Gregg Sneller: “Global Servants Our Church Family is Supporting Update Part 2

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... street children and youth ranging in age from 8 to 18.

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 Baptist for the past two years. I am extremely grateful for decrease in giving.

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. 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 part of a residential program that rescues homeless 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 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 We are stronger in partnership!

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

ingrid Roldan-Roman

Ingrid works together with the staff at the Federación de Asociaciones Bautistas de Costa Rica (Federation of Baptist Associations of Costa Rica). As a social extension of the Centro Teológico Bautista del Caribe Panameño (Baptist Theological Center of the Panamanian Caribbean) in the community of Changuinola, Bocas del Toro, Panamá, she directs a tutoring and feeding program for elementary and high school students who have fallen behind in their studies. The program is held at Ingrid’s house, and many of the students come from a nearby slum that is without running water and electricity, and where the houses have mud floors and walls made from bamboo. She works with the students and their relatives in evangelism, social development and pastoral care.

Ingrid wrote to us:

I´m very happy about your support on behalf my missionary work in Changuinola, Bocas del Toro, Panama. We had 83 students in our Tutoring Program but now we have 53. The Health Department is in charge of the quantity that we can have.

Blessings: Ingrid

Ingrid is one of the most giving people in the world according to Karen Yee who is the head of Ingrid’s Mission Partnership Team. She has taken out loans on her retirement to build a place so students can come and learn. She has also used some of those funds to help others with housing.

To be able to partner with each of these Global Servants as they share God’s love with others is an incredible privilege and honor. Thank you church family for your care for others as we work together to bring some “heaven on earth” to others.

Next month we will tell you about more of our partners we support It’s a gift to be able to support and care for many people who are tangibly touching lives around the world with the love and care of Christ.

adopt a Family

Family Service will continue this year, with the Adopt A Family program, for Christmas. FBC is offering an opportunity to anyone who wants to support the families. Family Service is accepting monetary donations. Checks may be written to the church or electronically deposited. Please designate your gift is for the Adopt a Family, at Family Service. Thank you!

THanKSGiVinG FOOD DRiVE

As the Fall/Holiday Season comes upon us, Local Outreach arrives again to our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive which helps the Family Service Association of Redlands provide Thanksgiving food boxes for families in need.

This year looks a lot different for collecting the food. We are requesting you to donate food by bringing your food donations to the church on

Wednesday, november 4 5:15 PM-6:30PM

Wednesday, november11 5:15 PM-6:30PM

This is in conjunction with the FABULOUS DRIVE THRU DINNER NIGHT which could be easily combined with the food drop off! It is also a chance to check in with friends whom maybe you haven’t seen in awhile, of course with masks and social distancing.

If you have questions or cannot bring the food on Nov 4 or Nov 11, please contact Barbi Carpenter at:

Phone: 909-289-3457 by text preferably, or call.

Email: bcarpenter1948@gmail.com and pick up arrangements will be made.

Thanks to all of you for your help in helping and supporting our community during these difficult times.

24 oz. bottle of cooking oil Stuffing Can of pumpkin mix Canned yams/sweet potatoes Can of cranberries Can/box of turkey broth Can of cream of mushroom soup Gravy Frosting Cake mix Can of condensed milk Box of Jello Bag of rice Bag of beans Rice a Roni Pasta a Roni Sugar Flour