Winter 2025

Page 1


INSIDE

Haiti

Tried, but Not Forgotten, Not Forsaken

Ecuador

Continuing Work in Ecuador

Kenya

Drilling Wells, Changing Communities

Sponsorship

Sponsor a Child Today!

Winter 2025/26

Foreword

Encouragement in the Midst of Unrest

A growing number of people have commented to me over the last while that the world seems like an increasingly threatening place and I agree. Is it because we hear almost instantaneously when something significant happens? Perhaps. The murder of Charlie Kirk yesterday (as I write this), someone who was committed to open dialogue with young people on university campuses, is but one of many examples. With Russian drones penetrating Polish airspace, the threat of a broader war in Europe rises. The Middle East is in turmoil. Overlooked often by the media are civil wars in Sudan and Yemen and the threat of a renewal of fighting between the two main tribes in South Sudan, already the poorest country in the world. And I haven’t even mentioned Haiti or China yet and tensions with Taiwan and beyond.

The Bible reminds that wars and disasters have been a regular part of life since soon after the fall. Many countries became empires in their day such as Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Greece, and Rome, to name just a few. Most generations dealt with conquering armies and occupations. It is astonishing that men like Hitler, Mao, and Stalin on a grand scale and men like Idi Amin, Kim Jong-un, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei always seem readily available to terrorize their own countries and regions.

There are some encouraging signs as young men, especially, are seeing the hollowness of their lives and coming back to church to find answers to the deep questions that matter. “ “

But should we be astonished? A book I often recommend, Why Nations Fail, written by two university professors, argues, and I paraphrase with some simplification, that given the opportunity, any elite group will take advantage of, politically and economically, the rest of the population. Doesn’t this all point to the depravity of man and should we not confess that, “there but for the grace of God go I?” In a world that is increasingly turning away from God and the truth of His Word, we can only expect increased turmoil and suffering. Pray that the Lord would grant revival in our day, a mass turning to Him. There are some encouraging signs as young men, especially, are seeing the hollowness of their lives and coming back to church to find answers to the deep questions that matter.

All this underlines the urgency of the Gospel and the truth of God’s Word. In this issue of the magazine, Pastor Jan Neels highlights the need for all Christians to be evangelists, Dave Vander Meer tells us about how a local team brings hope into the lives of children living in a crime-ridden area of Ecuador, and Pastor Eric Ngala reminds us of the importance of clean water for the wellbeing of our composite beings. Be encouraged! W&D Rick Postma is the Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

Cover Photo: A student from Verbena Christian School in Guatemala. Photo credits: Maddie Brouwer Photography.

WORD&DEED

Official Publication of Word & Deed

An International Reformed Relief and Development Agency

Free for sponsors and friends

WINTER 2025/26

Editor Rick Postma

Assistant Editors

Scott Koopman, Kara Luiting

Graphic Design

Knor Graphic Design Solutions

Copy Editors

Hanna Korvemaker, Susan Trentacosti

Word & Deed North America

is an evangelical and Reformed humanitarian relief and development organization. Our aim is to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people in the developing world in accordance with biblical principles for the glory of God.

Executive Team

John Otten, Rick Postma, Heidi Pronk

Staff

Scott Dekorte, Scott Koopman, Kara Luiting, Dave Vander Meer, Kasper Van Veen, Nikki Veurink, Laurenne Wattel

Canadian Board of Directors

Chairman – John Jagersma

Vice-Chairman – Corney Les

Secretary – Dave Wielinga

Treasurer – Clarence Jonker

Wilf Bout, Bert Mulder, James Neven, Paul Wagenaar, Lyle Ypma

USA Board of Directors

President – Paul Beezhold

Vice President – Jay Van Voorst

Secretary – Harry Kooistra

Treasurer – Karen Vander Sloot

Eric Brandt, Martin Faasse, Eric Greendyk, Paul Laman, Pete Vander Stel

Advisory Committee

Mr. Jim Beeke –

International Educational Consultant

Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes – Professor of Old & New Testament, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

Pastor Richard Bout –

URCNA Missions Coordinator

Dr. Arjan de Visser –Emeritus Professor of Ministry and Mission, Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary

Rev. William Godfrey –

Senior Pastor of Christ United Reformed Church in Santee, CA

Pastor Danny Hyde – Pastor, Oceanside United Reformed Church

Pastor Mark Vander Hart –

Emeritus Professor at Mid-America Reformed Seminary

Pastor Frank Van Dalen –

Former Executive Director of the Foreign Missions Board of the ARP.

