Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo by Ingerlene Frick

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 11, 2022

STONY POINT CENTER - Thanks to a new partnership at Stony Point Center (SPC), food that might have been thrown away or composted ended up in the hands of immigrants in the community who needed it ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News … Family Promise of Midland needs car seats

Hello!

 

We have a new family that will be participating in Family Promise in need of car seats for her little ones. We will gladly take as well gently used car seats we are in search of a total of three. 

 

3 year old about 20-30 lbs.

1 year old about 20 lbs.

5 month 15-25 lbs. (she tends to not like the carrier style and likes to face front)

 

If you could help, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for all you do!

 

 Warmest Regards,

 

Trisha Torres

Administrative Assistant

Family Promise of Midland 

(432) 218-8231

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo by Cobbie Palm

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 10, 2022

M ISSION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA - Roland is now in high school and is among a group of student panelists presenting on the topic “Social Economic Reforms for Sustainability,” organized by the National Christian Youth Fellowship. The invitation to be a panelist is merited by outstanding academic achievement and each of the panelists performed exceptionally on this day.

But it was Roland who caught my attention ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo by Cathy Manthei

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 9, 2022

MATTHEW 25 CONGREGATIONS - FEEDING THE HUNGRY - Five congregations in the Presbytery of Milwaukee joined together on an initiative inspired by the Matthew 25 invitation to feed the hungry. It led to unexpected, broad collaboration.

As congregations join this week with the Presbyterian Hunger Program to celebrate Food Week of Action, the five Wisconsin churches are living into their Matthew 25 calling to feed the hungry ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From ServLife International ... "Ajay’s Path"

ServLife International is a movement defined by values of God’s kingdom, not programs built around human efforts and activities. The reign and rule of God should be made apparent to every person on the planet, despite their religion, race or socioeconomic status. We believe that issues of justice are inseparable from the good news that Jesus Christ came to proclaim. ServLife exists to take the gospel of Christ and the hope of a better, more just, world to the lives of people we touch. This happens through individual contributions of time, creativity, resources and dreams.

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ServLife Photo

Ajay’s Path

In rural India, there are very few opportunities for a quality education that provide access to careers in the future. For Ajay’s parents, the lack of education is their reality, but they desire better for Ajay and his two sisters. Ajay’s father is a carpenter, but otherwise only educated through the 5th grade, and his mother is a housewife who also helps out on their farm but never received a formal education and is illiterate.

Ajay was headed in the same direction for his future before he received a scholarship from ServLife International for his education. His parents were concerned about the path he was heading down. They shared, “he had made some friends with boys that weren’t near his age; his circle scared us.” He would roam around with his friends, was careless with his things, and didn’t practice good hygiene or show respect to those around him.

When his parents enrolled him in the school at Marocha, he was resistant to the change. In fact, he didn’t want to go. Part of his resistance was because the school at Marocha provides more than just an academic education. There is a focus on the whole child. They’re taught to respect themselves and each other, about personal hygiene, spiritual aspects, and social norms. They have recess daily, but their days are very structured, and they’re required to follow directions given to them. The teachers also facilitate accountability by visiting the student’s homes twice a month and visiting with their parents and giving a report on their progress.

For Ajay, this accountability was difficult at first. It removed the option of roaming free and doing what he pleased when he desired. Over time, Ajay has become less resistant and began to make changes, and even enjoys attending school now. He’s learned to take care of himself, practice good hygiene, do his homework and even help his younger sisters. Ajay receives a scholarship from ServLife but is not currently sponsored. If you’re interested in sponsoring Ajay and others like him, follow this link to become a child sponsor and make a lifelong impact.

Thank you,

From Adam Nevins
Executive Director
ServLife International Inc.


Click here to give a gift to help families and our partners in India and Nepal.




Join Our Mission

ServLife International propels reconciliation and justice by building global community to plant churches, care for children and fight poverty. Compelled by the message, life and love of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for the spiritual, physical, social, and economic areas of life in northern India and Nepal.  Learn more about our latest news, featured stories, and how to get involved at servlife.org

Support a Pastor Our church planters spread the love of Christ in some of the most difficult environments in the world. • Support Them ...	Sponsor a Child For only $30 per month you can help give a child food, education, care and, most importantly, hope. • Sponsor Now ...	Fight Poverty The HOPE Fund, our micro-finance program, provides start-up funds for a small business, paving a way out of poverty for families in need. • Learn More ...

