Vol. XXXI No. 5 February 2010

Volume XLI June/July 2017 No. 4

FROM RAGS TO (TRUE) RICHES

Pastor Joe Distributing Bibles to Prisoners Literature Distribution During Prison Crusade

For those who were unable to attend one of our recent programs with Pastor Joe Omondi of Kenya, East Africa, we present a synopsis of his testimony for your edification and encouragement.

Pastor Joe was born into a polygamous family with an alcoholic father. As you can imagine, it was a home filled with violence, strife, and hardship. Poverty, fear, and hunger were constant companions. Many nights the family went to bed hungry because their father spent the grocery money on his addiction. As a young teenager, Pastor Joe assumed responsibility for the care of his siblings when his mother was imprisoned for producing and selling illicit, home-brewed liquor.

In order to provide the barest of necessities for his siblings he took a job herding goats and cattle. His pay was 60 shillings a month (about 60 cents USD)! In the course of one week he experienced numerous life-

threatening events that began directing his thoughts toward God. Convinced that he was bewitched, he quit his job and fled to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, hoping to escape his troubles. He had two older brothers living there.

In the process of locating his brothers he heard the Gospel for the first time. He had gone to Nairobi to make his “fortune” but was confronted by the words of Jesus; “what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” Pondering those words led him to choose the true riches found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ. In due time God blessed him with a godly wife and three wonderful children.

Today, Pastor Joe directs Foundation Chapel Ministries. FCM is involved in evangelism and discipleship through evangelistic crusades, church

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HOPE HORIZONS is the newsletter of HERALDS OF HOPE, INC. It is mailed free to all those who request it.

PO Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533-0003 717-485-4021 | hope@heraldsofhope.org | www.heraldsofhope.org

In Canada: PO Box 371 Fort Frances, ON P9A 3M7

Vol. XLI June/July 2017 No. 4

enough to know what they’re facing.

WORK - fathers need to teach their children how to work. This includes helping them with their work and including them in yours. This conveys to your child that, not only is the work important, but they’re important too. When your child is working at developing a special skill, are you willing to give of your time to work with them and encourage them?

PLAY - fathers need to play with their children. This is a part of nurturing I’ve really enjoyed in the past and continue to enjoy today. What a wonderful relationship building activity. I have fond memories of my dad playing games with me and my siblings.

READ, PRAY, WORK, PLAY. Nurturing our child’s heart in these four important areas will yield a precious harvest. And yes, all these things will require time. But as Richard Phillips reminds us, “...time is the currency with which [you and I] purchase the right to say, ‘My son, my daughter, give me your heart.’” This is the key to fulfilling your role as a father. This is the key to helping your child become a disciple of Jesus.

J. Mark Horst, PresidentHERALDS OF HOPE, INC.

Sincerely in the HOPE of the Gospel,

Men as Fathers cont. from page 3

FROM RAGS TO (TRUE) RICHES Continued

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planting, sharing God’s Word to junior high school students, prison ministry (see photo on right), and more. In 2016 nearly 15,000 prisoners heard the message of salvation and nearly 9,000 of those responded to the invitation. Thousands of pieces of Christian literature and hundreds of Bibles in English and Swahili were distributed. The riches of God’s Word are having an eternal impact!

Through your prayers and financial support we partner with Pastor Joe in sharing the true riches found only in Jesus. He has gladly traded the rags of his childhood poverty and sin for the true riches of God’s grace and the eternal reward of serving His Savior. To God be all glory and praise!

Above are photos of the church building where Pastor Joe and the congregation meet. At first they set up at tent (photo 1), but the wind blew it down (photo 2). God provided funds to begin constructing a building (photo 3). Praise God He provided more funds to complete the structure (photo 4).

THEPRESIDENT’S VIEW

MEN AS FATHERS

God’s Word is the primary source of wisdom and training for fathers. This leads us to the dual responsibilities given in Genesis 2:15, to “work and to keep.” These two commands provide a foundation upon which to develop our understanding and practice of men as fathers. The main responsibilities of working and keeping are fulfilled in the PROCESSES of fathering - discipling and discipline.