Canada Office

PO Box 20100

St. Thomas, ON N5P 4H4

Toll free 877.375.9673

office@wordanddeed.org

United States Office

PO Box 157, Hudsonville, MI 49426

Toll free 866.391.5728

usoffice@wordanddeed.org

Registered Charity Number (Canada) 89 120 0941 RR0001

EIN Non-profit Number (USA) 37-1429283

Bible quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.

Meditation

A Christian’s Call to Spread the Good News

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:10).

The work of missions is to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ wherever we are placed. For most of us, this begins in our own families. From there, the circle widens to our neighborhoods, job sites, offices, coffee shops, gyms, malls, etc. We know that no one, by nature, is anxiously waiting to hear the Gospel. So, we rely on the mighty working of the Holy Spirit to prepare sinners’ hearts to receive the scriptural message. We long to see the unsaved put their trust in the Lord, but we know they will not seek Him unless He first seeks them.

Psalm 9:10 speaks of those who know the Lord’s name, putting their trust in Him. How will the ungodly come to know that only “name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4: 12)? It is by the preaching of the Word of God. When we send out preachers, missionaries, and church planters, it is with this goal in mind: that “those who know Your name will put their trust in You.” We depend on the Holy Spirit to bless the preaching of the Gospel by granting and working faith in sinners’ hearts. This is the God-given method by which those who come to know His Name will put their trust in Him.

Notice that these blessed people are called “those who know Your name” and “those who seek You.” When we begin, by grace, to earnestly seek the Lord, we know we will find Him. That is the guaranteed outcome since we know that “we love him because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The Lord cannot forsake those who seek him, because He is seeking them

Let us be encouraged in our endeavors to spread the Gospel. Whether we work as missionaries at home or abroad, as office-bearers in a local congregation, or as lay people in our God-given circle of influence, the Gospel of Jesus Christ “is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Yes, we are all called to be evangelists wherever we live, wherever we work, wherever we vacation, indeed wherever the Lord has providentially placed us at this very moment. As we bring the wonderful news of the Gospel, we are praying that our text may be fulfilled in the people to whom we are speaking, to the praise of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and for the salvation of all our souls! W&D

Pastor Jan Neels is the pastor of Cornerstone Free Reformed Church in Blackfalds, AB.

Tried, but Not Forgotten, Not Forsaken

Haiti shares an island with the Dominican Republic and is located in the Caribbean. Its population is an estimated 11.7 million people, making it the most populous country in the Caribbean. Although a large percentage of the population are considered to be Roman Catholic, the Vodou traditions are practiced and carry impact. Haiti is a volatile country filled with unrest. Escalating gang warfare has created perilous living conditions, resulting in high emigration and innocent people being driven from their homes with no means of self-sufficiency.

Adoration’s graduating high school class for the 2024/2025 school year.

I was born in the mountains of Northwest Haiti where I completed my first two years of primary school, the highest level this small Christian school could offer. To continue our studies, my parents had to move my older sister and me to the nearest town, located about four hours away on foot—or a little less by donkey. Each week my mother would make the long trip to visit us and bring us food. She also took us back home for holidays and summer vacations. Her old donkey carried us along the rough, mountainous trails. Often the poor animal stumbled under our weight and we wondered whether it would make it or collapse along the

way, and, if that happened, whether we would be able to return to school.

This year, as I reflected on how the school year unfolded in Haiti, those childhood memories kept coming back. Thousands of children found themselves asking, week after week, sometimes day after day, whether they would be able to return to school the next morning. Not because of a weary donkey threatening to collapse, but because gangs could invade their neighborhoods and destroy their homes, schools, and churches.

HAITI

The teachers, too, wondered whether they would be able to see the school year through to its end. Yet, just like my mother’s exhausted old donkey which, by God’s grace, never gave way before completing its journeys, God carried the students and teachers of Adoration Christian School on eagles’ wings through to the end of the school year.

