Yoder Update - February 2023

February is the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day and love on those special people in our lives. We hope that you were able to spend some quality time with your loved one. 



We cannot help but think of the greatest love given to us from God. This love is what motivates us and all those serving with Christian World Outreach (CWO) to minister to those in Burkina Faso, Haiti, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. We all want to love people like Jesus did. We want to have compassion on them driving us to meet their needs and giving us the opportunity to share the love of God.



This love of God and love of people can be seen through some of the stories of lives changed through the ministries of CWO.

Carine Zongo, from Burkina Faso, is a young girl who went through rejection after her father passed away when she was very young. She doesn't even remember her father. Carine moved from one family to another, babysitting children to make money. She had to send the little money she made to her uncle. A few years ago, her family was about to give Carine to a man to be his wife. She ran away to one of her other relatives who encouraged her to talk to Dorcas, Dina’s sister who directs the Village of Opportunity (VOO). Carine was welcomed into Dorcas' family where she was loved and cared for, where she learned about Jesus’ love and accepted him as her Savior.



Dorcas recommended that Carine apply to the VOO. Dina and Alassane were happy to welcome her into the school and into the family of other students. Praise God for those who cared for Carine, demonstrating God’s love and that she is safe and learning at the VOO!

Yvonne Zoungrana belonged to a family of idol worshipers. They live in the region of Nabitinga in southern Burkina Faso. Both of Yvonne's parents became Christians but then her father turned back to idol worship. Yvonne's father became very abusive toward her whenever she spoke about her faith. Yvonne's mother didn't want to hear about her faith either and stood aside when her father kicked Yvonne out of the house. Yvonne was then forced to live on the street, fighting for her faith.


A pastor from the Village of Hope (a ministry near the VOO) heard about Yvonne's situation and wanted to help. Thanks to the pastor and Alassane and Dina, Yvonne is now safe, learning at the VOO and part of a family of people who love her and care for her. Yvonne is grateful to now have more sisters in the Lord‘s family at the VOO!

The testimony of Wilnick Saintinat is one that demonstrates how God loves us so much He continues to work in our lives as we grow in our faith. It also demonstrates how those working in CWO ministries love and invest in people’s lives. Wilnick started attending the Haiti CWO Ouanaminthe church in 2006. He said that he did accept the Lord as his personal Savior at another church outside of Ouanaminthe. Two years later he was water baptized. He started playing the role of a very active leader in the Ouanaminthe church under Pastor Icher’s ministry. The Lord led Pastor Icher to start a three-month series of Bible studies on the topic of salvation. Wilnick has attended all the studies and by the end of the series he realized that he had never accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, in spite of the fact that he was faithfully attending church, was water baptized, was participating in all the activities of the church, and was playing a leadership role. So, on October 23, 2022, he stepped forward in front of everybody in the church to make the great decision of accepting the Lord as his personal Savior. Wilnick’s testimony also clearly illustrates the great importance of loving people and investing in their spiritual growth.

Recently, we were reminiscing about the way people helped us move to Colorado to begin working again with CWO. People loaned us money until our house in Michigan sold so we could put a down payment on a house in Colorado, helped us pack for the move, drove a trailer load of our things to Denver and much more. We want to say thank you to you for loving God and loving others which has been demonstrated to us through the years and those we work with in the CWO ministries. 


Thank you for praying for us. We know the power of prayer and God has many times answered your prayers. Thank you for encouraging us in many different ways. Thank you for your sending notes in the mail and for phone calls asking how ministry is going. Thank you for supporting us financially for the past 18 years.


Serving Together,



Greg and Laura

Praise the Lord:

  • For His love for us!
  • For all those demonstrating the love of Christ through the ministries of CWO.
  • For the lives that have been changed through the ministries of CWO.

Pray for:

  • Those who have accepted Christ that they will grow in their faith.
  • Those leading the CWO ministries in Burkina Faso, Haiti, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
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