In the context of discipling it is fairly simple to discover what God has in mind for fathers. It is simple to discover; not so simple to do. An important part of a father’s work is to nurture and disciple the children God entrusts to him. A father must understand the importance of having the hearts of his children. That’s what a father needs in order to impact the lives of his children. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 23:26. “My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe [or delight in] my ways.”

How do you and I get their hearts in the first place? Prov. 17:6b says; “...the glory of children are their fathers.” If you’re a father with young children, you’re the biggest, fastest, strongest, and best at whatever you do. So there’s your doorway - work at keeping what you already have. I’m so thankful to my wife for encouraging me to build relationships with our children when they were small. She encouraged me to give my heart to my children, instead of to other people and pursuits.

In his book, The Masculine Mandate, Richard Phillips writes; “To really open up a child’s heart, a father must observe the work and keep model of Genesis 2:15. There must be the working - as a father nurtures and cultivates the soil of the child’s heart.” How do we nurture and cultivate our way into the hearts of our children? Phillips gives four simple steps every father can use to be actively and intimately involved in receiving and keeping his child’s heart. They are: Read, Pray, Work, and Play.

READ - father’s primary ministry is a ministry of God’s Word. There is NO substitute for your children hearing the Word of God from your lips! You don’t need to be a gifted pastor or teacher. You just need to be willing to read and explain the basic truths of Scripture; to make practical application to your life and your family members.

PRAY - for your children and pray with your children. Prayer is a powerful way to connect our children with God. Worship, adoration, praise, and thanksgiving are all important parts of prayer. When we ask God to meet our needs, we help our children understand we’re not self-sufficient. When we pray for their needs, they realize we care

After viewing part of a video of persecution of Christians in north-ern Nigeria and reading some ra-dio listener testimonies, I was chal-lenged to grateful worship for the many spiritual blessings God has poured out upon me. Psalms 16:6 says, “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.”

I believe being a good steward of God’s many blessings involves more then just faithful and gener-ous giving of dollars and cents.

Many of us have enjoyed a God-ly heritage that included the follow-ing blessings;

1. A free country where we could worship God without fear,

2. Loving, God-fearing parents who taught us about God and took us to church where we could enjoy many friends,

3. From little up we saw God’s Word lived and taught by minis-ter’s, evangelist’s, and Sunday School teachers.

4. Some even enjoyed the privi-lege of home schooling or attend-ing a Christian Day School.

None of us has done anything to merit these spiritual blessings. They are all because of God’s lov-ing kindness and tender mercies! Are we being a faithful steward of ALL our many spiritual blessings?

Thank you Jesus!

Bob Kauffman

Stewardship

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GOD HAS BLESSED US

Each year from Pastor Anand we receive an updated photo and "profile" on each of the children at Hope Children’s Home in Nepal.

Dipesh: He loves active games. He is in kindergarten now.

Ganga: She is shy but is always smiling. She likes drawing pictures.

Sandesh: He likes to play games, especially football.

Sameera: She likes Sunday School and Bible stories!

Apsara: She’s from Muslim background. She has confessed Christ.

Sunita: God blessed her with a good voice. Pray she’ll use it for God.

Sagun: She likes drawing and Sunday school action songs.

Anjana: She still desires to be an English teacher in the future.

Samikchhya: She would like to be a health worker in the future.

Bishnu: She improved her studies. She memorizes Bible verses well.

Ruth: She is known for her kindness to the smaller girls.

Lalita: Her dream is to be a missionary and serve in a foreign land.

Pasang: She is still faithful to the Lord in her teenage years.

Saikul: She is a Muslim convert from eastern Nepal.

Rashmi: (Staff) She is Dipesh’s mother. She’s helping in our home.

Priscilla: (Staff) She is in charge of many aspects of the home and the wellbeing of the children.

HOPE CHILDREN’S HOME - ANNUAL UPDATE

Apsara 8 yrs.Sandesh 7 yrs.

Samikchhya 14 yrs.

Sagun 13 yrs.

Lalita 16 yrs.

Sunita 12 yrs.

Pasang 18 yrs.

Saikul

Sameera 8 yrs.Dipesh 5 yrs.

Ruth 16 yrs.

Anjana 13 yrs.

Bishnu 14 yrs.

Ganga 6 yrs.

Rashmi

Sis. Priscilla