Calvary Baptist Church
4601 Tilghman Street
Allentown, PA 18104
Missions
Charles and Sarah West - Zambia
We received a box of school books, donated by the library of the American International School of Lusaka, to pass on to “The WellSpring of Faith and Hope Orphanage and Community School” ministry which we are building up and supporting.
As we were handing over the books to Wellspring’s school headmaster, he asked if we could share the books with another school that is far more in need, located some 12 to 15 hours away from Lusaka, where we are located. We said, “Sure, but how would we get the books to them?”
He gave me a cell phone number, and I contacted the director of the school in need of the books. She told me that someone would be driving to Lusaka in the next few days, and he would be able to pick the books up and take them back to the Western Province where the school is located. We connected by phone with this driver, he drove to our house, and we handed over three boxes of children’s books for ages 2-15 years.
As we sat and talked to this driver, who had volunteered his financial resources and vehicle and time, he gave us some background on the school. He told us that of all the villages in all the provinces of Zambia (this one, Shangombo located on the border of Zambia and Angola) was the least developed. He said to get to Shangombo, which is his home, he would have to drive south 8 to 10 hours from Lusaka to Livingstone, then another 4 to 5 more hours’ drive, after which he would need to take a pontoon to reach the village (which is located near the Zambezi River) to give the books to the children. He spoke of how this gift of books would change the lives of the children in the village which, in turn, would change the community and the country.
In the boxes, we included the one Bible we had left for donation and a copy of “The Purpose Driven Life” as a gift to the school’s director. We scoured our children’s book shelf for a children's Bible, of which we had a few and other good Bible-based books that we had read to our children when they were toddlers. We have a young woman from Royersford Baptist Church named Lisa who we are hosting for a month (she is a student at Bloomsburg University), and she chose to do some early childhood education work at the WellSpring of Faith and Hope Community School. She had two great children’s books which she added to the pile, and this made a great donation.
Luke Chapter 8 recounts the parable of the sower who went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plant. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.
How that is possible -- divine multiplication – is, of course, God’s “law of giving”. The Bible is full of passages that remind us to give and more will be given; to not withhold what God has given freely; to share, go the extra mile, even put yourself out by giving that extra coat. Proverbs 19:17 reminds us that “He who is kind to the poor, lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done.”
As we were handing over the books to Wellspring’s school headmaster, he asked if we could share the books with another school that is far more in need, located some 12 to 15 hours away from Lusaka, where we are located. We said, “Sure, but how would we get the books to them?”
He gave me a cell phone number, and I contacted the director of the school in need of the books. She told me that someone would be driving to Lusaka in the next few days, and he would be able to pick the books up and take them back to the Western Province where the school is located. We connected by phone with this driver, he drove to our house, and we handed over three boxes of children’s books for ages 2-
As we sat and talked to this driver, who had volunteered his financial resources and vehicle and time, he gave us some background on the school. He told us that of all the villages in all the provinces of Zambia (this one, Shangombo located on the border of Zambia and Angola) was the least developed. He said to get to Shangombo, which is his home, he would have to drive south 8 to 10 hours from Lusaka to Livingstone, then another 4 to 5 more hours’ drive, after which he would need to take a pontoon to reach the village (which is located near the Zambezi River) to give the books to the children. He spoke of how this gift of books would change the lives of the children in the village which, in turn, would change the community and the country.
In the boxes, we included the one Bible we had left for donation and a copy of “The Purpose Driven Life” as a gift to the school’s director. We scoured our children’s book shelf for a children's Bible, of which we had a few and other good Bible-
Luke Chapter 8 recounts the parable of the sower who went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plant. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.
How that is possible -
Charles and Sarah West have 5 children: Chasah, Caleb, Charliese, Candace (adult), Charles (adult)
Please visit our website at: www.westinzambia.org
Please visit our website at: www.westinzambia.org
Adalia Gutierrez and Raymond Schellinger - Mexico
Adalia and her daughters participated @ the ABW Conference this June. I had the opportunity to attend a workshop where Adalia shared some statistics about Deborah’s house in Tijuana, Mexico. Prior to Deborah’s House, the Schellingers spent two years as volunteers in a Mexican Government Shelter to learn the system in Mexico. Deborah’s House has a better success rate than the government shelters because they are able to give a longer stay to the women and children. The success rate is 80%. At Deborah’s house they are working to be self sustaining by keeping a vegetable garden and recently planted orange trees. The Schellingers prayer is to be able to triple the capacity of the shelter which will also require the budget to be tripled. Stay tuned… The Mission Board will be preparing a list of items which can be used at Deborah’s house.
Pray for Ray and Adalia as they will be splitting their time between Mexico and Haiti. The needs in Haiti will have Adalia use her skills as a doctor while Ray will be building.
Pray for Ray and Adalia as they will be splitting their time between Mexico and Haiti. The needs in Haiti will have Adalia use her skills as a doctor while Ray will be building.
Adalia and Ray have two daughters
Michelle and Melissa.
Michelle and Melissa.
