PCEA Church Construction in Kenya - January 2021 Update

Dedication of PCEA Kiburuti Church in honor of Rev. Dr. Rob Weingartner

Dear friends,

Today, January 10th, we dedicated PCEA Kiburuti Church. The first picture shows the former church building and the second picture is their new church. EVERYONE was very excited about “their new modern church.” It was completed in about three months with the congregation doing all the masonry work and then donors through The Outreach Foundation finishing the upper part of the church.

When the construction started at the end of October, the church had 40 members. By the time the church was completed the congregation had increased their numbers to 60. I predict the church will grow to 100 by year’s end.

The church is located in Central Province about a five-hour drive from our home base. It is at the foothills of the Aberdare Mountains, beautiful countryside. Despite the beauty, the people living here are subsistence farmers and have very little.

This is a very special church for all of us in Kenya and our Outreach colleagues in the U.S. since it honors The Outreach Foundation’s recently retired Executive Director Rob Weingartner

New Church Development in Egypt - January 2021 Update

With 20 million people, Cairo is the largest city in the Middle East and is home to 20% of the population of Egypt. It is growing at a rate of over 2% a year which doesn’t sound like much until you “do the math” - that means that Cairo adds over 400,000 people each year. Or think of it this way: each year, Cairo adds the equivalent of a Tulsa or a New Orleans. Every year. These new residents come from other (often rural) parts of Egypt, hoping to find better jobs and better schools for their children. They end up living in “suburbs/extensions” of Cairo which are makeshift and ramshackle communities often with poor roads, dense apartment complexes, and few available services.

In the last 20 years, the Church of Egypt recognized the importance of planting churches in these new communities. Planting a church is not a luxury or an extra place for people to only practice spiritual activities like worship and Bible study. The new church is a place of enlightenment, services, and refuge for many people.

An established congregation in Ain Shams, located in the northern part of Cairo, adopted a vision of planting new churches in some of these new communities. It is one of the churches that recognized the call to go out and spread the message of salvation and hope. Pastor Eid Salah and elders from the church are eager for evangelism and church planting.

Beirut Compassion Fund Update

In the aftermath of the August 4 explosion at the port of Beirut, your generous gifts have helped our partners to, literally, put things back together again in their places of learning like the Near East School of Theology (seminary training Presbyterian pastors), , Blessed School (for autistic children), Philemon Preschool (for low-income kids) and Haigazian University (Armenian Evangelical) which has provided this video update:

Middle EastThe Outreach FoundationJanuary 5, 2021Beirut Compassion Fund

Philemon Project Preschool - December 2020 Update

On behalf of the entire Philemon Project team – thank you! Thank you for your partnership and support. And a special thank you to all who helped us with the August 4th explosion's aftermath. Without your faithful support, we could not carry out our ministry to the least of these in Lebanon.

The Explosion

On August 4th, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at warehouse 12 at the port in Beirut exploded, causing at least 204 deaths, 6,500 injuries, and an estimated 15 billion dollars in property damage. The explosion also left an estimated 300,000 people homeless. Experts consider this to be one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history. The Philemon Project's GROW Center is 1.4 miles away from the blast site and suffered significant damage. Windows and doors were blown out, walls cracked, AC damaged, electrical, and even plumbing lines were affected. Glass and debris ruined many children's toys and furnishings.

Stu Ross - December 2020 Update

Stu Ross links U.S. congregations with East African partners to strengthen the church for God’s mission. Through these efforts, over 300 churches and over 150 schools have been built, hundreds of girls have been cared for and over 500 evangelists have been trained. The following report from Stu includes information about partnerships between the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) and The Outreach Foundation:

PCEA Church Construction
PCEA Mabati School Construction
Girls’ Education and Rescue Centers
Clean Drinking Water in Kenya

Despite COVID and curfews and masks, the work of The Outreach Foundation continues – cautiously – here in East Africa. Travel and work during this time have been difficult. We currently have about 125 workers and no positive COVID tests.

