Milestones
Life is either an uncharted series of miscellaneous happenings, or a plan that includes milestone markers. If life is a plan there are goals to be reached and memories full of wonderful moments when God helped to bring to pass the incredible! Our 9th annual mission’s conference this past weekend is one of those incredible memories!
"I am not sure that it is legal," I observed to a friend, "for a pastor to have this much joy in being a pastor!" My part seemed so small in comparison to the work of so many. Yet, my heart was so full of excitement and joy that it seemed impossible to contain the sweet favor of the Lord crowning our efforts.
One of Covenant Church's most significant events of the year is our mission’s conference weekend. For eight years we have held BKT (Building the Kingdom Together) conferences in cooperation with Advancing Native Missions organization.
Last year our banquet was capacity. In a bold move our forward-thinking missions committee decided to try two banquets—one Friday night and one Saturday night. Ad hoc committee members joined the team specifically to plan for and assist with this event. God rewarded their efforts: both nights were filled to capacity.
Missionaries came from: Kenya, Chad, Russia, Philippines, Jamaica, Bolivia, and India. The theme of "We Must Care" was about widows and orphans (James 1:27), the two most helpless and hopeless groups of people.
From Russia we heard Taras share about working in a climate that drops to -55o F where street children, orphans who hide in heat tunnels and under buildings, are found begging, and often freeze to death. This ministry provides summer camps taking street children into the country for food, refreshment, and the gospel.
From India we listened to Narayan Paul share how God used him as a missionary to a primitive tribe. It took eleven years to win the first convert. Now with more than 10,000 believers, his ministry is much challenged in a culture where malaria is still a great enemy. He has held more than fifty children in his arms while they died, including his grandchild. Caring for widows and orphans with a weeping heart, Narayan, at age 70, continues to minister to over 100 churches and many mountain villages.
Fabian came from Jamaica. Outside of the lush tourist capitol, Fabian works with the poor, the orphans, the widows, the Rastafarians. He is an orphan from age two. God has gifted him to win children to Jesus. A small man, Fabian is a powerhouse for the gospel. He needs land to build an orphanage.
Ernie and Ellie Deomampo, members of Covenant Church, have started a church in Batangas, Philippines. Outreach includes children from some homes so poor that often there is only one meal each day. Children are sponsored with money allowing them to go to school (they must pay school fees), have health insurance, and food. Each month parents must come to the church and hear the gospel before money is given to the family. Many are being won to the Lord!
Bako, from Chad, shared about his central African country that is one of the world's poorest. With a population of eight million people, Chad has 500,000 orphans. Hunger is a way of life. Orphaned children do whatever is necessary to survive. Bako, who leads more than 3,000 evangelical churches in Chad, often gathers hundreds of orphans in open places, feeding them food for their stomachs and food for their souls…GIVING THEM HOPE!
Winnie, from Kenya, now about age forty, married a fifty-five year old arch-bishop when she was twenty-one. On their honeymoon she preached conventions in every district of Kenya. By the time the honeymoon was over, she and her husband had adopted twenty-two orphans, and Winnie was expecting a child. Today her ministry of Ebenezer has over 600 orphans and a strong ministry to widows many of whom are HIV positive. Polygamy is still a way of life. For example, Winnie's dad had four wives and thirty-five children. One man’s death leaves a host of orphans.
Claudia and Marcelo came from Bolivia. Claudia was age twenty, from a well-to-do family, and on her way to college—studying civil engineering. She saw a child—eight year-old boy -- being beaten by police. She took the orphan boy home, fed him, scrubbed him down, bought him clothes, and thus began a journey of redeeming street orphans. Often her mission takes her out after midnight where she rescues children as young as age three from treetops, under bridges, cemeteries, etc. Street services are held with hundreds of children after midnight. They are fed food and the gospel of HOPE. Today her ministry includes more than 6,000 orphans and ministry to widows.
Covenant cares. Covenant shares. We gave and made pledges. Together as a church body we can do so much more than working individually. We partner with Church of God World Missions, Advancing Native Missions, Christian Aid Mission, and Global Missions.
In return the Lord graciously continues to send people to Covenant from around the world. After one banquet Thembe said to me, "Pastor, (she motioned with her hand to the flags of nations around the sanctuary), I am part of Covenant, but I do not see the flag of my country, South Africa." It was a joyful moment for me to realize that precious people from around the world feel welcome and at home in Covenant.
There are milestones. We just experienced one. Planted it firmly, and in doing so, gained an enormous amount of encouragement to press forward with boldness and faith to a God-called future.
Much love—
Pastor Bare
James 1:27…True religion? Care for widows and orphans…and keep yourself unspotted from the world.