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ServLife International, Inc.
P.O. Box 20596
Indianapolis, IN 46220
USA

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 8, 2022

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY - All who call this planet home are impacted by a warming climate. But our most vulnerable, particularly women and girls, are disproportionately affected. And although women may carry the burden of weathering storms (and tsunamis and droughts and all events that result from a warming planet), they are also the first to embrace earth-friendly policies and practices as they (and their families and communities) are literally on the front lines. Seeing our way forward to a sustainable future can only be realized when the leadership of women and girls is encouraged and valued.

International Women’s Day is a day set aside each year to address challenges that are unique to women and girls ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From @chinaaid : "RTI: Jeju "Mayflower" Church receives aid from UNHCR'"

The ChinaAid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

ChinaAis Photo

RTI: Jeju "Mayflower" Church receives aid from UNHCR
Distributed by ChinaAid, February 2022 ...

RADIO TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL – As the Mayflower Church wades through potential options, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees contacted the 60 Christians. Radio Taiwan International reported on the development, and ChinaAid translated it into English. Read the full article below ...

• More on this story from ChinaAid ...

From Austin Seminary: "Leaning into Lent: Week 1"

What makes the Season of Lent meaningful to you? Each Monday (beginning March 7) during the Season of Lent we will offer in this space a brief video featuring Austin Seminary graduates sharing reflections and practices that help make Lent resonate for them. It is our hope that their reflections on this liturgical season will enhance your personal approach to Lent.

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For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

We hope that you are preparing the way for the Lord in your life as you read these meditations and prayers. And, we hope this Advent season is a meaningful one for you. Please know that Austin Seminary’s dedicated, diverse, and loving community of faith is not complete without you. Did you know?

   • Students in our masters-degree programs receive up to 85% need-based tuition aid.
   • Historically, more than 80% of our graduates are called to congregational ministry.
   • Our students come from more than a dozen denominations.
   • Our alumni serve in ministry in forty-eight U.S. states as well as in twenty different countries across the world.

Your gift to Austin Seminary contributes to scholarships, housing, computer equipment, library materials, and other resources needed by seminarians as they fulfill their calls to Christian service and leadership.

Your support underwrites the finest theological faculty and an administration committed to upholding the highest standards possible with respect to the unique vocation of ministry.

Every gift is significant and is appreciated. They are put to work right away and make a real impact. Please send your gift today.

• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

In the News ... "Lubbock family welcomed to new Habitat for Humanity home"

LAJ Photo by David Galvan

• New homeowners are not the only ones who find joy in the home dedication ceremonies.

By David Galvan, Reporter
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - Dasja Graham, Victoria Garza and family will be living in a new home thanks to help from b>Lubbock Habitat for Humanity.

They were recently presented with a new home on East Dartmouth Street in a ceremony hosted by the non-profit organization ...

 • Read the rest of this LAJ report ..

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

The Rev. Carlton Johnson

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 7, 2022

HYMNS FROM THE HEART OF THE BLACK CHURCH - Whenever the Rev. Carlton Johnson talks about hymns from the heart of the Black church, he feels a responsibility to carry on the tradition of his ancestors. For their hymns are, as W.E.B. Du Bois observed, “the most original and beautiful expression of human life and longing born on American soil.”

Formed in a Black Baptist congregation, Johnson sang his first solo when he was 5. A choir director by high school, he spent decades leading music ministry around the country ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Odessa Church News"

• Today and in the days ahead, in Odessa-area houses of worship

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Coming events include worship services, classes, Bible studies, community outreach, fundraisers, mission opportunities and more. The Odessa American welcomes church special events. Submission deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesdays for consideration for the following Saturday’s edition. Email oalife@oaoa.com.

Inner City Tabernacle of Life Ministries, 3607 N. Dixie Blvd., has scheduled a spring revival from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. and from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday.
Guest revivalist will be Apostle David Love from Kansas City, Mo.
Visit tinyurl.com/rneympu9.

