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.
Read MoreElectric Generator and Distribution Board Needed!
We received some encouraging news from our partners in Iraq this week – the church in Erbil is growing! As a result, they have outgrown their meeting space. These are the kinds of challenges we love being part of at The Outreach Foundation!
Read MoreDear friends,
Greetings from Madagascar!
It is great to be back after being in the U.S. for more than five months visiting churches. We enjoyed visiting churches in nine states and reaching others via Zoom. We appreciate the Madagascar Mission Network for sponsoring a Zoom event last November. It was wonderful reconnecting. Highlights included participating in the Matthew 25 Summit at New Life Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA. We are sorry that we were unable to visit all of you supporting our mission in Madagascar; please let us know if you would like us to share at your church the next time we visit the U.S.
Read MoreI am always amazed in Taiwan to hear the stories of new Christians. Only four to five percent of the population in Taiwan is Christian, so becoming a Christian here is no easy thing.
Most Taiwanese consider themselves Buddhists or Taoists, also worshipping traditional folk gods. These gods are people who did something heroic and then were deified. Traveling throughout Taiwan, you will see many temples full of different images of these folk gods. The most famous god here is Matsu, who was a young girl in southern China. One day, her father and brother were fishing in the sea when they encountered a strong typhoon. Matsu, knowing of their trouble in her dream, held onto them to save them. But her mother called her name and she unintentionally let go of her father, only having saved her brother. She became the goddess of fisherfolk and is now revered throughout Taiwan. She is often called the Holy Mother of Heaven.
Read MoreFriends,
We have received wonderful news from our partner leading holistic evangelism in Tete Province, Mozambique. Renovations have been completed at the Khanga Medical Clinic and the cornerstone laid for a new school and church in the rural village of Monequera.
Read MoreLong time Outreach partner Home of Hope Zimbabwe just sent word that Joan Trevelyan, its founder, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Joan was the heartbeat behind Home of Hope’s ministry, which is to meet the needs of poverty-stricken people –women, men, and especially children in and around Harare, Zimbabwe. Joan was joined by her son Craig to serve the Lord in this ministry both of whom were an inspiration to those around them. Home of Hope has brought joy into the lives of underprivileged people in Zimbabwe for many years, all thanks to the vision of Joan Trevelyan. Although Joan will be especially missed, the mission and ministry will continue at Home of Hope, thanks to its exceptional staff. Please be in prayer for Joan’s family, the Home of Hope staff, and the people of Zimbabwe as they mourn the loss of Joan. A small funeral service will be held for family and close friends, officiated by Craig’s cousin who is a pastor from South Africa
Read MoreThe Outreach Foundation has a long-standing history of fueling the global mission of Christ in the Middle East. Our mission partners there live out God’s call for their ministries in a variety of ways including new church development in Egypt, reconciliation work by Musalaha in Israel and Palestine, theological training and education by the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo and Near East School of Theology in Lebanon, and humanitarian relief work among refugees by the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon. Each of these ministries has merit, however, given the current situation in the Middle East, relief work among refugees is strongly needed.
Read MoreDespite 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!
Read MoreOur friends at the Pastoral, Outreach, and Mission Council (POMC) with the Synod of the Nile in Egypt, continue to do God’s work in the Middle East. POMC helps revitalize existing churches, plant new churches, and send missionaries across the globe to places where God’s hope and love are most needed. And now, a major portion of their outreach is helping those in Palestine as POMC addresses critical humanitarian needs for vulnerable populations in the region.
Read MoreRead the update below from Trustee Berry Long on the current work of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Mozambique:
“We are grateful for The Outreach Foundation’s partnership with our Holistic Evangelism Project and the support of Sebber Banda and Rev. Carlos Faquione. Sebber and Carlos are doing a wonderful job of leading our project, and I thank the Lord for the talents and dedication of these amazing servant leaders.
Read MoreRead this wonderful update written by our friends Bob and Kristi Rice. They write…
Dear friends,
Last week our network of facilitators for the Healing Hearts, Transforming Nations (HHTN) workshop gathered to share how we saw God at work through the workshops in 2023 and to pray together for God’s work of healing and reconciliation in South Sudan. As I (Kristi) looked around the room of people who have been trained within the last couple of years I was humbled and grateful for the gift of working together in pursuit of helping people to know and experience the true life that Jesus came to give us. Several people shared about the deep divisions and mistrust that they encountered between clans or communities, or even within families. But in each workshop, they saw evidence of the Holy Spirit bringing freedom and healing from those wounds and divisions and enabling people to forgive as they looked deeply at the love and forgiveness of God
Read MoreDr. Samuel Rozfy visited with numerous partners during his most recent trip to the United States, January 26-February 6. He began his visit with a stop in Hendersonville, Tennessee, visiting the Community Church of Hendersonville. Community Church is a new ministry partner, currently funding a MAT scholarship. Don and Ann Crittenden joined him as he attended the ECO National Gathering in Greenville, South Carolina. His host for the event was the Eastminister Church in Marrietta, Georgia.
Read MoreStu Ross, Africa Mission Specialist for The Outreach Foundation, and his wife Annie were recently hosted by Rev. Dr. Pascal Bataringaya, President of the Presbyterian Church of Rwanda (EPR). During Stu’s visit, they were able to see three churches in the region. Gakenke Parish Church was the first they visited. This church has been closed for two years because it cannot meet the government standards for electricity and working toilets. Rev. Pascal noted that getting this church opened was a main priority. Money will be donated, and the church should be finished in the next several months.
Read MoreHiba Allati, Project Manager with Musalaha, updates us on what they are currently going through in the Middle East. Read excerpts from her story below:
Israeli Military raids were a part of the reality I grew up in as a little girl in the West Bank during the Second Intifada. Today, these life-interrupting events continue to traumatize families and seem to be getting worse.
Read MoreThe Outreach Foundation has been fueling Christ’s mission among the Persian-speaking community that lives in diaspora and Iran. We have developed several trusted partners and each year we are able to visit them in Europe and Turkey where they are providing incredible life-transforming ministry among Muslims and first-generation Muslim Background Believers. The following stories highlight the work of Safehouse, based in The Netherlands, under the direction of Dariush.
Read MoreChallenges start early for children in Zambia. Drinking the water may give you cholera and other diseases. Hanging out on the streets leads to trouble and abuse. Education can be a way out but the government schools are overcrowded and the private ones are beyond what they can ever afford.
Read MoreThe Philemon Project GROW Centers in Beirut, Lebanon are expanding with the “Grow2” buildout of a new center. By God’s grace, the buildout is progressing very well. Their contractor has a great team in place, and they are working diligently to get everything ready for a hopeful summer 2024 opening. Robert Hamd, Executive Director of the Philemon Project, shares a video tour of the new site which he visited in January. You can view the tour by clicking here.
Read MoreRev. Dr. Tom Boone, Associate Director for Mission with The Outreach Foundation, sits down for an interview with Meerab Din, Women’s Empowerment Officer for PAK Mission Society, talking about the work she is doing with women in Pakistan. Meerab speaks about the way in which God is moving through her work with PAK Mission Society, in this wonderful update from our partner in Pakistan. If you would like to see the extended version of the interview with Meerab, please click here.
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