This year we will complete twenty churches and three schools. Many of the churches were great distances from our home in Kikuyu. Many were in very isolated areas.

Beirut Compassion Fund - December 2020 Update

In the aftermath of the August 4 explosion at the port of Beirut, your generous gifts have helped our partners to, literally, put things back together again in their places of learning like the Near East School of Theology (seminary training Presbyterian pastors), Haigazian University (Armenian Evangelical), Blessed School (for autistic children) and Philemon Preschool (for low-income kids). Repairs were made in the church sanctuaries of Rabieh Church (Presbyterian) and the National Evangelical Church (Presbyterian/Congregational), within sight of the port. Grants to ministries that serve refugees (Our Lady Dispensary and Together for the Family) provided a lifeline for those who were already living “on the edge.”

Middle East, Partnership, Important NewsThe Outreach FoundationDecember 17, 2020Beirut, Beirut Compassion Fund, Lebanon

Refugee Appeal - December 2020 Update

…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. Mathew 2:13

With a global pandemic raging, they no longer get front-page billing. But in this Christmas season, it is well worth remembering that the Babe born in Bethlehem was one, for a time: a refugee.

These refugees whom The Outreach Foundation has served since 2012 and whom you have supported, came into Lebanon from Syria during the long war and from Iraq, beginning in 2014 because of ISIS. They have been cared for by our partners in tender, life-giving ways. Here is one of their stories…

Todd Luke - December 2020 Update

Dear friends,

Maria and I traveled to Xpujil in October. I returned to the Chicago area a week later. Maria will continue to work there until December 10. She has plenty to do. I will be back in Xpujil to meet with all our cistern owner partners after Thanksgiving. A snapshot of the week follows below. But first, I will share a portion of a thought that kept coming to mind during my first visit to Xpujil since the pandemic began.

Work

All over the Calakmul region, entire families work so hard, trying to survive. By God’s grace, humans can work and bring in the harvest. He cares for his creation, in part, through human labor. After God created the heavens, our planet, and humans in his own image; he gave us the task to fill the earth, subdue it, wisely govern its creatures, cultivate the soil, and care for it. Work is not a necessary evil. It’s a valuable part of God’s health plan for us and all of creation. As we consider how to help the poor, the weak, the widow, the orphan, the alien, the hungry, the thirsty, the prisoner, the old, and the sick—we do well to be mindful of work’s sacred origin. Whether we go to Xpujil in person or contribute a portion of the fruit of our labor so that others can work together for God’s sake to build cisterns, God uses work to bring health to individuals, families, and communities. As we labor, it is altogether reasonable to constantly thank and praise God for the opportunity to do so. For as great as work can be, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Syria Lebanon Partnership - December 2020 Update

Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

Isaiah 60:1

It is close to impossible, for many of us, to read this opening verse from Isaiah 60 and NOT hear Handel’s “Messiah” with its light and lilting chorus repeating those words in response to the alto’s aria of “Oh Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion”. [For all you choristers, I just implanted an “earworm” -- you’re welcome!]

Standing alone, the verse seems carefree, hopeful, and almost breezy, doesn’t it? But then the following verse grounds us in the context:

See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples…

Middle EastThe Outreach FoundationDecember 10, 2020Syria Lebanon Partnership, Syria Appeal

Gujranwala Theological Seminary - December 2020 Update

By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, Gujranwala Theological Seminary (GTS) has been educating theological students for 143 years. Millions of students have been well prepared by the seminary and are sharing their ministries all around the world.

Academic Development
After COVID-19 closed down the seminary, the academic session resumed on October 5th under the supervision of the principal, Rev. Nosheen Khan. Daily morning devotions are held for the students for their spiritual growth. Classes are arranged according to their subjects.

Organizational Development
GTS was able to provide online study during the shutdown. By the grace of the Lord, the seminary purchased the ERP School Management System. The various modules available in ERP include Students’ Management, Master Definition, Fee Collection, Students/Staff Attendance, Exam/Results, Account Management, HRM (Payroll, Attendance), and Users’ Managing Rights Module. As we have done for many decades, GTS featured an exhibit at Sialkot Convention 2020 for advertisement and goodwill.

