Brothers and sisters, servants of Jesus Christ, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding be with each one of you. I hope that all of you and your families are doing well, enjoying health and fellowship with our good God.
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THE VISION OF SARA - The SARA Institute is a ministry focused on the personal needs of pastors, reaching pastors of various denominations and confessions. Its strategy is organic and has led to the formation of regional groups spread throughout the country of Brazil. These regional groups are led by volunteer coordinators. In August, we will hold a retreat for the coordinators of the regional groups, who are the outstretched arm of SARA to reach, care for, and mentor pastors in different regions of the country. At the retreat, coordinators are listened to, informed, cared for, and encouraged. A retreat of coordinators is extremely strategic for the SARA Institute because the operation of this blessed ministry of the Body of Christ depends on them.
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Maria and I are excited to receive five American mission teams this summer. When the dust settles, 20 families will become new cistern owners. That will bring the 2024 cistern total to 32 and the grand total to 699. All thanks to God, who motivates and empowers our partners year after year.
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Haiti Outreach Ministries (HOM) staff report that things have been calmer in Port-au-Prince over the last month or so. Preparations were made for the arrival of the Kenyan-led multinational police force that is expected to support the Haitian police in their efforts to quell gang activity. A sense of anticipation and anxiety looms as to how the arrival of this force will impact the security situation and daily life.
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For 121 years, the Presbyterian Church in this working-class suburb of Havana has given faithful witness to the Good News. Over five years ago, current pastor Rev. Yoelkis Sierra began to explore the surrounding neighborhood, quickly discerning that there were many young children whose families had no connection to the church. He and his leaders began to pray about how this might present the congregation with new opportunities to make Christ known. His dream was to have a safe place for young children to be nurtured and learn about Jesus Monday through Friday while their parent(s) worked to support their families.
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Despite the ongoing violence in Port-au-Prince, our programs continue to operate. A few weeks ago, the schools resumed classes after Easter break. While some students and teachers could not travel safely due to blocked roads, the average attendance rate across the three primary schools and Barye Fe secondary school was 80%. Similarly, the medical/dental clinic staff have experienced challenges getting to work, but the clinic remains open and provides care for those in need, seeing about 80 patients per day. Water treatment facilities are open and serve as a vital resource for the communities. During the month of March, 52,000 gallons of clean drinking water were distributed to individuals in Cite Soleil, Terre Noire, and Repatriote. Also, the churches in Haiti all held worship services with almost 85% attendance in both worship and Sunday School. Praise God that so many were able to worship their risen Lord on Easter!
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