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For some
years now our ministry has been helping a few endeavors,
helping support an orphanage in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
and also helping a few Bible School students in
Argentina, and now extending our goals to help some
students in Africa, particularly in Kenya and Nigeria.
We have
come to the realization of how badly used the resources
of the church are. A few weeks ago we received -and also
sent out- an article including some statistics that show
a rather ugly picture of how the church has been using
the resources God has given us, and the absolutely
uneven distribution of the church assets, to extremes
where we see some sanctuaries in "first world" countries
built on literally millions of dollars while at the same
time we see congregations in Africa whose meeting place
is under the shadow of a tree. We receive daily requests
for donations or offerings for a variety of ministries,
and while some of them are absolutely in need of as much
help as they can get, yet some other requests actually
verge on the ridiculous. We believe that the time has
come that we have to stop on our tracks and rethink our
giving and our stewardship of our God given assets and
resources.
We have
to start thinking in terms of how effective our giving
is, and what results for the kingdom of God are achieved
by my giving. Is my giving supporting multimillion
dollar luxury buildings? Or is my giving supporting
those servants of God who are in the fields of the
world, reaching to hundreds or even thousands with the
Gospel on a daily basis, going through pains and trials
that most of us do not know. Some of them have literally
given their lives in the fields where God has called
them; I would say that they were glad to be considered
worth of dying for their Savior; however I would say
also that what hurt them the most was not to go through
pains and toils, or to endure torture or even death, no
my brother, I would say that what hurt them the most was
the realization that those who God has entrusted with
the means to help support them have simply forgotten
them. Many a missionary would tell you of their
discouragement and sometimes their anger when they come
back from the fields where they have toiled with meager
means, shedding tears of despair because of all what
they could have done had they got the resources, and
they see how the church in our Christian first world
countries keep spending happily in things absolutely
unnecessary.
What I
am sharing above is moving us to create a way to
help directly, even if in a small way, people who God
will use to bring salvation to many. We want to put a
big emphasis on students at Bible Schools in
underdeveloped countries. Of course we would continue
helping within our possibilities ministries already
working in those countries, but we realize that if we
can help more and more students in Bible Schools prepare
themselves for the harvest this will mean a continual
supply of workers being sent to the fields. I truly
believe that instead of helping some high profile
ministry to buy a new 10 million dollar airplane for
instance, it would be much more fruitful to help those
pastors, evangelists, and of course students who would
soon go into the fields, walking up and down the streets
of their towns and villages, reaching out on a daily
basis, rather than visiting once every so many years for
some massive crusade.
This is
why we want to create this scholarship fund. Please take
notice that it is not created yet, so do not send
donations yet designated for the scholarship fund. We
are still in the process of researching how it can be
done and all the legal procedures involved.
However if you would like to talk about how you could
help you can contact us. If in the meantime until it is
created and established you would like to personally
help some students, please contact us and we will
explain how to do. |
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Mina
Schmidt, a lady of German origin, but born in Argentina
was a woman of God, dedicated to Him with all she was
and had. So many times she put herself literally aside
in order to help someone else. I for one was one of
them. She was my aunt who raised us -my siblings and me-
when my mom died setting aside her own life to take care
of us. |
