CMF Marketplace Ministries – Jan 2015 – Feeding the hungry, giving sight to migrant kids

Donors provide food for Central Asia families

“As I spend time with the teachers, it is amazing how happy everyone is,” said Mrs. A. “It is a joyful and respectful place.”

Home visits

Mrs. A. spent much of her time on this trip visiting families of school students to deliver food packages with her friend Jamila, a national woman who works for the Christian organization that sponsors the school, the food donations, and the women’s sewing classes. 

“Jamilla is the one who goes on all the home visits and keeps records on the families,” said Mrs. A. “Her heart is in her work and she loves those kids. When we go into the homes, she cries with the moms.”

Jamila and Mrs. A. visited 10 families and distributed flour, rice, beans, oil, tea and sugar.

“This will last for one month for most families, and costs about $50 per family,” said Mrs. A.

“Just today I got to share with a mom who was crying because winter is coming and she had no food and no way to keep her children warm,” she added. “I shared a Bible story (Matthew 6:25-26) with her and Jamila translated, just as I told it. We always try to interject whenever we have a chance that God is good, and share the Good News of Christ.”

To read more stories about Mrs. A.’s home visits in this war-torn city please go here.
 

DONORS recently provided supplies for families such as these in Central Asia, who are facing the winter without food and heat for their homes.

THESE YOUNG CHILDREN had food for a month, thanks to the funds provided by donors to Mr. and Mrs. A.’s project in Central Asia.

Holidays are for sharing God’s love in China

The Christmas season is growing in popularity in China, and CMF missionaries Mr. and Mrs. P. are taking full advantage of the interest to share God’s love in a variety of ways.

“This year we provided more than 200 migrant students with eyeglasses or eye care, gave scholarships to many families struggling to pay to send their children to school, involved local private school (Chinese) students in volunteer teaching activities at a migrant school, and served as the bridge for numerous institutions and individuals to bless migrant students through Christmas gifts,” said Mr. P. 

THIS CHINESE migrant family received special Christmas gifts from a friend of CMF’s marketplace ministers

Families help families

He mentions one particular individual who asked Mr. P. if his family could do its annual Christmas charity gifting through the P’s connections.

“We welcomed his desire to help and identified three families that needed assistance,” said Mr. P. “Migrant workers often work outside and go to and from work on electric scooters, which is very cold in winter. Our friend gave gifts to these three families, including children’s books, gift cards to a local grocery, and a very nice water and windproof coat for each father.”

Upon delivery, Mr. P. says the families became very emotional, and one mother said through her tears, “We have been praying to God to provide a coat for my husband!”

Shouting the name of “Baby Jesus” in Vietnamese schools

CMF missionaries Mr. and Mrs. D. once again worked with their team to hold a Christmas festival at some local elementary schools, complete with a nativity play, games and crafts. But this year’s event was different in some important ways.

“This year, one of our local teammates narrated the story in Vietnamese, asking the children why we celebrate Christmas,” said Mr. D. “In chorus, the children shouted ‘Baby Jesus!’ One of the school leaders also summarized the story and shared that the Lord Jesus is the reason for the day. This is quite a statement coming from someone in her position.”

A CHRISTMAS play at a Vietnamese school reminded students that Santa is not the reason for Christmas.

Including special kids

Another difference this year was the inclusion of special needs children in the activities.

“One of our projects has been focusing on integrating these children into the schools, and out of the cages they are sometimes kept in,” said Mr. D. “Their parents were proud to see them participating in the dances and games, and the community was surprised to see their abilities.”

And while this may be the last festival the team facilitates with these schools, that’s a difference that excites Mr. and Mrs. D.

“One of the teachers told me, ‘You’ve taught us how to do it, now we can do it for ourselves. Just please leave us the costumes for the play, so we can keep telling the story of Baby Jesus!’” said Mr. D.

“Praise God for the story of Emmanuel, of God with us, being shared in this community,” he added. “Through the nativity play, of course, but also through the love shown to special needs kids, through building the capacity, creativity and competency of the teachers, and through the joy found in shouting the name of Jesus, unknown by so many here, as the reason for our celebrating.”

VIETNAMESE CHILDREN act out the nativity story during a Christmas festival held by the CMF team at their school.

SPECIAL NEEDS children were included in the schools’ Christmas festivals, thanks to the work of the CMF team in Vietnam.
 

Man races bicycle across Africa for BUV Tanzania

Mike Lantz, a long-time volunteer with the Institute for Affordable Transportation (IAT), a partner with CMF’s BUV Tanzania project, is spending the first four months of 2015 raising funds for the project by participating in the Tour d’Afrique.

This bicycle race/tour takes riders 7,000 miles across Africa, from Cairo, Egypt, to Cape Town, South Africa. He’s making the tour to help raise funds and awareness for the CMF/IAT BUV project in Tanzania.

“Mike has volunteered for 10 years with IAT,” said Will Austin, the Executive Director of the organization. “He has helped build BUVS, made BUV deliveries, cut a lot of steel and done quite a bit of welding for us!”

“Providing transportation in rural Africa can transform thousands of lives,” added Will. “Our goal is to raise $450,000, which will provide jobs next year for 200 Africans in very poor and remote areas of East Africa and allow for a ramp-up to 240 BUVs per year in 2016.”

THE TOUR d’Afrique is a 7,000 mile bicycle race/tour across Africa, originating in Cairo, Egypt, and finishing in Cape Town, South Africa.

MIKE LANTZ of Indianapolis is a 10-year volunteer with the Institute for Affordable Transportation, a partner with CMF’s BUV Tanzania project.