Asia, Partnership, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationDecember 8, 2020Gujranwala Theological Seminary, Pakistan

Holistic Evangelism in Tete Province - December 2020 Update

Dear friends of Tete Province,

Our Holistic Evangelism Project in Tete Province, Mozambique was challenged and stretched in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. We completed about one-third of our lay leadership training and dug 5 new wells before the border was closed in late March and activities in Tete Province were strictly limited. As the coronavirus started to spread in Africa, our project director Sebber Banda and project assistant Carlos Faquione turned their focus to educating the church congregations on mitigation practices like social distancing, hand washing, masks, and limited-size gatherings. Carlos, who is a pastor and lives in Tete Province, was able to work with our Mozambican Presbyterian church pastors to reinforce these safe practices from March through October when the borders were reopened.

Iraq Appeal - December 2020 Update

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1: 5

In this very dark year which has been 2020, one of the “darker” places, from my perspective, has been Iraq where The Outreach Foundation has partnered, for many years, with the three remaining Presbyterian congregations (Baghdad, Basrah, and Kirkuk.) Your gifts, over the years, have sustained the witness of the Church in a place that has, too many times, approached the verge of being declared a “failed state.”

A year ago (October 2019) I led a small Outreach Foundation team back to Iraq to be with our Presbyterian family there – to be “mutually encouraged by one another’s faith” (Romans 1: 12). And, indeed, we were! Of all the days we spent, none was more impactful than a trip we made to a now-deserted Mosul, the once-thriving, second-largest city which had been laid waste by ISIS and then by the military campaign to retake it from ISIS. We wanted to see what, if anything, remained of the tiny, historic (1840) Presbyterian Church, located deep in the old city.

Middle EastThe Outreach FoundationDecember 2, 2020Iraq Appeal

Tumaini Children's Ministry - November 2020 Update

Christian greetings from Tumaini/Huruma Children’s Ministry.

We pray and trust that you are staying safe and healthy during this unprecedented pandemic. Nyeri county, home of the Tumaini Children’s Ministry, has been affected by the pandemic with 704 confirmed cases to date. Unfortunately, infections have been on the rise, affecting the marginalized at a disproportionate rate.

In March of this year, the government directed all schools and children’s homes to close down to control the spread of COVID-19. To remain compliant, we repatriated all of the children except four to guardians.

Africa, Partnership, Projects, Vulnerable ChildrenThe Outreach FoundationDecember 1, 2020Tumaini Children's Ministries, Kenya

Dan and Elizabeth Turk - November 2020 Update

Dear friends,

As with all of us this year, COVID-19 has brought unexpected changes. In August, PC(USA) extended the travel ban for all staff through June 2021, so we will be in the U.S. until then. As Thanksgiving approaches, we give thanks for being close to family and having good health. We are thankful for productive and resourceful colleagues who have continued the work in Madagascar and for technology that allows us to communicate regularly with them. We are also thankful for a wonderful Madagascar Mission Network (MMN) conference this past November 12th-14th. It has brought new opportunities and avenues for mission in Madagascar.

Brief Update from the Field
After the travel ban was lifted, the FJKM AIDS committee was able to complete its AIDS training at FJKM’s five seminaries – of course with masks and social distancing! They distributed masks and food items to all seminaries as well. Colleagues with the Fruits, Vegetables, and Environmental Education Program have recently taken steps to start new fruit nurseries at the FJKM seminary at Mandritsara and the FJKM church at Ankaramena. A nursery and orchard at the FJKM's new agricultural high school at Fihaonana were inaugurated.

First Virtual Madagascar Mission Network Conference
The MMN paved a new path with its first virtual conference! The virtual format, while challenging, brought together a diverse group of people from 8 countries and at least 12 states.

