What was a significant moment in your ministry and why?
It’s hard to chose just one! Every day as people go out to share the good news of Jesus and help in practical ways, each of those interactions becomes a significant moment for the staff or volunteer and the receiver.
To choose one moment I would say this: Brooke officially launched Bread of Life in Pakistan. Bread of Life is now working in Poland, Moldova, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe and now Pakistan.
Brooke has been doing a fantastic job of discipling, equipping and building the team in Pakistan.
So many wonderful actions have come about and many have heard the Gospel of Jesus for the first time; children that work in rice fields trying to survive, children whose parents both died, people with little to no schooling or training, refugees with no hope or place to go.
The list of impact Brooke and our partners are having in Pakistan goes on.
Many of the children are slaves working in the rice fields to pay their fathers’ debts. Or they are simply working to have food to survive with no opportunity for schooling. Brooke started with one man in Pakistan and now the team is about 20 volunteers.
Ladies and girls are learning the skill of sewing and making clothes, with hopes of creating small businesses and opportunities for them to grow and provide for themselves and their families. Children working in the rice fields have heard the good news of Jesus for the first time and are receiving meals to bless their stomachs and souls.
Orphaned children are getting clothes, food and care. Before Bread of Life supporters enabled us to help, they had nothing.
What would you like to say to your supporters?
People who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus or received a warm meal in Jesus’ name would not have received those things without the donations or prayers of our supporters. Truly we are better together.
Because of you, heaven is being populated. Souls are being saved. Those that hunger are being filled. Those that are sick are being healed. Those with no hope have hope.
Your prayers and financial donations are having an impact and we are grateful that we can serve together.
What was a significant moment in your ministry and why?
2021 has been an exceptional year for the Missionary in Africa ministry team - there has been amazing growth and development for us and our ministry partners.
As we engaged with the communities and the hurting around us, we endeavored to encourage pastors and leaders by hosting a conference that aimed to inspire, strengthen leadership skills, establish fresh Biblical perspectives for ministry, equip attendees with new tools and skills, pray for renewed passion and excitement, establish unity in the Body, spend time in prayer for our nation, provide encouragement and support, secure a sense of hope, and help with their overwhelming ministry needs!
Our love and thanks to our ITMI Director Steve Evers, and Bishop of Souls Founder, Ron Kronz, who travelled around the world in very difficult and stressful circumstances, to bless our friends with the teaching of God’s Word, provision of excellent ministry materials, and encouragement that will change the way many have ‘done church’!
Here are a few comments from the conference attendees:
“I was just coming because I thought I had some time on my hands. Little did I know that I was coming for my healing. I am healed! I have attended Christian Leader conferences before, but this one was different. I'm literally a new man!”
“I had to fight to come here, and I see why there was such a fight. I am delivered.”
“I learnt a lot, especially about myself.”
“I have no words, except to say ‘POWERFUL’".
What accomplishments for the Kingdom did your supporters enable this year?
The pandemic has left devastation across our continent—and violence has intensified. As we prepared for our pastors’ conference; we were also waiting in anticipation for the arrival of Steve Evers, and Ron Kronz, who were our guest speakers.
With countless levels of lockdowns, our pastors, who have suffered much over the past year and a half, having had to bury many church members and support devastated families whose breadwinners have lost their jobs, needed some encouragement.
The challenges were huge—but the body of Christ is bigger! Through continued prayers and financial support, our ministry partners helped make our conference a huge success for the furthering of the Gospel of God’s Kingdom in Africa!
What would you like to say to your supporters?
A BIG thank you to every ministry partner who contributed, through prayer and financial support, to making our conference a huge success for the furthering of the Gospel of God’s Kingdom!
What was a significant moment for you or your ministry in 2021?
This year God opened the doors for us to be involved in the training of Zulu men and women in the Word of God through the opening of NextGen Seminary.
Last year, there were already 15 who attended bridging courses to prepare them for accredited classes.
After much hard work and generous funding, we now have a building, Umuzi, that is equipped and ready to receive the first group of students that will be taking accredited Bible Training Classes.
This is a hugely significant milestone in reaching the Zulu people for Christ. There are many Zulu churches in South Africa.
Many mix traditional beliefs with what they know of God. Others might have denounced ancestor worship, but many pastors are storytellers, not Bible teachers.