Knights of Columbus #3203 and Daughters of Mary have scheduled Fish Fry-Yays fundraiser from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. each Friday during lent, except for Good Friday (March 25), at St. Mary’s Catholic Church cafeteria, 618 E. 18th St. Plates are $12 each.
For more information, call (432) 332-5334.

Crossroads Church, 1000 N. Texas Ave., has scheduled a Father-Daughter dance from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. March 25.
Cost is $8 per person (or $20 for multiple daughters.)
To register or more information, visit crchurch.cc.

Faith Fellowship Lutheran Church, 1603 N. Grandview Ave., has scheduled Lenten Mid-Week lunch and services from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays, through March 30, and April 6.
For more information, call 432-362-2549 or email office@faithfellowshipodessa.org.

First Baptist Church, 311 W. Eighth St., has scheduled a Dessert Auction, a preteen camp fundraiser, at noon March 6.
The menu includes barbecue baked potato plate and/or desserts.
Plates are $7 each.
There will also be a live dessert auction.
Donations are also welcomed. All monetary donations are tax deductible.
To donate or for more information, visit bit.ly/3BeMHDh.

Belmont Baptist Church, 806 N. Belmont Ave., offers family meals during its Family Supper time from 5:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. each Wednesday when Awana is in session.
Admission is free.
For more information, call 432-332-0248, email belmont@belmontbaptist.org or visit tinyurl.com/23vkhr47.

For more information, call 432-332-0248, email belmont@belmontbaptist.org or visit tinyurl.com/23vkhr47. Catholic Charities Community Services Odessa, 2500 Andrews Highway, need of volunteers for pantry distribution.
Distribution times are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays.
For more information on dates and times, call 332-1387.
Visit facebook.com/ccodessatx or ccodessa.com.

The West Texas Street Rod Association has scheduled Cars at Crossroads from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every fourth Saturday of each month at Crossroads Church, 6901 E. Highway 191.
There will be coffee and donuts inside the church.
Visit tinyurl.com/cdjd6pvt.

Door of Hope Mission are in need of financial support to help provide hot meals, a safe place to sleep and shower to those who struggle with addictions through Bible study and counseling.
There a few ways to give:
• PayPal Giving Fund: 100% goes to the mission, visit www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2432315. PayPal does not keep a processing fee when you use this service.
• Door of Hope Mission website, www.doorofhopemission.com/donate.html, or mail a check to Door of Hope Mission, PO Box 1789, Odessa, TX 79760.
• On Amazon or eBay, add Door of Hope Mission as preferred charity, and a portion of purchases will go to the mission.
• On Amazon Smile (www.smile.amazon.com): Login to your account then select Door of Hope Mission Odessa TX so the mission receives donations from eligible purchases when you shop.
• On eBay (charity.ebay.com/charity/charity-name/2432315): Add the Door Of Hope Mission to favorites.
All donations are tax deductible.
For more information, call 337-8294 or visit doorofhopemission.com.

Highland United Methodist Church, 1808 N. Dixie Blvd., and volunteers offer a back door blessing meal at 6 p.m. Wednesdays in the fellowship hall.
There is no charge. Any donations contributed goes toward Highland’s children’s ministries.
Call 332-0261 or email highlandumc.odessa@gmail.com.
Visit highlandodessa.com.

Sherwood Church of Christ, 4900 North Dixie Blvd., offers free clothing on the first Saturday of every month.
With so many families in the community are losing their jobs due to COVID and the downturn in oil, the Sherwood Clothes Closet is an opportunity for people to find needed clothing items for the entire family.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Masks are required to comply with city orders and to protect each other from spreading the virus.

Victory Christian Fellowship Church, 325 N. County Road West, offers individuals assistance who are hurting from addictions to become drug and alcohol free, physically well and most important spiritually alive.
All services are provided for free.
Several homes are located throughout Texas, New Mexico and Chicago.
For more information, call the Rev. Albert Flores at 432-978-9959 or 432-335-8925.
For home locations, call for Odessa, 325-300-0832; El Paso, 915-838-8887; Fort Worth, 817-626-1819; Houston, 713-880-4732; Mathis, 361-547-3755; McAllen, 956-702-2781; San Angelo, 325-658-1061; Albuquerque, N.M., 505-550-5661; Artesia, N.M., 575-745-4294; and Chicago, 773-696-9094.

