Dear Friends,
I wanted to inform you about two important
pieces of news because I am requesting your participation in both!
The first relates directly to the year-end
letter that I sent out last week, seeking specifically for funds for the work
of Discipling Marketplace Leaders (DML) in Ghana. I’m thrilled to report that Larry and Paula
Alsum, from Alsum Farms & Produce in Wisconsin (look for them in the produce
section of your grocery store!) have graciously offered a matching grant up to
$7500 between now and January 10 for anyone gives specifically for Ghana. Larry has traveled to both Ghana and Liberia
when I lived there and has actively sought to help build capacity in West
African farmers. I love the motto of
Alsum Farms, “Integrity from field to fork.”
If you would like to give a year-end gift that will immediately be
doubled, please go to www.icmusa.org, click
on Donate, and then scroll down to Discipling Marketplace Leaders – 609045 and write “Ghana” in the comment
section . [Note: this is not for my personal support which is
a different account at ICM. This is
specifically for the ministry of DML in Ghana.]
If you prefer to use mail, please mail to ICM, PO Box 129, Monument CO 80132.
We praise God for this opportunity as it will help the DML ministry in
Ghana be set for the next year, reaching the Northern Region of Ghana.
The
second piece of exciting news comes out of Kenya. As you know, a few weeks ago, DML did a two
day training in Nairobi for about fifty pastors and church leaders (which is
now our fifth city center, in addition to Kisumu, Kakamega, Eldoret, and
Kitale). One of the church leaders was
the mission director for a church called Christi is the Answer Ministries
(CITAM), which is an offshoot of the Assemblies of God Church. This denomination has about 45,000 members
throughout Kenya, and they have decided to go through the Discipling
Marketplace Leaders ministry with all of their churches! This still needs the formal approval of the
bishop this week, but as it looks like it will go through, we need your
prayers! This would start with training
about 100 pastors and church leaders, followed by the training of 1500 small
group leaders, and identification of 100 trainers for the business people. Then the entire month of April would be set aside
for what we call “Thirty Days in the Marketplace” in which all the churches
would be preaching on Church-based Business as Mission, doing devotions
together related to this, and other church wide activities. Training of businesses would then start in
May.
This is very exciting and we thank God for new and open doors that He is providing for 2017. We thank you for praying along with us for this ministry and joining us financially as you are able.
To God be the Glory!
