News

FEBRUARY 2014

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;  they are new every morning;  great is Your faithfulness.”

Lamentations  3:22-23

 

Dear Family and Friends,

Greetings from Poland! Trusting that this Newsletter finds each of you living in the love and Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! May His mercies be new every morning as you seek to live in His will.

The Lord has been ever so faithful this past year and continues to touch hearts and lives through daily contact with those in our area. There have been so many ministry opportunities in reaching out with the Love of Jesus Christ and His message of hope and salvation.

Through the Lord’s faithful provisions He continues to bless a group of school age children with a hot meal on week days, as well as others in need in our area to be able to feed their families. This ministry, which started 21 years ago as a temporary ministry, (for the school children) has been able to continue to this day! We are so thankful for the Lord’s continued provisions to reach out to the neediest in this way!

Christmas was full of wonderful opportunities for the Lord to bless many through several Christmas ministry programs, to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Through faith each year we trust that the Lord will bless those who have so little in a tangible way.  Different groups from across the border lovingly provided gifts for the ministries we have in the Hospital, Hospice, Care Home and families of the school children who come for lunch each day. This past Christmas one mission group also provided 270+ gifts for each child at the government Children’s Home, as well as another group sponsoring a smaller group for their Christmas Eve program at the Children’s Home.

These are wonderful opportunities given from the Lord to share in places where people are often forgotten by family and/or society.  To serve others as the hands of Jesus and to visit with these dear people is a special way to share His salvation message and His love. It’s not so much about the gifts, as it is God touching them with His love through the visit of others. Thank you for your love, prayer and help toward this past program.

A very special ministry the Lord has begun through a church group from across the border.  Each year they take on a huge undertaking in collecting donated food items (as well as shoe box Christmas gifts).

Different groups have taken up donations for this church group to be able to transport everything to the mission…put the food packages together while they are here…and then begin to deliver the packages to those in need. These packages are given to 40+ needy families. It allows many of these families to prepare special meals as the holidays are approaching that they would normally not be able to do and, most importantly, experience the love of the Lord visiting their home.

A daughter of an elderly woman shared how her mother’s life had been touched through the package given this year. This elderly lady had cried when one of the groups went to her home to deliver her food package because she had been praying that someone would come to her. Our Pastor was able to pray for this dear lady, and a few days later her daughter came by and shared how her mother had just died.  She came to say thank you for what had been done for her mom!  Only the Lord knows what happened in the heart of that dear lady that day.   We are so thankful to God for opportunities through physical means, to share something of far greater value.

The Lord also gave us the privilege of blessing families and individuals who do not have extended family and/or the financial means to spend Christmas Eve with others at the mission. So we have a traditional Polish meal that they are able to come and share with the mission staff families. This is a special time of sharing Gods Word, fellowship, Christmas Carols, food and Christmas gifts.

Mission Prayer/Praise

  • We are so thankful and blessed to have had 2 young ladies here for a few months in 2013.  Anna Cook (from Australia) and Alison Scherer (from the U.S.) came with servant hearts and helped wherever they were needed! We appreciate them coming and so much enjoyed their cheerful spirits and hearts to serve!
  • Please pray for our weekly ministries that go on through the mission/church. That lives will be touched, seeds will be planted, and that the Lord would show Himself to those we minister to in a special way and that they will be drawn to Him.  Please pray for these specific ministries:

Tuesdays: Mini VBS
Wednesdays:  Free English class (ages 21-80!)
ThursdaysCell Groups
Fridays: Youth Group (Please pray for Patrick who has lost all of his friends due to his new found faith in Christ.)
Once a month ministries (different Saturdays):
– Bible Book Movie (Outreach for those outside of the church)
– Single Ladies (teachings/fellowship/encouragement for church women)
– Parent Training Ministry (Christian Parenting – open for any in the community)

Staff Prayer/Praise:

 

Please pray for Marzena:

She has a non-cancerous cyst in her head and also one in her nose. The pressure of the cyst, due to its location, is causing her pain and problems with her eyes along with dizziness.  The specialists who can help her are a considerable distance away and it also will take at least a year to get an appointment to see one, unless the Lord provides for her to see one privately.

Marzena has served the Lord faithfully at the Mission for several years, and now believes that the Lord is leading her to be with her mum, who has not been doing well physically.  Daria, her daughter, will be going to a new school (near where she will be moving as well as where her mother lives) and she is in need of help with her son (she is a single parent). We praise the Lord for Marzena and her wonderful heart of service, for her hard work as she has served the Lord so cheerfully and wholeheartedly during her time at the mission.  It will be a great loss for the Mission, but we all bless her in the new steps in front of her.

Please pray for Marzena for her health…as well as this big step of faith she is taking in moving (She is supported by the Nativity project, but will also need a job when she moves).

Lidka:

  • For the Lord to continue to provide for her personal life and ministry.
  • Her son Krystian has just graduated from the Polish Police academy! Please pray for his safety and for the Lord to use him in a special way.
  • Lidka’s granddaughter (Krystian’s daughter) Julia(6) was born with a hole in her heart and it needs to be checked each year. She currently has pain in her heart and needs to see a specialist.

Pawel and Judy:

  • For continued wisdom with their son Joshua (13) who has autism. For grace, wisdom and patience in everyday life.
  • Wisdom for Pawel as he seeks medical advice for some health issues he has. He has some low sugar levels that he is trying to find out how to treat (and nothing is working yet).

Marian and Malgosia:

  • Marian has pain in his back and hands (Please pray for his operation in May or June).
  • Malgosia’s health (liver, blood pressure and pancreas)
  • Agata who has a Math exam in May (for wisdom)
  • Knee pain
  • God’s will for her life as she makes plans for her future
  • Emanuel and Kasia:  Motivation for their school studies
  • Michal and Angelika: For the Lord to reveal Himself to them and draw them to Himself

Tomek and Gosia:

  • We praise the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness. For his provision and health. We thank him for allowing us serve the people around us.
  • Prayer for our kids’ every day safety. For Natans school (2nd grade)
  • Gosia’s studies, as she finishes school this year
  • Tomek as he leads the church. For Gods leading and wisdom. 

Robert and Aneta:

  • The Lord to provide wisdom while ministering.
  • To be able to continue to grow in their relationship with Christ and all He calls them to do.
  • Decisions for the children with schooling and wisdom in training them in the way they should go (spiritually).

Ken and Giselle are currently in Australia, after some time in Thailand.  Their youngest child, Sarah, finished her DTS in Thailand, and is now applying for university in Australia to study as a nurse.   Ken and Giselle will remain till the end of May this year for the wedding of their eldest son Stephen, to Tylea. They also are catching up on some much needed medical checks at this time, and look forward to returning to the Mission in Poland.

Thank you so much for allowing us this time to share some of what the Lord is doing!  That which is done is only possible through many of you who have given of yourselves through prayer, visits, donations and your love and encouragement! We appreciate each of you and how we are all one in the body of Christ!

Lots of love and greetings to you all,

In Him,

From all the Staff

Elim Christian Mission

Poland