• Read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo Credit: Jenny Grant

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 6, 2022

CELEBRATE THE GIFTS OF WOMEN SUNDAY - As a young adult, I moved to New York City. I wanted to know what it was like to ride in a crowded subway right underneath another person’s armpit. I wanted to know what it was like to walk down a crowded Manhattan street and have to engage with some people who were well and some who were not so well, all coexisting together.

One of my jobs was in the Ratings Department at NBC. People called me regularly to get the ratings. I will never forget the day a famous news anchorwoman called, and I put her on hold! It was great working at Rockefeller Center.

When I lived in New York, I experienced women who were dynamic and inspiring. Many of them worked in nontraditional roles. I became friends with wealthy women and poor women, entering homes, sharing vulnerabilities and championing causes ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 5, 27, 2022

MATTHEW 25 FOCUS - For Cameron Presbyterian Church and Calvary Presbyterian Church, both in Statesville, North Carolina, accepting the Matthew 25 invitation was not a difficult decision. When presented with information about the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s invitation by Salem Presbytery, the Rev. Timothy L. Bates, pastor of the two churches, says both congregations saw it as a great opportunity to join other Presbyterian churches in the endeavor ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From @FWMission ... Friday Story: “Providing New Opportunities"

Founded in 2001, Free Wheelchair Mission is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wheelchairs for the impoverished disabled in developing nations. Headquartered in Irvine, California, FWM works around the world in partnership with a vast network of humanitarian, faith-based and government organizations, sending wheelchairs to hundreds of thousands of disabled people, providing not only the gift of mobility, but of dignity, independence, and hope.

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FWM Photo

Friday Story: “Providing New Opportunities”

Quynh is a 19-year-old who lives in Vietnam.

She has never been able to stand or walk because of a congenital condition. Her father cannot walk, either.

Without mobility, Quynh would often crawl on the ground to get from place to place. Her family tried their best to provide her with an education, but without a wheelchair, getting her to school was a daunting challenge ...

• Read the rest of this story ...

In the News ... "'Advocate Kathryn Freeman encourages ACU students to find their voice and their joy

ARN Photo by Brian Bethel

• Wherever you are, talking out issues, finding your voicw

By Brian Bethel, Reporter
• Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - Kathryn Freeman joked with a group of Abilene Christian University students gathered Monday to hear her speak at the Brown Library that there are two things she can speak on "extemporaneously."

The Bible and singer Beyoncé ...

• read the rest of this ARN report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 4, 27, 2022

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER - “Informed prayer and prayerful action.”

World Day of Prayer (WDP) is a global ecumenical movement, celebrated in more than 170 countries, led by Christian women who welcome all to join in prayer and action for peace and justice. World Day of Prayer is celebrated annually on the first Friday of March; for 2022 that is today, March 4 ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... “West Texas Food Bank to hold 'Empty Bowls' 2022 event"

WTXFB Photo

• Event will take place Sunday, March 6, 11am - 1pm at UTPB.

Staff Report
• KWES-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - The West Texas Food Bank will host its Empty Bowls 2022 event on March 6.

It will take place at the Mesa Courtyard at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. The tickets for the event are priced at $15.

People can find these tickets at www.eventbrite.com and for $15, people will receive a hand crafted bowl and all you can eat soup ...

 • More about the event, and purchase tickets ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo by Gregg Brekke

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 3, 27, 2022

UNDERSTANDING CHURCH FINANCES - The Rev. Dr. Brandi Casto-Waters learned a lot in seminary, but, she admits, not everything.

For example, she didn’t have a full understanding of the effects of asbestos until she served at a church that had some that had to be removed. She said she didn’t know how problematic termite infestation could be until the church’s sanctuary was being tented and treated for it.

And, she thought the bankers and accountants on her session would handle her church’s finances and money matters ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

My 2¢ ... "A 'dang-Yankee-from-back-east' on Texas Independence Day"

Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. With this document signed by 59 delegates, settlers in Mexican Texas officially declared independence from Mexico and created the Republic of Texas.
More from history.com ...