They have minimal training in what the Bible tells us about God, salvation and living a holy life. This is why this new ministry opportunity is so significant.
What accomplishments for the Kingdom did your supporters enable this year?
With your help, we can answer that question with this list!
Kelly has been organizing and leading a men’s group every Friday with over 50 in attendance
We have been able to drill a well in an area where the locals have to use dirty river water
We were able to provide food parcels during COVID and rioting
Kelly leads a weekly Sunday School class
Provided young women with training in jewelry-making skills
We were able to move and stock the NextGen Theological Library with over 11,000 resources
We planted 1000 moringa trees, harvested and processed seeds for sale to benefit community health
Ladies in the community were sponsored to attend Caregiver Training, to enable them to find jobs
Kelly taught at a Shepherds Conference held for Zulu Pastors to be encouraged in servant leadership
Students were provided with school supplies and transport
What would you say to your supporters?
We are so grateful for all the opportunities in ministry this year and want to thank our supporters for partnering with us in the many Gospel-centered projects the Lord enabled us to work on.
What was a significant moment for you or your ministry?
In July of this year, we were blessed to celebrate the baptism of one of the girls that has lived at Casa Dorca for several years. Last winter Georgiana turned 18 and last spring she finished high school.
Along with these exciting milestones, she decided that she wanted to make her faith in Christ her own and become baptized. It is a very encouraging time for us at Casa Dorca when one of our kids decides to make their faith their own.
We do everything we can to teach them the Gospel as they grow up here, we try to exemplify Christlikeness for them, but ultimately the decision is theirs to make. Sometimes these decisions for Christ come later in life for them, but occasionally we are blessed to celebrate a baptism before they leave our care.
So this moment was the highlight of 2021 for us.
Ionel Lovescu with Georgianna before her baptism.
What did your supporters enable you and your ministry accomplish for His kingdom this year?
If we are honest, it can sometimes be hard to remember that God is working in our midst when we don’t see the big results we are hoping for.
But as we reflected over this past year, we were able to see God’s hand at work. Because of your prayers and financial support, we provided twenty-one children a safe, warm place to call home. We employed ten Christian staff members who poured into the lives of these children, teaching them Biblical truths and being living testimonies of the Gospel.
We sent the children to Christian summer camps where they were encouraged to grow in their faith.
We celebrated together as one of our girls made the decision to be baptized and follow Jesus. And we are excited to continue to financially and spiritually support this young lady as she furthers her education after high school.
What would you like to say to your supporters?
Vă mulțumim pentru tot ce ați făcut pentru noi! We thank you for everything that you have done for us this year!
Without people like you, we could not faithfully serve the orphan community in Romania.
We are thankful for both your financial support as well as your prayer support. As Paul said in Philippians, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”
Thank you for partnering with us this year in sharing the Gospel with the Romanian orphan community.
What was a significant moment for you or your ministry in 2021?
This year we celebrated our 10th anniversary of our mission in Onseepkans.
As we look back over the past 10 years, our hearts are filled with gratitude towards our Lord for what He has done for us.
When we moved to Onseepkans 10 years ago we did not have our own mission property and did not know how we would reach the local people.
Now after ten years we have an established mission station with projects through which we reach and serve the local communities. We thank the Lord for His faithfulness and grace.
Much of this would not have been possible were it not for the help from ITMI and its faithful supporters.
What would you like to say to your supporters?
I am reminded of the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3: 7-9
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
We want to express our gratitude by reminding our supporters that they are just as much co-workers in God’s Kingdom as the ones who are in the field. We need each other to forward God’s Kingdom here on earth.
How did the Lord use unexpected events to accomplish His work?
We learned we had to get to the US quickly for paperwork including our children's visas. We arrived by the grace of God with a place to stay, a kitchen full of food and even vehicles to drive.
We experienced the power of the body of Christ in action as brothers and sisters took care of us. Little did we know when we arrived, Paul's body was full of viral infections including Dengue fever.
After a week in the hospital in Phoenix, we have more answers that hopefully will lead to a full recovery. We're praying for a full recovery before we head back to India.
The Lord foreknew of this battle. Perhaps he led us stateside just to save his life. Here, our four little ones have adored the family they have loved this time in America.