Our God has been for us a shield and a strong defense throughout the year. Certainly, the threats of insecurity and street violence forced us to close our doors two or three times for brief periods. But, by God’s grace, classes were successfully completed. Our students crossed streets that were sometimes dangerous and not a single incident occurred. While nearly a thousand schools across the country had to close due to gang violence—affecting the education of more than 300,000 children—our school and our church were miraculously preserved.

Despite many difficulties, we found many opportunities to count God’s blessings. This year we had the joy of celebrating the graduation of our 23 high school students in a beautiful ceremony—an occasion we had missed for the past three years. Three of our nursing students and one economics student in the scholarship program also graduated. Furthermore, the secondary school principal just sent me the official results of the year-end exams: our students achieved a 100% success rate. In addition, our church remains vibrant, continuing to meet faithfully, with many young people from the school participating. About ten of them are currently attending our membership class. Surely we have a thousand reasons to give glory to God. Yes, He has prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5).

We have experienced political instability, insecurity, and natural disasters that further exacerbate poverty, yet God has not forgotten us. He remains at work, in control of all things, present in the very heart of our suffering. I have seen Christians refuse to give in to fear, continuing to

come to worship the Lord with joy even where, humanly speaking, there seemed to be no hope. I have seen a resilient staff, firmly rooted in faith, determined to move forward. As the prophet expressed it: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and sets me upon my high places” (Habakkuk 3:17–19).

At the heart of this storm, we have, however, lost our executive director, who had to move to escape the violence, like so many other residents of Port-au-Prince. Please pray with us that God will send a new director; someone devoted to His service and capable of carrying the mission and vision of our school for the glory of God. Meanwhile, we are preparing for the new school year by making the necessary repairs with the help of faithful alumni and by providing our staff with a refresher on the school’s mission, vision, and values so that we remain firmly centered on Christ in our educational approach.

We are moving forward into a new year, ready to welcome 530 students in a context where difficult circumstances remain, but we place our full trust in the faithfulness of our God. For “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23). This is why we have the strength to move forward with confidence, keeping our eyes fixed on Him. W&D

Staff and students preparing for the new school year.

Continuing Work in Ecuador

Ecuador’s often stunning scenery stands in stark contrast to the physical, emotional, and spiritual landscape of many homes in Ecuador. Although urban centers are characterized by wealth, poverty is still rampant, especially among rural, indigenous people groups. Children often live in unimaginable conditions and are at high risk for physical and sexual abuse. Gang violence has become rampant in parts of the country, causing an increase in drug trafficking and substance abuse.

We often have a general sense of what is going on in the world: A meeting of important leaders, a natural disaster, war between rival countries, etc. We hear about these things, but then quickly forget about them. Especially those events that happen in smaller countries far away from us. Some of you may recall that over the last few years the country of Ecuador has gone through a lot of unrest. I recently went to Ecuador on behalf of Word & Deed to visit our partner, Misión San Lucas. My first visit to Ecuador was back in 2018 and, since then, the country’s situation has changed dramatically. Ecuador has now become a major transport route for drug trafficking. Gangs have moved in from Mexico, Albania (yes, you read that correctly!), and many other places. Because of this, foreign investment in the country has dropped significantly and the country is dealing with serious economic difficulties. The current president is fighting the gangs and trying to turn things around. However, he comes from one of the wealthiest families in the country, so some are skeptical of his motives.

Misión San Lucas operates in the coastal town of Quininde. Due to its convenient location, rival gangs have moved into different parts of Quininde. As a result, businesses have been extorted, people are not safe roaming the streets at night, and many people have moved out of town for their

Some children from the Dos de Mayo after-school program.
ECUADOR

family’s safety. Gangs are targeting 13-year-olds to join them because as minors, if they are caught, their sentencing is much more lenient than if they were older. Ironically, in order to help these youth, the government is talking about getting rid of these laws that are meant to protect them.

Despite all of this, ministry work is still happening in the town of Quininde. Word & Deed has worked with Misión San Lucas for over ten years, supporting an after-school children’s program that reaches 335 children. In recent years, the ministry has lost some children because of families moving away, but there is always a waiting list of children that are hoping to get into the program. The children are treated with loving care and concern. Misión San Lucas brings the message of the Gospel to the children, provides them with tutoring, helps with their homework, and gives a basic education for the younger children. All students are also provided with a meal.

