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Global Servants Our Church Family is Supporting Update I Part 2 by Gregg Sneller The American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, now known as International Ministries has been around since 1814. We as a church are privileged to partner with the work of International Ministries as they touch lives around the world. At our September Missions Commission meeting we made a decision to distribute funds to 13 individual Global Servants or couple teams in the amount $11,700 over the next year. Who are these people we will support as a church family? Last month you learned about the first five, here are four more and in some cases personal notes of thanks...
Bill and Ann Clemmer wrote from Eastern Congo: Bill and I are truly touched by your willingness to partner with us in the work God is doing in eastern Congo and South Sudan! We are encouraged... especially in light of the trials we understand churches are facing in the US... that you would think of us. As you may know, the Ebola epidemic has ended, and thus Bill is moving on to a new challenge. He left last week for South Sudan (where we lived from 2011 to 2015). Now that the epidemic has come to an end, Bill has moved on to a new challenge. Maternal and child mortality has increased significantly in South Sudan over the last few years, compounded by a prolonged civil war and now Covid-19. South Sudan has some of highest rates of mortality in the world for women and young children. Bill has been asked to help start a program to address these issues. He will be in South Sudan until Christmas, while I continue my work with children and women in eastern Congo. We so appreciate the prayers and support of our family, dear friends and churches back home… and we thank God for continued opportunities to serve. We are stronger in partnership! Together. Love, Ann and Bill
Corenne Garrison and Phiip Smith serve in Brazil In Brazil, poor youth often choose life on the streets to escape the poverty of the slums and, more often, to escape abusive families. On the streets, they are exposed to HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, child prostitution, substance abuse, and violence. With the blessing of the National Baptist Convention of Brazil, Corenne and Philip minister to children who are
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part of a residential program that rescues homeless street children and youth ranging in age from 8 to 18. The program provides guidance, education, and training for future employment. All students have completed a paid internship and are employed before they leave the program. Corenne works mainly with the older children, working with them on life skills so that they can eventually transition away from a boarding school to independent living. Corenne also serves as a surrogate mother to many of the children, sharing with them the love of Jesus. After experiencing day-to-day living in a safe, caring Christian environment, most of these children make decisions to follow Christ. Sarah Nash serves in Bolivia and wrote back: What wonderful news! I am so amazed by this generous increase for this next budget cycle. I’m truly blessed by the love and support I have received from Redlands First Baptist for the past two years. I am extremely grateful for Redlands First Baptist Church to continue and to increase giving to God’s mission around the world especially in these difficult months of COVID-19 where a lot of churches face a decrease in giving. The quarterly gifts will enable me to continue to design, write lessons, and train Bolivian women for the Girls Club projects that we will pilot in 2021. The Girls Club project in Santa Cruz will be the first ministry of the House of Hope’s new extension location in Santa Cruz, BO! Being able to offer this program to empower underserved 8-12-year-old girls will be life changing for the girls and give them the tools and spiritual care they need to overcome their difficulties. Due to COVID-19 we are adapting the training program to also be on a virtual platform. Barb Bolick and I would appreciate your prayers as we work with a web design team and create training videos. This will allow the Girls Clubs to be able to get started virtually before they can meet in person safely. Thank you again for praying and giving to God’s mission in Bolivia. Blessings, Sarah