If we were the local religion in India, we would have lots of support, educational help, many opportunities including medical for our 19 girls. But we are not. We give thanks to the Lord for all He's doing.
Even as He limits opportunities, the girls are still growing in their gifts. Even with radical plots against us and persecution on the rise all around us, our daughters are growing in fear of the Lord and becoming women of prayer and vision.
Several are saying they want to be part of rescuing babies that are discarded. We're counseling and discipling them at every turn. Right now, they are in five different locations because of the harassment we went through in August. We rallied more local support and since then it's quieted down, all thanks to your prayers.
The girls get up at 5:30am, and in addition to their school work they are leading worship, running, writing songs, making jewelry, gardening and embroidering. Schools will open soon and we need God's mercy and wisdom for their future and schooling.
What did your supporters enable you and your ministry accomplish for His kingdom this year?
So many of our people, including many from our pastors' fellowship, are still reeling from the trauma of the loss of loved ones. We've known about 50 who've lost their lives. Their loss was so horrific; many never saw their family again after they were admitted to the hospital and decisions were made for that patient against the family's will.
The power of God and the power of your prayer is that His mercy never fails. Thank you for being obedient and sacrificing so generously to help us fulfill His calling in our lives. Thank you for trusting us to touch countless with the Gospel.
We've fed over 15,000 and by the grace of God, we never had to turn away a pastor, neighbor or relative in agony. It's not humanly possible when we recount the miracle of how many we've helped. He's multiplied our loaves and fishes.
On one of our first trips to America 13 years ago, we stopped in Europe and we could only afford a tiny cup of coffee to share, we couldn't even afford a lunch and now God is allowing us to be conduit of his mercy to feed many.
What would you like to say to your supporters?
Your intercession means more than ever before. You are part of the work of God building his church and advancing the kingdom. It's felt by Paul and I and seen in very real ways right in front of us.
God bless you and may this be your best Christmas ever, and may you enjoy a deeper revelation of his love. May He give you margin to just sit and listen and soak in His majesty, just as He's given our family in this time of sickness and recovery.
God bless you, have a Merry Christmas and may His name be praised to the ends of the Earth!
How did the Lord use unexpected events to accomplish His work?
While we prepare and plan according to Scripture, it is the leading of God’s Holy Spirit which directs our feet. Knowing this, I am still astounded when witnessing the movement of God first-hand.
We were on one of ‘our planned’ outreaches to a village far out on the Luvale flood plains, where we planned on sharing the Gospel with the idea of planting a Church. However, we soon realized God had ‘His Plan.’
We arrived mid-day to find the said village in party mode. Many were drunk and we were informed that the young men who went out two months prior on their circumcision ritual were now returning.
We left the village and asked God to lead us to where He wanted us. There is wisdom in the council of many, and so after some discussion and prayer we departed for Kawelele.
Arriving at Kawelele we were warmly welcomed and with our plans now being in disarray we were required to reshuffle and refocus to the situation we observed on the ground.
One of the Evangelistic tools we use is the ‘Heart of Man’ charts where the condition of man is sketched out. This had gotten wet in the rain, and we decided not to use it, but rather hang it up in a tree to dry. We would use the ‘Creation Evangelism’ charts instead.
The day proceeded with various activities and now nearing lunch time I heard one of our helpers sharing the ‘Heart of Man’ chart. On investigation I found a small group gathered attentively around the chart listening to the Message.
The result: three folk received Salvation with one person rededicating their life to Christ!
Over the next few days, the Message impacted and changed many lives and revival broke out. Kawelele had no church structure, no pastor, elders or deacons and thus we proceeded to teach and establish the Church afresh.
We departed, rejoicing at having the privilege to see God working first-hand in the lives of these folk assuring the villagers we will be returning. All Praise to Him, our King, our Lord and our Savior!!
What accomplishments for the Kingdom did your supporters enable this year?
Without the fervent prayers and faithful financial support as well as practical help of our supporters, we would be limited in extending the Gospel in this remote region.
On the Spiritual side seventeen churches were planted, pastors in continual seminary training and equipping, and the Eastern province of Angola has opened up to the Gospel.
On the practical side we were presented with two complete solar submersible pumps to be installed at our forward base in Chilombo, Angola and Mahina in Zambia.
