Mission News from April Hershberger

News from April

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been a little while since my last update, so there is a lot of news to share.  There are many children who have come and gone (pictured below) who could use your prayers. Would you commit to praying for a new child each day or once a week?

                                    

Taking care of young children has its ups and down, good days and bad days, as I am sure a lot of you can relate to. No day has been tougher then the day we got word that our little Ruth had gone home to be with the Lord on March 7, 2013 after a short illness.  She was a sweet little girl who brought smiles and joy to everyone who met her. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

I have been working very hard for quite a few weeks in the closets in each of the wings. Being a person who likes things organized and in their place, I guess it made me the perfect person for this job. I went through each of the wings looking at all of the clothes and sorting out things that had become worn out and needed to be replaced. I then labeled the closets to try and make it easier on the caregivers to dress the children. Once the closets were organized, I then filled in whatever clothes they needed from our storeroom. When the closets were finished I then started on the task of reorganizing and sorting the storeroom. This will also help in the future for people wanting to donate clothing to know what our immediate needs are.

I have also put out a sign-up sheet in the wings asking what ladies would be interested in doing a Bible study during their lunch hour. I have gotten a very positive response (28 ladies), and I am in the process of finding relevant materials for the ladies to dive into. Please pray as I look for the materials that God would want me to use, for the ladies who are going to be involved to be encouraged and to grow stronger in their walks with the Lord as well as be an accountability to each other for studying the word of God. I will share more details as things unfold. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

The AGC Baby Centre is in the process of beginning a children’s home, the name of which is going to be AGC Nyumbani ya Tumaini, or Africa Gospel Church Home of Hope. This home will be for our older/un-adoptable children. The Africa Gospel Church has sent missionaries Pius and Evelyn to be the parents of this home. Please pray for not only Pius and Evelyn but also for all of the details of the home to fall into place and for the children who will be a part of this family. For right now it will be located in one of the duplex homes on the Baby Centre compound. The plan for the future is to build a home in Salgaa.

 

I want to thank each of you for being such an important part of this ministry. I could not be here without the sacrifices that each of you have made in praying and giving of your time and resources. My part here at the AGC Baby Centre entails a variety of things from helping feed kids, reading to them, working with them on crawling/sitting/walking, playing games, helping with homework, helping the kids to learn Bible verses, teaching them how to use a hula hoop, working in the closets, doing what I can to help wherever I am needed. It is a joy to watch as the kids show their creativity in turning a hula hoop into a car, and a cardboard box into a house. I was even told the other day that one of the kids was watching one of the grounds guys and the child began pretending their hula hoop was a lawn mower and he was walking back and forth as though he was cutting the grass. I feel blessed that God asked me to come here and there is nowhere else I would rather be.

Are you interested in being a part of this ministry? Feel free to contact me or you can go to the following website to give online: http://www.wgm.org/hershberger.  Do you feel God calling you to serve Him? Check out http://www.wgm.org/recruiting and find opportunities for you to serve all over the world to all the different nations. Would you like more frequent updates? Check out the links below for my Facebook and blog accounts.

WBS Update from Dr. John Neihof

Dear Friends,  "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated!"  Mark Twain          The accelerator is on the floor! The clock is ticking fast! Wesley Biblical Seminary is moving forward.       The few weeks that I have spent on the ground at WBS have been eventful. My energies have been targeted toward filling vacant positions with dedicated people who will advance the mission of WBS within the budgetary constraints of the institution.      The Board of Trustees of Wesley Biblical Seminary appointed me to serve as President elect of WBS on May 18, 2013.  Since then, I have commuted from my home in Jackson, Kentucky to Jackson, Mississippi for 3 round trips to assemble faculty, staff, and administrative team. On June 28, my wife, Beth, and I will move to Jackson, Mississippi. July 1, 2013, I will assume the Presidency.        The Trustees have been very helpful and supportive to me as I am learning to do my job here!  That faculty and staff have been incredibly supportive. God is performing miracles.  We are having spontaneous prayer and praise moments with frequent shouts of "Hallelujah!" We celebrate every miracle-small and great-and we are seeing them daily!      Provost Tommy McKnight is saving WBS money on one hand, and raising money through sales of capital assets on the other. Karl and Becky Luman are heroically serving as right and left arm to me! Abby Purkey and Pam Thornton are keeping my schedule straight and helping me to communicate with you! Leigh Thomas is teaching us the financial ropes.  Matt Friedeman, Steve Blakemore, and Gary Cockerill are encouraging me daily with visits, prayers, and optimism for our future!      We are contacting prospective students, and hearing back from them. At least 8 returning students have verbally committed to returning to WBS for the Fall term. We are promoting a on-line scholarshipped Masters of Arts for national pastors in the two-thirds world! This on-line MA will reach from Jackson, MS to Kenya and even Papua New Guinea. More information will be forthcoming! Be certain, we will need your help to fund this program! WBS is investing in Kingdom Business-the Biggest Business of ALL! John & Beth at their  Quiet Place in Kentucky            Faculty, staff, and administration are embracing what some thought to be  impossible. But GOD! Pray for us. Decisions are coming at us hard and fast. Our team needs wisdom. The seminary needs God's anointing and blessing. The world needs the message of holiness as it is lived out in a heart beating in time with the Divine.      Thank you for loving and supporting Wesley Biblical Seminary!   In Christ, Dr. John E. Neihof, Jr. President Elect

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