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“To Texas ...

Joyous and sparkling,

Evergreen when it rains, enduring in drought,

Timeless, endless in boundaries, exciting,

Home to the adventurous of yesterday and today,

With shrines from the past, and space

and spirit for the future.

To Texas.

Everlasting in the hearts of your people!”

It was back in the 90's when, as editor of the Fort Stockton Pioneer, I was handed a letter from one of our readers, for publication in the next issue ... a letter admonishing our paper for not devoting adequate space to Texas Independence Day. She may have been Daughters of Republic of Texas (I honestly don't remember for certain), but she was certainly something of a Lone Star zealot ... an impression of mine that was reinforced by her comment as she handed me the letter ...

"You probably won't realize the importance of this, not being from around here."

Well, actually - I realized later, after I'd had time to think about it - I do, and so do a lot of dang-Yankees-from-back-east, such as myself. True, I am someone who - to borrow the old saying - wasn't born in Texas, but got here as fast as I could. But the same could be said for such Lone Star luminaries as Stephen Austin, William Travis, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, Mirabeau Lamar and Sam Houston.

DON'T GET ME WRONG ... I do NOT equate myself with them - even remotely! But it doesn't hurt to remember that, with the exception of Juan Seguin and his company of Tejanos, you'd be hard-pressed to find a 'native Texan' on the Texas side of the revolution.

The Keystone Stater in me would like to point out that there were an estimated 13 Pennsylvanians defending the walls of the Alamo, and offering up their lives for the revolution and the ideals it represented. And well they should. Because it was something that had been important to them, their parents and their grandparents for more than half-a-century.

Maybe that's what bugged me about the woman's remark ... the fact that, 'not being from around here,' I would be unable to understand what was being decided in the Texas revolution. To my mind, it was something that all free-thinking people know ..... or should know.

You see, it wasn't just men that came to Texas ..... the ideals adopted at Washington on the Brazos had been conceived many years before, in Philadelphia ..... and the determination to defend those ideals in Goliad and Gonzales, San Antonio and San Jacinto, had been inspired - again, many years before - by what took place at Bunker Hill and Valley Forge, Lexington, Concord and Cowpens.

And let's not forget the the material needed to pursue that defense came from all over the United States, from the decision by Alabama to strip its state arsenal of muskets and send them west, to the Twin Sisters - a pair of canons donated by the 'People of Cincinnati, Ohio' and arriving just in time to blast a hole in the Mexicans' makeshift breastworks at San Jacinto.

And so, I lift my glass, and I will join the toast heard statewide today ..... but mine will be a private affair ... and while I may follow closely the words printed at the top of this post, I will deviate on one point, and replace the word 'Texas' with 'America' ... God Bless It!

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ONE MORE THING ... With that one exception back then, people of Texas have been warm and welcoming to me these past 36 years, with an occasional, good-natured jab at my northern origins. :-) 

In the News ... "Odessa pastor worries, prays for students in Ukraine"

KOSA Photo

• So, many of Gore’s students have put down their books and picked up guns

By Joshua Skinner, Reporter
• KOSA-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - TAs the story goes, Odessa, TX, got its name because railroad workers thought it resembled their homeland of Odesa, Ukraine.

Whether the story is true or not, it links the two cities. But for some, the link between Texas and Ukraine goes a bit further.

In 2004, Jesse Gore traveled to Ukraine to evangelize and teach English for the first time.

“[Ukrainians are] an extraordinary people,” he said ...

• Read/watch the rest of this KOSA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Dr. Tom Bagley, Jr.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 2, 27, 2022

8 HABITS OF EVANGELISM - As he began to talk exclusively with unchurched people, Dr. Tom Bagley heard the same thing again and again from people who were spiritually curious about God and faith: They wanted nothing to do with the church because of its hypocrisy, judgmentalism and exclusivity ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From ServLife International ... "Sanbi & Riya"

ServLife International is a movement defined by values of God’s kingdom, not programs built around human efforts and activities. The reign and rule of God should be made apparent to every person on the planet, despite their religion, race or socioeconomic status. We believe that issues of justice are inseparable from the good news that Jesus Christ came to proclaim. ServLife exists to take the gospel of Christ and the hope of a better, more just, world to the lives of people we touch. This happens through individual contributions of time, creativity, resources and dreams.

