A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. – Proverbs 11:25
“Thank you for your faithful partnership with us through prayer and finance. We are extremely blessed.”
“Thank you for your prayers and support!”
“We want to pause and say THANK YOU for being such an important part of our ministry with your giving. All of you on our support team are a part of the foundation of all we do here.”
These are just a few of the comments that are shared regularly in newsletters and e-mails from First Church-supported missionaries.
“Generous” is often defined as showing a readiness to give more of something, such as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected. This is something the First Church family does well, and because of it our missionaries are greatly blessed.
Missionaries also know the meaning of being generous and giving more than is expected. Here are just a few stories recently shared in newsletters and e-mails from some of our mission partners.
“We helped make their house a home by doing the usual repairs: adding a septic system, installing toilets and removing abandoned vehicles from the yard.”
“Our neighbor had been fighting pneumonia for a week and we took turns tending to him in the hospital and helped to cover the medical bills.”
“When we arrived in this area with our family, there was no Bible in the local language, no believers, no Christian music, no church; there were so many living without hope and without God. We worked as though any day may be our last. We have wondered at times if we would ever overcome the obstacles that have been set in our path. But now, with God’s help, we have victory. We have completed the translation of the New Testament.”
How blessed are we to have a small part in the ministry of our missionaries? When the generous giving of the church joins together with the generous giving of those sent out, lives are changed for eternity.
by Trusha Barner, Director of Missions