Building relationships is very important in this type of work. Beneficiaries need to trust you, and this takes time. The program director, Dr. Yeny, along with the rest of the staff, do this well. However, in the next couple of months, after many tireless years of service, Dr. Yeny will be retiring from her position as program director. A new Christian doctor is already in Quininde and is training to take over her position. We give thanks to the Lord for Dr. Yeny’s many years of inspiring and unrelenting work and pray that the Lord will bless her and her family as she retires from her work with Misión San Lucas.

BRIDGING THE GAP Stories for Young Readers

Though many challenges remain, we trust that the Lord will continue to bless the work of Misión San Lucas among the needy people in Quininde, to His glory. W&D

Dave Vander Meer lives in Hudsonville, MI, and works as a Project Manager and in Public Relations for Word & Deed.

The town of Quininde, Ecuador, used to be a safe place for people to live. However, in the last few years, it has become a little bit scary. Because of this, parents who are working like to have a safe place for their children to go when they are not in school. Word & Deed’s partner operates three after-school programs that help to keep 335 children safe and off the streets. Mrs. Eugenia is the mother of a child, José, who attends the program. When José first joined the program, he learned many things about God and loved to serve Him. When José’s family had to move away from Quininde, José became sad and didn’t want to do his schoolwork anymore. He turned away from everything that he knew about God and became rebellious. His mother, Eugenia, was very sad that her son was behaving this way. Last year, José’s family moved back to Quininde and his mother asked right away if her son could once again join the afterschool program— she knew he needed their help. José is now doing well and his mother thanks the Lord for helping her son through a difficult time in his life and prays that the Holy Spirit will continue to work in José’s heart. W&D Kara Luiting works in Public Relations for Word & Deed.

Dr. Yeny, meeting with a patient in Quininde.
A photo of José.

Drilling Wells, Changing Communities

The country of Kenya is located in eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean. The country has many national parks and reserves and, because of this, people come from around the world to see the abundant wildlife. Coffee is an important export in Kenya, yet many people don’t drink it because of its high value — they would rather sell it than drink it! Many people consider Kenya to be a Christian nation. There are many churches there, but basic biblical knowledge is lacking for most people and even many pastors.

Every well that has been drilled bears this plaque.

With the help of Word & Deed, Net Foundation and the Bumala Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) have been involved in drilling several wells in Kenya over the last couple of years. These wells were very much needed in the six communities where we work, including on the property of RTS. These wells have been a great blessing. We have noticed that they have provided much more than water for the communities.

Prior to the wells being drilled, several of the communities retrieved all of their water from ponds that carried many

Local people retrieving water from the same pond that cattle drink and wade in.

waterborne diseases like bilharzia and dysentery. These diseases were rampant in the villages, but the people had no other source of water to drink. Since the drilling of the wells, the cases of these illnesses have now gone down significantly.

There have also been spiritual blessings as a result of the new wells. In East Yimbo, a new church has been born at the water site, and in all the villages that received the wells there has been improvement in church attendance and the Gospel is being shared with joy.

KENYA

The children are also benefiting greatly from having access to fresh water. In schools such as Naya, the students have improved in their attendance. Before the wells were drilled, they spent a lot of their day gathering water to be used by their families and the school. Now they can attend classes more regularly, also because they are not sick as much as they were before. Being properly hydrated also helps the children to concentrate well on their studies. We have also seen an increase in income-generating activities in all these communities. In Butere, with the ability to now properly care for them, tree nurseries have been established, leading to improvements in the environment and income for the groups. In addition, the various committees at the different sites meet often and discuss how to best make use of the small fees that are charged to people drawing water. These funds are helpful whenever there is need for repairs on the water site or other unforeseen needs that may arise.

Other organizations have started coming in to work with the water committees as well. In Butere, an organization has established a seed bank with us. In the seed bank,

One of the new wells that was drilled in Kenya.

seeds for maize, corn, sorghum, bambara nuts, and some vegetables are available and farmers are encouraged to use them for planting, as they are more resistant to pests and diseases than the seeds that are usually used.

