Saved People Serve People--Caring for Orphans around the world

 
Email tomp@visiontrust.org

Country Lead: Central African Republic,Togo, Sierra Leone, Haiti
Sending Agency: VisionTrust
 
Our Missionary Partner: Pastor Tom and Sue have served in our church for many years. Pastor Tom served as Missions Pastor for ten years.  Sue has always worked helping special needs kids in Smithville at Green Local Schools.

God called them to develop fully devoted followers of Christ first in Africa. Then God called pastor Tom to serve at Grace Church.  Later, God called him to serve in Africa with ICDI, now with VisionTrust as country lead for orphan care in Central African Republic, Togo, Sierra Leone, and Haiti.  We support Pastor Tom as our missionary partner from Grace Church.  


Their Mission: Pastor Tom oversees the orphan care ministries of VisionTrust in Africa and Haiti.  He travels a lot. He has logged over 78,000 air miles in one year for VisionTrust. He quips that it is no wonder he has a sore seat. 

The needs of orphans and their extended families is exacerbated with war, displacement, and disease.  In the Central African Republic civil unrest hampers the care of orphans.  In Haiti, the recovery efforts from the devastating 2010 earthquake are slow and challenging.  In Togo, sustainable income to support families is daunting, but God is making a way for families to support themselves. In Sierra Leone, Ebola ravages families and brings death and despair.  If you want more information, please contact Pastor Tom Peters via email. Or you can learn more about the ministry of VisionTrust by visiting their webpage.


How to Be Involved

PRAY:

• Please pray for consistency & perseverance in their walk with the Lord.
• With helping to oversee four countries for VisionTrust, sometimes it feels a bit overwhelming.  Please pray that Pastor Tom will see the work through God’s eyes, and with the end in mind, so that the immediate challenges don’t overshadow what God is doing in each country long-term.
• For the last three years, the Central African Republic has been subjected to war, continued violence and a virtual total lack of law & order.  For a period of time under the rebel Muslim government, it looked like there would be restrictions enforced on the ability to share the Gospel.  God intervened & the rebel government was overthrown, but the violence continued.  Please pray that as the Gospel is presented, not only will it touch people individually to turn to God for salvation, but that it would also touch the society as a whole so that the violence would subside & people can live at peace with God and with each other.
• Please pray for an effective, fruitful ministry (John 15:16). A couple of the countries that we’re working in are looking at trying to expand their outreach to orphans and vulnerable children.  Two of our national leaders in particular need special wisdom from the Lord right now; Josué, and Semira.
• We praise God for His grace in our marriage!  Pray that we continually keep that grace in view so that we keep short accounts with the Lord, and with each other.
  
  

ENCOURAGE: Pastor Tom's birthday is April 28.  Sue's birthday is December 15.  Anniversary is June 25, 1982. 

CONNECT: Pastor Tom on FaceBook

 

Pastor Tom with their sponsored orphans. Scan his blog

First report from Tim and Jim in Sierra Leone

Tim Harley and Jim Hocking (Water for Good) arrived in Sierra Leone. Read Tim's first post reporting what they got to do. Then please leave a comment on the Harley blog to encourage them. 

You can read my earlier post to pray more specifically. 

Saved People Serve People--Taking a risk to serve others in Sierra Leone

Jeana & Tim

Saying prayers today for Tim Harley from Grace Church. Tim works in the family business in Burbank, OH at Harley Drilling.  He is in Sierra Leone with Jim Hocking of Water for Good to help an NGO, Let Them LOL (Laugh Out Loud).  Tim and Jim intends to help this NGO drill water wells for villages in Sierra Leone. They arrived on April 19 and will spend several days consulting with the Let Them LOL organization.

From WorldAtlas.com

Providing clean drinking water to villages that face extreme hardship is one way to show God's love.  We praise God for Tim and Jim and Let Them LOL.  

Take a moment to pray for this two-man team:

• Ask God to give them wisdom as they try to grasp the complete picture of what God is doing and where they could provide the best help for success.
• Pray for the Lord to keep them healthy. May they get adequate rest, stay hydrated, and discover lively energy for the tasks in front of them everyday.
• Ask the Lord to provide synergy to offer godly counsel from their experience to advance the cause of Christ in the villages of Sierra Leone.  

Jim Hocking, Founder
Water for Good