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Provide Education to Women in West Africa

2017_12 Appeal (Small)

As I reflect on the coming Christmas and the beginning of a New Year, I keep returning to something I read recently (which I have shared above). They were written by the prophet Jeremiah 600 years before the birth of Jesus. Jeremiah was speaking on behalf of God — reassuring the people of his time how much God loves and cares for them . . . that God has good things in store for humanity. With all of the challenges humanity continues to face even today, how good it is for us to recall Jeremiah’s message — and how God fulfilled the promise!

“For I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future!”

Jeremiah 29:11

As I reflect on the coming Christmas and the beginning of a New Year, I keep returning to something I read recently (which I have shared above). They were written by the prophet Jeremiah 600 years before the birth of Jesus. Jeremiah was speaking on behalf of God — reassuring the people of his time how much God loves and cares for them . . . that God has good things in store for humanity. With all of the challenges humanity continues to face even today, how good it is for us to recall Jeremiah’s message — and how God fulfilled the promise!

Oftentimes, whenever we look to see if God has accomplished anything, we are tempted to look for miraculous, supernatural wonders. But throughout history, God has used very ordinary things to accomplish that which is quite extraordinary! This particularly comes to mind as I consider all that you and I have done together during the past year.

Last winter, I wrote to tell you about a letter I received from Sr. Margaret Kibola. Sister Margaret lives and works in northern Ghana in West Africa where she is the headmistress of a primary and secondary school that educates nearly 800 boys and girls. In a country where more than one-third of women do not receive an adequate education — the ongoing work of educating young girls is critical. But because of your generosity, we were able to help the school build three new classrooms to enable more children to get the education they need and deserve!

Last spring, when I wrote to you about Sr. Esther Amowe, a missionary Sister living and working in Nigeria in West Africa, you came through again!

“There is so much to be done here,” Sr. Esther wrote in her letter. “The biggest priority we have is to find a reliable and sustainable source of clean, fresh drinking water. The children, our Sisters, and the people in the local community have relied on a nearby well for drinking water, but at the peak of a recent drought, the well went dry!” Thanks to you, we were able to raise enough money to provide a new well for Sr. Esther and the school children. The people of Sr. Esther’s village had been praying for water. God answered their prayers through your kindness.

And last summer when I wrote to you about St. Marian’s Center which cares for some of the poorest children in the world, prayers were once again answered . . . through you. Your caring and generous spirit provided not only food and clothing but bedding, towels, medical care, and supplies. God continues to answer the prayers of those in need through good people like you! Will you help once again?

Recently, I received a letter from Fr. Athanase Bationo, a missionary working in Zoula, in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Fr. Athanase heads up a project whose goal is to help 60 women of the community learn to read and write. “These women lead the community on so many levels,” Fr. Athanase writes. “They run businesses and care for children as well. People depend on them to be leaders in the community. Here, educating a woman means educating a society,” he continues. “As their education grows and improves, so too will the living conditions of so many others.”

“But to make this happen, we need help not only in paying teachers, but in setting up a training center with desks, tables, books and other materials. Can you help them?”

As we celebrate the Christmas holiday and begin a New Year, will you help us continue to reach out to those in need?

To start, there are so many ways in which you could help in your own community! You could help organize a canned food drive and then drop the groceries off at your local food pantry. You could also purchase a new coat, scarf or gloves for a needy person in your neighborhood. Your church leader probably knows someone in need who could benefit from your kindness.

I am also hoping that we can raise an additional $42,000 during this Christmas Season to provide basic living necessities such as food, water, medicine, educational opportunities and other essentials for those in our missions who have so little. Whatever you can do, however much you can send, whether your donation is large or small — the most important thing is to let those in our missions know they have not been forgotten. God bless you for all that you have done — and continue to do!

 

Your Missionary Friend,

Denis P. Pringle
Director of Development