As you can see, a newly drilled well changes the entire lifestyle of a community. It is our hope that many other wells will be drilled in neighboring communities in the future. To God be the glory. W&D

Pastor Eric Ngala is the Director of Bumala Reformed Theological Seminary in Kenya.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Meditation

1 Pray that the Lord would give you the opportunity and courage to share the good news of the Gospel with the people that He has placed in your path.

2 Thank the Lord for the work of the Holy Spirit and pray that those who know His name would learn to trust in Him fully.

Ecuador

1 Pray for the safety of the children and their families who are enrolled in the after-school program.

2 Thank the Lord for the leaders of Misión San Lucas who work every day to provide physical and spiritual encouragement to the people of Quininde.

3 Thank the Lord for Dr. Yeny’s many years of faithful service. Please pray that the transition to the new doctor goes well.

Haiti

1 Please continue to pray for stability for the country of Haiti. Pray that the gangs would be discouraged and that through this trying time many souls would turn to the Lord for peace and security.

2 Thank the Lord for his sparing mercies over Adoration Christian School. Pray for a blessing over their upcoming school year and for the Lord to provide them with a new executive director.

Kenya

1 Thank the Lord for the blessing of clean water for the communities in Kenya who are benefiting from new wells.

2 Petition the Lord to work in the hearts of those in Kenya who are benefiting from clean water who have not yet experienced the joy of drinking from the fountain of life.

Myanmar

1 Thank the Lord for Pastor Van Bawi and his team of believers who are willing to go to rural areas to help victims of the earthquake.

2 Pray that the Holy Spirit would work in the hearts of those who lost loved ones and material possessions as a result of the earthquake, that even through a tragedy such as this many would come to embrace the message of the Gospel.

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Uganda

• We recently sent funds to our partners in Uganda for the purchase of 2,000 Bibles in four different local languages. These Bibles are being distributed to people who attend weekly discipleship classes and to many new converts who are now able to read the Word of God for themselves. May the Lord bless the reading of His Word,

to His glory!

Kenya

• After enduring multiple years of drought, economic conditions in Kenya remain challenging. In response to this, Word & Deed partnered with the Bumala Reformed Theological Seminary to supply 515 vulnerable people (many of them widows), from 14 different churches, with maize seed and fertilizer earlier this year. Sadly, we were informed that the recent harvest was very poor, which is discouraging for all involved.

FROM THE BOARD

My 20 Years as a Word & Deed Board Member

Twenty+ years ago, I received a call from Pastor Pronk asking if I would be interested in observing a Word & Deed board meeting, with the possibility of joining the board after. I was to meet at his home at 6:00. Coming from a couple of hours away, it made sense to me that four hours of back and forth driving would warrant a full day meeting. I rang his doorbell at 6:00 a.m. only to find out the Pronks were still in bed and the meeting started at 7:30 p.m., not a.m. So started my wonderful two decades of service at Word & Deed.

Into its tenth year at the time, Word & Deed Canada was still a relatively small organization. With a full-time Executive Director, one administrative staff, a handful of projects, and donations of approximately $500,000 CAD or $360,000 USD, the board micro-managed many aspects of the work. At the time, Word & Deed USA

was just getting its flight feathers. Just over 20 years later, Word & Deed North America has 25+ global partners with 55+ ongoing projects in 17+ countries.

Our team of nine staff members now manages almost $11 million CAD or $8 million USD in annual donations—a true testament to God’s blessing over the work.

Over the years, I had the privilege of visiting Word & Deed’s partners in Colombia and the Dominican Republic (joined by my wife Jacquelyn). These are trips I will never forget as I experienced the sights, sounds, and smells of third-world living. My first observation was that Jesus has His people everywhere. Though the people lived in financial poverty, many of them wore smiles and thanked God for everything they had. In North America, we tend to see the opposite with financial wealth and spiritual poverty. It’s in these experiences that you truly begin to understand that our North American definition of poverty is not complete. True poverty is a broken relationship with our God, due to sin. It is only when we are reconciled to Jesus in faith by grace that we are truly rich!

Besides the Lord blessing Word & Deed with financial growth, they have also been blessed with so many other things— including dedicated and gifted staff with a love for the Lord and a concern for the spiritual and physical wellbeing of His people around the world; dedicated partners all over

JOHN VAN GAMEREN
John, along with his wife Jacquelyn, on a partner visit in the Dominican Republic.

the world that have a love and concern for the wellbeing of their fellow countrymen; and a committed support base of individuals, churches, businesses, foundations, and others that provide Word & Deed with spiritual encouragement, prayer, and financial support, giving back to His Kingdom in compassion and love.