Further to this we were able to continue developing our Mahina forward base with structures as well as supply the clinic at our Angola base with much needed medical supplies. Bibles, entry level smartphones and evangelism materials were also supplied, improving and assisting in the expansion of the Gospel.
What would you like to say to your supporters?
Words are cheap. A BIG Thank You may be enough.
But above all we thank our Heavenly Father for His faithful children, our fellow brothers, and sisters, who are obedient to His leading in walking alongside us.
What would you say to your supporters?
My partners supported me and my ministry, which God put me in to serve others and support the needy people.
They sent money and I used the money to buy blankets and gave it to elderly people, I bought maize and gave it to widows and vulnerable people, I bought jerrycans and soap and gave them to families who were unable to buy them, and I gave money to orphans for their school fees.
My supporters have done great things. By their provisions it enabled me to share the Word and love of God with every family I have visited and people have said a lot about what we did in the name of God.
I am so thankful to God, ITMI and my supporters for what they have done for me and the Kingdom of God. What you have done this year is so great here on earth before God and He has seen what you have done.
Every person who received a blanket is very happy and thanking people who gave it them, orphans are also very happy for school support and thanking the donors and praying for them.
I thank every person who supported me and my family and the ministry.
I have nothing to give them, but I and my family we are praying for them and may the Almighty God see them through any situation and grant them their needs and mostly keep them strong in faith in Jesus Christ. May God bless them in Jesus name.
What did your supporters enable you and your ministry to accomplish for His kingdom this year?
What would you say to your supporters?
What was a significant moment for you or your ministry?
The training of rural pastors brings us a great joy, not because we train many pastors but because of how the Spirit of the Lord has been using some of them. Literally every place we conduct our training, pastors share how important this training is for them.
This training answers many questions pastors have and it enables them to answer many questions Muslims ask. In the month of August 2021 some 40 pastors, believers and evangelists completed our training in two different towns.
We rejoice in the Lord that 40 of them committed themselves to be witnesses of Jesus Christ among people, especially to Muslims.
What humbles me about these trainings is that not all participants are well educated. They are very simple and ordinary people but with extraordinary desire to share Jesus with their friends and villagers.
One such participant is a shepherd who attended every training session without fail. I must make a mention that some of these people in simple obedience to the leading of the Spirit of God have led Muslims to the Lord!
Reshma from Bellary district where we had our training heard the Gospel of Jesus and gave her heart to Jesus. Today she is going through a difficult situation as her family kicked her out of their home.
She is 25 years old and working in Bangalore now. David will be meeting her soon, God willing, to encourage her in the Lord.
Please pray for the ministry entrusted to us, for the new believers, for the rural pastors, for the Gospel that has and will be going out to the people and that the Lord will work in their hearts.
What accomplishments for the Kingdom did your supporters enable this year?
First of all, our supporters’ prayers have worked for us, the Lord heard their prayers and kept us safe and healthy. It will always be difficult to do any ministry without the moral, prayer and financial support of the supporters, therefore they are called partners and they are part and parcel of anything we do and credit goes to them.
Our supporters have enabled us to help a number of our slum children with food packets during lockdown.
They have enabled us to start tuition help for alumni of our Deepam Education Center. They have helped us provide biscuits and milk to the hungry.
We were able to gather hurting women and counsel and pray for them, and in some cases provided them with medical help.
Our supporters enabled us to travel to distant places to conduct training for rural pastors. During lockdowns many people lost their jobs and incomes, but because of our supporters, every month we had our family and staff support and food on our tables.
What would you like to say to your supporters?
During lockdowns many people lost their jobs and therefore their incomes and suffered a lot but our supporters never stopped supporting us. Therefore our staff did not have to suffer loss of pay although for months we were unable to open the school, we always had food on our tables during hardest times of lockdown.
Your support enabled us to buy food and medicine to our families and enabled us to pay our bills.
All this could happen because of your love and sacrificial giving. We have never met you and have not talked with you, you have not seen us, yet you are concerned about us, you care for us and you earnestly pray for our wellbeing, protection and ministry.
This is what true partnership is and this is what is true love for your brothers is. Therefore, we thank you and we pray the Lord will bless you, your family and your work.
If you come to visit us we will express our gratitude through action!