Africa, Missionaries, Global Workers, PartnershipThe Outreach FoundationNovember 25, 2020Dan and Elizabeth Turk, Madagascar

Mini Libraries for Church Leaders in China - November 2020 Update

The Church in China is developing Chinese-language resources for training new believers. The Outreach Foundation partners with the Church at the provincial level, particularly in Shandong and Jiangsu, to make more of these resources available to them. We also work with a Hong Kong-based ministry, Christian Communications Ltd. (CCL), to ensure that graduates of each of the seminaries in China, along with leaders studying in several lay training centers, receive discipleship training materials, concordances, and other written resources as part of a “min-library” which each graduate receives. Last year alone, The Outreach Foundation made possible the distribution of study Bibles with notes by Chinese authors and books to thousands of pastoral leaders graduating from ten seminaries and Bible schools. We received this update from Matthew Fung, CCL Associate General Secretary:

May the peace and love of our Lord be with you and your family in the days of turmoil!

Christian Communications Limited (CCL) is grateful to partner with The Outreach Foundation for Christ’s kingdom over a decade with the vision to build faithful servants through book-gifting projects - the Graduates Book Package and the Servant-leaders Study Bible.

Asia, Partnership, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationNovember 25, 2020Mini Libraries for Church Leaders in China, China

COVID-19 Appeal Brazil

The Outreach Foundation is in regular contact with partners around the world, many of whom are sharing with us the upheaval that they are experiencing as the COVID-19 virus and the response to it burdens their ministries of medical outreach and compassionate service. We recently received the following COVID Appeal update from our partners in Brazil:

Friends and partners, I hope that everyone is well in the midst of the pandemic year. This year was a year of great challenges around the world. It was no different in Brazil. Since the end of March, when COVID-19 started killing people everywhere, churches have interrupted their face-to-face services, avoiding crowds and by order of the government maintaining social distance. Here in Brazil, many local communities have not yet returned with their regular face-to-face services. And others who have returned are suffering from low attendance because many are afraid of being infected. Sadly, the number of people infected with COVID-19 here in Brazil has increased again and people are in a panic. This situation causes uncertainty, and many pastors have no idea what the situation will be like for their churches next year.

COVID-19 Appeal Updates, Latin America, Partnership, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationNovember 24, 2020COVID-19 Appeal, Brazil, COVID-19

Near East School of Theology (NEST) - November 2020 Update

In Beirut, on August 4, an explosion at the port rocked the city. Within minutes, videos of a huge fire, followed by a deafening “boom” and a massive mushroom cloud-spewing toxins-went viral around the world. Within hours, international news media was capturing the aftermath of destruction and chaos.

Anyone who watched the disaster was horrified by the scale and impact of this cataclysm, playing out a world away, even if they had had no prior connection to Lebanon. Our collective humanity was deeply impacted. But for The Outreach Foundation, what unfolded in Beirut-and continues to unfold-is deeply “personal” as we have nurtured and been blessed by partnerships there that go deep and wide. (Were it not for the pandemic, we would have had an Outreach team in Lebanon at this moment.)

As we reached out quickly, we heard of the direct impact on ministry facilities (much damage). But we know that the “collateral damage” of this disaster will be extensive, particularly in light of an already destroyed economy and the hyper-inflation that is dragging the middle-class towards poverty.

The Outreach FoundationNovember 18, 2020

Mike Kuhn - November 2020 Update

Mike Kuhn currently serves in the International Theological Education Network as a specialist and consultant. Mike’s ministry focus is discipleship and spiritual formation among both Arab Christians and those who have come to Christ from a non-Christian background. Read more about Mike’s work in the following update:

Having taught at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) for six years, I developed friendships with students from all over the Arab world. Lebanon was and continues to be a unique place in the Arab world, where Christ-followers from many different backgrounds can come for theological and spiritual formation. Our ABTS students came from across North Africa and the Middle East. Those friendships are foundational in my current ministry with the International Theological Education Network (ITEN). A couple of those connections have borne fruit in this time of global pandemic.

Global WorkersThe Outreach FoundationNovember 17, 2020Mike Kuhn, Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Partner Updates

Dedication of PCEA Kiburuti Church in honor of Rev. Dr. Rob Weingartner