Over the last 20 years it has been an honor to serve with various board members from different Reformed and conservative Presbyterian backgrounds. Although we may have some differences in our Reformed perspectives, one thing that has been evident over and over is the common love for, and willingness to serve, the Lord and His people for His Glory!

I also wish to thank my dear wife, Jacquelyn, who has not only supported my work on the board, but was also my right-hand partner with local fundraising dinners, business group meetings, and other events we had the privilege to be a part of.

May the Lord continue to bless the work of Word & Deed for many years to come. May we all say “Amen” to Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” W&D

John Van Gameren is an accountant in the Niagara region and is a member of the Free Reformed Church in Vineland, ON.

John serving as emcee for Word & Deed’s dinner in Jordan, ON.

Thank You, John Van Gameren

On behalf of the Word & Deed Board, I want to thank John Van Gameren for his many years of faithful and thoughtful service to Word & Deed and through Word & Deed to many others both in Ontario and across the globe. If John knew that I was writing this note of appreciation, he would be quick to deflect any recognition in his desire to keep the focus appropriately on the Lord and how He has blessed the organization over the decades. However, Word & Deed couldn’t operate without faithful volunteers, both on the board and at events and activities throughout Canada, so I wanted to take a moment to thank both John and his wife, Jacquelyn, for their decades of committed service. John joined the board in its early years of existence, and God used John’s talents to bless the board with wise counsel and sound oversight. John’s encouraging posture and detail-oriented contributions will be missed at the board meetings and on the various committees he served on. John, while we trust that the Lord will continue to lead our board in serving him both in word and in deed, we will certainly miss you. Thanks for everything, brother! W&D John Jagersma is the Executive Director for the Association of Independent Schools and Colleges in Alberta and serves as the Chairman for Word & Deed’s Canadian Board of Directors.

Sponsorship>

Word & Deed helps to support over 250 students in four different after-school sponsorship programs in Guatemala— mostly in rural, remote areas near to Cubulco. These programs are run by our partner, AMG Guatemala. Students attend a government school in the morning, but when classes are done for the day, they make their way to these after-school centers to receive nutritious food, help with their

homework, Bible lessons, medical care when it’s needed, and other such benefits. Parents of these children are also given the opportunity to participate in various lessons and Bible studies. If you are interested in sponsoring one of these children for $43 CAD/$35 USD per month, contact Laurenne at office@wordanddeed.org or visit: wordanddeed.org/child-sponsorship

Upcoming Business/ Stewardship Groups

What is a Word & Deed Business/ Stewardship Group?

It is a group of local people who have a desire to make a major impact in the lives of people, both spiritually and physically. This is done through supporting specific Word & Deed projects around the world. You don’t have to own a business to be a part of a group!

What is involved in this meeting?

STUDENT TESTIMONY:

My name is Jeferson. I am nine years old and I am in the third grade. I want to tell you that so far I have had good grades this school year. I have not let my parents down like the other years that I have had red marks in my grades for not dedicating myself to do my homework. I also want to tell you that I have been in the after-school program for two years and I have learned important topics of the Bible. Thanks to the support of the program I have improved my grades, since they support me in reinforcing topics that I do not understand such as mathematics. I am very happy because in these two years that I have been in this program I have learned many things. I thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to be part of this program and for all the support that you give us. May God bless all those who think and pray for us.

Once a year, there will be a local meeting with a Word & Deed representative. They will provide an update on the projects you supported in the past year and discuss proposed projects to support in the coming year.

Upcoming Meetings:

Saturday, November 22 – Dufferin, ON

Tuesday, November 25 – Ancaster, ON (tentative)

Tuesday, December 2 – Hamilton, ON

Wednesday, December 3 – Cambridge, ON Friday, December 5 – Norwich, ON Friday, December 5 – Wellington, ON

Tuesday, December 9 – West Michigan

Thursday, December 11 – Grand Rapids, MI

Thursday, December 11 – Wyoming/Strathroy, ON

To confirm meeting details, visit: www.wordanddeed.org/events or email office@wordanddeed.org.

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