehow managed to win the final match and the gold medal. I will cherish this day forever.”

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CHANGING DESTINY SOUTH ASIA

Jaz* was born and raised in a home many of us could never imagine – a brothel. A brothel by definition is a house where men visit prostitutes. This is what Jaz knows as “home.” Even though her mother is a trafficker and owns two brothels, she willingly sent her daughter to study at Changing Destiny’s residential school so she would get a good education.

Her mother doesn’t want Jaz’s future home to be one where men visit. The people coming in and out of her new home are her peers, her house parents, and her teachers, who all want her to succeed. Now that Jaz has a safe, secure home, she has the opportunity to study, play, learn, explore, and create – the freedom to be a kid again!

Thank you, COF, for making this possible! *Pseudonym

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RESCUE PINK INDIA Thank you, Community of Faith, for your support of Rescue Pink. We want to introduce you to two sets of twin girls who are sisters. In the areas where we work, girls are often very under-valued; having even one girl can be considered a curse. So, for this family to have two sets of twin girls, was devastating. After the birth of the second set of twins, the parents abandoned the girls, leaving them with their elderly, and extremely poor, grandmother. When Rescue Pink met them, the girls were not attending school and very malnourished. They were at risk of death, or possibly being married as children to get them out of the house.

At Rescue Pink we work with the family as a whole to change the mindset. This is slow, but intentional work that will change things for girls generationally. We convinced the grandmother to send the girls to Rescue Pink, but in order to do this, they had to be attending school. In exchange, the girls would receive nutritious food at school and from Rescue Pink, which relieved her immediate burden.

Now, years later, the grandmother’s mind-set has been changed. She knows her own value, but also recognizes the value of her granddaughters. The girls are at the top of their classes in school, and at Rescue Pink, they’ve learned to read and write in multiple languages, along with many life-skills to help them succeed. They are healthy, happy and headed for a bright future!

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Part of the work of Rescue Pink is to form relationships with at- risk pregnant and lactating women in our communities.

By offering supplemental nutrition and trimester-based education to moms, we begin to build trust among the mothers, strengthening our fight against female infanticide.

When we met this mom, she told us how her first-born baby girl was so malnourished she was tiny enough to fit into the palm of her hand at birth. When we learned she was pregnant again, we invited her to attend our pregnancy and lactating women’s program so she could get the supplemental nutrition we provide, and the education needed to do her very best to stay healthy. Thanks to the support of COF and the intervention of Rescue Pink, her new baby girl was born a healthy 6lbs 9oz. Mom was so excited to see her milk come in strong enabling her to continue to nurse her baby.

Now she has joined our entrepreneurship program and is making sure her girls have everything they need to grow up happy and healthy.

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WORSHIP HARVEST UGANDA

A miracle is happening in Kampala, Uganda! Before the COVID pandemic, COF’s partner, Worship Harvest Church (WH), had a weekly attendance of 2500 people across their 5 campuses. During the shutdown of the pandemic, despite the difficulties, the church followed God’s leading and planted 59 new campuses and grew to include over 20,000 members!

That’s not normal – that’s miraculous! Pastor Moses Mukisa and his team are continuously training new leaders and seeing these leaders passionately share the Good News of Jesus with their communities. In 2022, with a short-term loan from COF, Worship Harvest recently purchased land across the street from the Makerere University, where WH first began, and opened one of their newest campuses on that spot. They are excited to see young adults responding to the Gospel every week! Thank you, COF, for your partnership and your prayers!

Thank you for being a part of this modern-day miracle!

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MODLINSKA HUMANITARIAN CENTER WARSAW, POLAND

Since the war in Ukraine began, 9.6 million refugees have fled the country, over 5 million arrived in Poland with only the shirts on their backs. With the financial support of COF, the Modlinska Humanitarian Center in Warsaw Poland has served over 52,000 Ukrainian refugees – an average of 2800 per night – and served over 1.1 million meals to refugees on site. They have provided security, education, safe housing, medical aid, psychological aid, information on how to access assistance, language classes, as well as help with employment and childcare. With winter just around the corner, they are expecting 100,000 more refugees to come seeking shelter and assistance.

For the past five months humanitarian programs for Ukrainian refuges focused on short term aid. The longevity of the war coupled with the magnitude of destruction in Ukraine requires organizations to move into long term, sustainable programs that allow refugees to establish normal lives until they can return to Ukraine safely. Our mission is to focus on the nuclear family inside a safe community, providing the resources they need to assimilate into their host country. Our goal next year is to move from communal living to family-centered living, establish a childcare facility and school onsite, and help refugees secure jobs. By sharing God’s love, we want to give them hope and an opportunity to thrive until they return home.

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Laura Shook Health Center BUBANZA, BURUNDI The Laura Shook Health Center was opened in Bubanza in 2017. They have served the families of the community, and anyone else who needed help, walking with them through a malaria outbreak as well as through the COVID-19 pandemic. But the main purpose of the health center is to serve pregnant women and young children, ensuring healthy pregnancies, deliveries, and childhoods. Last year the center treated almost 13,000 patients! There were 98 births without the loss of a single mother or baby! 2022 saw the launch of a vaccination campaign for all children to catch up on their regular childhood vaccines, giving them protection they never dreamed of before!

One thing that was missing at the health center was the ability to offer ultrasound exams to our pregnant women. The needed budget to purchase a machine was something we dreamed about for the future, but God had different plans!

With the help of COF member Melissa Lasater, the health Center received a grant providing a free brand-new portable ultrasound machine! Imagine the faces of these mothers now as they see the miracle God is forming inside them for the very first time! And with this new technology we will be better able to guarantee the health of our clients.

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:5

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KAZOZA FM RADIO BURUNDI, AFRICA

On June 17th Kazoza FM Radio debuted on the Burundian airwaves with the goal of educating a new generation of potential entrepreneurs. The hope was to use the radio as a platform to make economic content available to young people and help them imagine starting their own businesses, creating their own jobs, and lifting their local economies with a new perspective. And 100 days in, we can see that it is working!

Kazoza FM is already the number one radio station in three major cities – including the capital city of Bujumbura. We broadcast 24 hours a day on the radio but also on the internet via YouTube and Facebook. We have a high rate of engagement from listeners and community stakeholders, alike. And we already cover 80% of our operational costs with advertising, allowing us to move toward financial sustainability for the entire endeavor.

But the best news is that so many listeners are reaching out to tell us that Kazoza FM is helping them think differently about their future and giving them practical tools for getting to work. They are trying new things. They are gaining necessary knowledge to get business licenses, open bank accounts, manage their books, and plan. There is a tangible sense of hope that things can be better, that these young people can thrive in this fragile economy. We believe they are just the first fruits – and that many more will listen, learn, and grow. This is good news for families across Burundi!

Who knew a radio station could be a platform of hope in a hard economy! Stay tuned for more good news – we believe this is only the beginning.

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COMMUNITY OF FAITH