Impact

Spring 2019

‌

Greetings!

The word impact has two primary meanings: 1. to come into forcible contact with another object, and 2. to have a strong effect on someone or something. Too often our impact as Christians is more like the first. We collide into others, even those we want to help, damaging and disrupting as we go. We hurt when we really want to help . This isn’t the type of impact that any of us want to have.

Impacting the world has little to do with forcible contact, and everything to do with affecting the lives of the vulnerable and needy in positive, life-changing ways. The truth is, lives are impacted through the ministry of ECM! Inside this newsletter you will see how you are impacting those most desperate for good news, giving them hope for today, tomorrow, and eternity! You will read about kids like

Didi, born in an isolated village in Congo, often sick, and heavily influenced by the evil powers of sorcery. You’ll read about how ECM’s staff led Didi’s mother to Christ, rescuing her from the clutches of sorcery, and how they brought the Gospel to a community mired in the curse of witchcraft,

Matthew, a street child from Uganda, whose mother died on the street when he was just three years old, who was taken in by ECM staff and now attends school, is healthy, and is able to be with his older brother,

Sylvanus, from Haven of Hope in Ghana, who received a top award from his school, and now has a chance for a better future.

I invite you to have a closer look at the impact you are having by joining hands with ECM. It is a partnership that truly is accomplishing great things for God’s Kingdom.

Impact Reports

Poverty. Ignorance. Sorcery. Sickness . All these conspired to make Didi’s life miserable and hopeless.

Didi was born in an isolated village of Congo which rarely if ever saw visitors from the outside. There was no church in his village, and his family had only remotely heard of Jesus. The people of his tribe worshipped many spirits of nature and ancestors, but they did not seem to help his family. In desperation, his mother, Jeanne, had turned to sorcery to heal Didi, who was often sick. She had also sought to transmit the evil powers of sorcery to the young boy.

Things began to change for Didi when ECM trainer Pastor Mupepe came to his village. He began telling about Jesus, gathering those who believed into small groups for training. Pastor Mupepe needed someone to cook meals for several days for those in the training. Mama Jeanne volunteered. Jeanne arranged her cooking area so that she would be able to hear the teaching. She was amazed and thrilled to learn who Jesus was, and why He came.

After the training, Jeanne spoke to Pastor Mupepe and expressed her desire to follow Christ. She was baptized with others from the village who had also decided to follow Him. When she did so, Jeanne understood that her sorcery had to go. She confessed her sorcery and brought out all her fetish charms to be renounced and burned. Then Jeanne confessed her biggest sin of all. She had given powers of sorcery to her young son Didi. She renounced this act, begging Pastor Mupepe to pray with her that Didi may be freed from this curse!

Today, Didi is in the Sunday school ECM started in his village, learning more about Jesus week by week. His mother is meeting regularly with other believers in the little church cell group Pastor Mupepe organized. ECM provided funds for Didi’s transport to a hospital where he received medication for his illnesses, and his little body is regaining strength. Pray with us that soon, like his mother, Didi will realize his personal need for the Savior and will trust in Him.

Didi is one example of over 300,000 children being reached in DR Congo through ECM’s Sunday school ministry. This is what your prayers and gifts are making possible for countless children of the Congo!

In 2001, Mathew’s mother left the poverty-stricken area of Napak, Karamoja in Northern Uganda for Kampala in search of better standards of living and new hope. She found her way to the streets of Kampala and began “begging” for a living.

In 2011 while on the Kampala streets, she gave birth to Mathew. Life on the streets was unbearable for both the mother and her five children with limited access to food, clean water, health services and shelter. They resided in open spaces in the slum area of Kampala called Katwe. Together with his brother Maruk, Mathew was taken up by Every Child Ministries in 2014 and given educational support, food supplies and clothing, and a lot of love!

Toward the end of 2014, the mother fell ill and on Christmas day she died with Mathew held in her arms. At that time, he was 3 years old. After burial, young Mathew was handed over to his auntie who stayed in the same area. Unfortunately she also died just five days after the mother’s death. ECM took over the responsibility and custody of Mathew and the young baby.

Mathew was taken to a boarding school under care of the school administrators. In addition to school fees, clothing and food, our program staff constantly checked on him. He is now in Junior school (Primary Four) and his performance is good. He wants to be become a policeman when he grows up.

Child sponsorship benefits our children at Haven of Hope in Ghana in so many ways! Children not only benefit from having physical needs met like shelter and food, but they experience love in Christ Jesus on a daily basis. Because of the faithful gifts of many, some of these children are now in university, others in are in nursing college, vocational studies, or high school. Above all, they have learned how to solve the daily challenges that Ghanaians face.

The kids at Haven of Hope cherish and appreciate the love and support shown by our partners. The children pray for financial, educational and spiritual growth for their sponsors and other ECM supporters and their families. It is a beautiful scene to see these children praying to God for breakthroughs for our supporters. They really do love them.

Sylvanus Gbetey came to Haven of Hope in 2006 at the age of 5. He couldn't read, write or speak English but with the help of teachers and leaders at Haven of Hope, he is now able to read, write and speak English well, and was able to pass his Junior High School examination at Haven of Hope Academy in and gain admission to Labone Senior High School. He is now in his final year of High School, and was awarded best Geography student in his school. Haven of Hope has had a great impact on Sylvanus’ life ! It’s made possible through your prayers and support!

Prayer Points

Pray for our Next Step program. Next Step is the program that moves children from sponsorship to independence. Education costs go up for secondary, vocational, and university level education. Sponsors often cannot cover these costs on their own. Pray that the Lord would move partners to give toward Next Step. Pray that the children at this level would understand the limitations, and make wise choices for their futures.

Pray for Mark as he travels to Florida in late March to meet with ECM partners.

Fundraisers

ECM’s fall 2018 garage sale raised $1,876 . Thank you to all that donated items, and to our volunteers that make this fundraiser possible!

Our Indiana Banquet this past fall netted $14,531 after expenses. We are so blessed to call you partners in this ministry!

Our next fundraiser is our spring 2019 garage sale. Donations of items are very much appreciated, and if you can spare even an hour or two to help set up the evening of May 21, or anytime between 9 and 4 May 22-24, we can use your help!

Did You Know...

You'll be impacted by sponsoring a child just as the child you sponsor is impacted!

Sponsor Me!

$37/month

‌

Mary was born August 9, 2008. She is raised by a single mother. They traveled to Kampala in 2017 after life became very hard for them in their village. But life in the Katwe slums are very difficult. They sleep outside and have very little to eat.

Mary Abura #1028

Uganda Karamojong Kampala