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ServLife Photo

Sanbi & Riya

As a father, Rakesh is determined to secure a better future for his children. He and his wife work as day laborers and are not able to provide a quality education for their children without a scholarship. Rakesh shares, “I’ve always desired to send my children to a mission school. So, when I heard there was a new school that had started in the next village over, I went that day to talk to the teachers to ask if I could enroll Sanbi and Riya.”

This school has created a tremendous change in his children.

Click here to read and watch the rest of Sanbi and Riya’s story ...

Thank you,

From Adam Nevins
Executive Director
ServLife International Inc.


Click here to give a gift to help families and our partners in India and Nepal.




Join Our Mission

ServLife International propels reconciliation and justice by building global community to plant churches, care for children and fight poverty. Compelled by the message, life and love of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for the spiritual, physical, social, and economic areas of life in northern India and Nepal.  Learn more about our latest news, featured stories, and how to get involved at servlife.org

Support a Pastor Our church planters spread the love of Christ in some of the most difficult environments in the world. • Support Them ...	Sponsor a Child For only $30 per month you can help give a child food, education, care and, most importantly, hope. • Sponsor Now ...	Fight Poverty The HOPE Fund, our micro-finance program, provides start-up funds for a small business, paving a way out of poverty for families in need. • Learn More ...

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ServLife International, Inc.
P.O. Box 20596
Indianapolis, IN 46220
USA

In the News ... "Lenten Mid-Week lunch and service series"

• Wednesdays through April 6 at Faith Fellowship Lutheran Church

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Faith Fellowship Lutheran Church, 1603 N. Grandview Ave., has scheduled Lenten Mid-Week lunch and service from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays, March 2-April 6.

For more information, call 432-362-2549 or email office@faithfellowshipodessa.org.

In the News ... "‘Adam and Eve brought sin into the world"

Painting by Benjamin West

• Garden of Eden is believed to have been in southeastern Iraq

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Told in Genesis 2:4 to 3:24, the story of Adam and Eve tells how sin came into the world and it sets up the appearance thousands of years later of Jesus Christ, who offered redemption, ministers say.

The Revs. Hector Aguilar and Windsor Archie say the first people created by God were told to cultivate the paradise they were given, the Garden of Eden; but they chose to disobey by listening to Satan and eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

“Adam and Eve were created in God’s image,” said the Rev. Aguilar, executive director of the Permian Basin Mission Center. “God created woman for man and he gave Adam the privilege and authority to rule over everything he had given them. Adam was the spiritual leader to be under God’s rule and reign and the Garden of Eden was a literal place.”

Aguilar said the garden was near at confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers near al-Qurnah in southeastern Iraq. “The first thing that comes to everyone’s mind is that they bit into the fruit and everything went south from there,” he said.

“There were thousands of fruit-bearing trees. God just said not to eat that one fruit. So they had a choice. They chose not to obey and one of the most profound ancient things I have seen is that nothing happened when Eve bit into the fruit because God had given Adam the authority. He had an opportunity to say, ‘Stop, don’t do it, this is not what God told us to do!’ But he was very passive.”

While sin was established through Adam, Aguilar said, Jesus provided redemption through obedience and repentance.

Although God posted a sword-bearing cherubim at the garden’s east side to keep Adam and Eve out, he said, “They had to deal with the consequences of their actions as we do today, but they were eventually forgiven and they went on and the human race went on.

“There was hope beyond what had happened.”

The Rev. Archie, pastor of Rose of Sharon Missionary Baptist Church, said Adam and Eve “were the mother and father of all human existence" ...

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Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo courtesy of Lisle Gwynn Garrity

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 1, 27, 2022

A SANCTIFIES ART - Far from “the peaceful easy feeling we experience when all is well and all is right,” God’s peace is “something really robust and active,” a peace “that is the most present in the presence of pain, in the hardest moments of my life, in situations that feel impossible.”

Those were among the insights provided by the Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity, the founder and creative director of A Sanctified Art ...

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