Dear Friends,
In this month’s Update, I’ve highlighted a few of the current projects of the three divisions of Heaven’s Family—I Was Hungry, Shepherd Serve and Orphan’s Tear. Each project is the fruit of your compassion, so feel good as you read! Because of you, there is a widow in India who is now smiling, even after she lost everything for the sake of Christ. There are 1,162 pastors in India who are now better equipped to reach their Hindu neighbors. And there are 982 orphans in six developing nations who will each receive a practical Christmas gift this year—the only gift they will receive. Thanks for letting God’s love flow through you. –David
P.S. If you live in a country other than the U.S., please be sure to read the “Help Wanted” section at the end of this newsletter. We’re looking for a few good people.
Capitalism and Curry!
The Widow’s Fund at work in India
Below is Ameena Begum, age 46, who lives in the state of Andrah Pradesh, India. She is a widow, and a convert from Islam. Because of her conversion, her own family drove her from their village, and her children were taken from her. She was destitute, having lost everything for the sake of Christ.
Ameena Begum, proud owner of her own fast-food Indian restaurant, funded by Heaven’s Family
A few months ago, Heaven’s Family (that’s you!) came to her aid, providing her with a gift of $200 from our Widows’ Fund to help her start her own business. With that money, she purchased a used refrigerator, a gas stove, and a small inventory of food and soft drinks. She has opened up a small fast food restaurant, offering Indian breakfast items like idli, vada, dosa and evening snacks like biscuits and bajjis. She no longer needs our support because now she can support herself!
| These are the kinds of projects we love, and we are anticipating funding more in the future through the Widow’s Fund of I Was Hungry. You can learn more about the Widow’s Fund online. Those of you who invest in the Heaven’s Family Mutual Fund know that 33% of your investments help meet the needs of impoverished believers, like Ameena, around the world. To learn about other projects underway through I Was Hungry, visit IWasHungry.org. |
1,000 Hungry Pastors Fed
HF/Shepherd Serve in India
In mid-October, 1,162 pastors gathered in the city of Vijayawada, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. History was made at the second-ever Shepherd Serve pastors’ conference at which I was not personally present. (It seems our conferences are larger when I don’t show up!)
All of the pastors received good teaching, good food, and a copy of The Disciple-Making Minister, which was 600 pages in their native language of Telegu. Now they have something to study for months that will better equip them to reach an Indian state that is almost 90% Hindu. Thank you for making our ministry possible there.
If the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh were a nation itself, it would be the sixteenth most populous in the world! God had opened a wide door of opportunity for us there. Demand exists for the immediate printing and distribution of 4,000 more copies of The Disciple-Making Minister for pastors in Andhra Pradesh. Amazingly, we can print these 600-page books for just $1.50 each.
| If you would like to help, gifts can be designated to our Pastors’ Book Fund online or by a memo on a check. Those of you who invest in the Heaven’s Family Mutual Fund know that 22% of your investments help equip pastors around the world, just like those in Andhra Pradesh. |
Christmas Gifts for Orphans
HF/Orphan’s Tear in six nations
Christmas is only about fifty-five days away! We have the perfect gift for you to give your loved ones who already have everything. My daughter, Charity, has designed a new gift card by which you can make a contribution to Orphan’s Tear in honor of another person. Everything is set up at Orphan’s Tear under “Make a Difference Gift Cards.”
We can mail your gift card to you or to the recipient of your gift. All the money that Orphan’s Tear receives from the gift cards is divided among our thirty-six orphanages so that every one of our 982 children, sponsored and unsponsored, will receive something this year for Christmas, which will no doubt be their only gift. Generally the orphanage directors buy the children clothes, shoes or blankets with the special Christmas money that we send them.
Making a contribution to Orphan’s Tear in honor of someone else is like giving a Christmas gift to Jesus, who said, “When you did it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you did it unto Me.” Another benefit is that your loved ones will learn about Orphan’s Tear and perhaps be motivated to sponsor their own child. Everybody wins!
| Those of you who invest in the Heaven’s Family Mutual Fund know that 45% of your investments help orphaned children in six nations through Orphan’s Tear. This month, part of your investments will buy those children their only Christmas gifts. |
Wanted: Human Resources in England, Canada, Australia and More
The websites of Heaven’s Family‘s three divisions have brought us much closer to many wonderful members of God’s family around the world. We receive well over 120,000 “hits” each month from no fewer than eighty nations. We have friends in places like Finland, Canada, New Zealand, Anguilla, England, Switzerland, France, Singapore and Australia who have helped us serve “the least of these” around the world.
We anticipate eventually having ministry offices in a number of developed nations that will help us serve our spiritual family in various parts of the world. We need people who can initially help Heaven’s Family obtain non-profit or charity status in their own nations. After that, we’ll need people who can administrate a branch of Heaven’s Family in their respective regions of the world.
We are currently not offering any paid positions, but are seeking God-called and competent people who can serve freely with a portion of their time. Interested persons should share the vision of Heaven’s Family, which is to show our love for Jesus by loving “the least of these” around the world. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us. Don’t fail to tell me something about yourself!
The Method to our Madness
Our highest aspiration is to imitate our Lord Jesus, who became the Servant of all. It is our privilege to serve you by being your love-link to “the least of these,” the poorest among Jesus’ family around the world. We also find great joy in serving them, as they have no voice but us. Heaven’s Family is all about loving one another.
All gifts given to Orphan’s Tear, I Was Hungry and Shepherd Serve or the Heaven’s Family Mutual Fund (which helps fund all three divisions) are used 100% for their designated projects. All administrative costs are paid by the general fund of Heaven’s Family. We are very thankful for those whose gifts to the general fund make our service to you possible.
God’s blessing on Heaven’s Family is so wonderfully manifest. Please pray that the Lord will help us to avoid doing anything foolish that might hinder His blessing in any way. We know that apart from Him, we can do nothing.
Every blessing in Christ,
David
