What We Do

Hope Builders International helps national leaders provide spiritual hope to the nations they serve. We equip them with the tools they need to share the truth of Jesus Christ and carry out projects of mercy. As a result of their activity churches are planted, new believers are strengthened, ministry tools like Bibles, bicycles and training materials are supplied, job training is carried out, school programs are funded, children’s centers are operated, and widows programs are developed. Hope Builders also offers humanitarian assistance through our network of international ministry partners to the impoverished, disaster struck and disenfranchised in developing countries. Christie and I have been involved in this work for over 20 years and count it a great blessing. We pray that you will have the most blessed of Christmas seasons and the new year will bring great advance to the Kingdom of God through our partnership with our brothers and sisters around the world.

– Lance & Christie Thollander

GIVING CHILDREN A FUTURE NOT A FUNERAL

Every nation knows that their future lies with their youth. Consider the evil reality today that ISIS is beheading children in order to make whole villages turn their little ones over to this evil movement to be brainwashed and used by them.

The Kingdom of God operates completely in the opposite way. Jesus set the model himself by admonishing his followers to let the children come to him, “for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” We have seen first hand the wide eyed wonder of little ones who are being raised up in homes, orphanages and schools by our ministry partners in India.

The fact is that once these little ones become aware of a God who loves them and has a hope and future for them, they turn around and tell their extended families of their new found hope in Jesus. In this way many come to Christ and the influence of the Gospel spreads throughout a region.
Lance is traveling in November to visit several of these schools and orphanages. Your gifts for beds, books, clothing, medical supplies, and even construction materials to add on to the facilities are needed to support our partners in areas where the gospel is still largely unknown.

HOMES OF HOPE REDEEM FROM CHILD SLAVERY

Homes of Hope in India provide hope for the desperate in society. The Hindu culture is not favorable for poor children. Many end up begging, in child slavery, and forced into brothels. Every year thousands of children go missing, some even used to harvest organs for mafia gangs that operate with the knowledge of the police.

Our ministry partners in India have stepped in to bring relief to children like these, establishing Homes of Hope where poor children can be educated in an environment of love and safety. 50 such children are finding happiness and new life in a central Indian location that Lance will be visiting in November. Through regular devotions they come to under- stand the truth of the God who loves them. This home is in need of a new washing machine, musical instru- ments and computers. $3000 will help provide these needs.

“Joy unspeakable… peace deep within…satisfaction beyond measure…an overwhelming presence of God”

These were all phrases used to describe the 2014 Navapur Annual Con- vention held by our partner organization. A huge tent that could hold up to 50,000 people was jammed so full that it was not possible to walk among the crowd. Lance will be visiting this convention in No- vember while also traveling to see several other ministries that Hope Builders serves in India. He will be taking available funds with him for the Indian ministries we serve so they can be there in time to provide a Christmas blessing.

MIDDLE EAST – MANARA COMFORTS THOSE WHO MOURN

The picture of the boy washing up dead on the shores of a Turkish town shocked and saddened the world. But he is not the only one to suffer such a fate. Many children have ended up that way. What a heart breaking tragedy! In the face of such suffering our friends at Manara Ministries are reaching out to the suffering refugees who have fled ISIS and Syrian forces. Besides providing meals, and relief supplies to refugees, Manara is providing some long range relief. They have built studio apartments in Jordan that can house up to 80 refugees. Each needy family will have their own space with a bathroom. A shared kitchen and a large hall will allow the families to cook together and give them some space where the children can play. The apart- ments need to be furnished so that families can move in. Beds, mattresses, pillows, cribs, cooking utensils, furniture and the like are all needed to allow the first families to move in. $2000 will help with this need.

“Turmoil and distress is all around us, everywhere we look there is someone who has been hurt, someone who needs medical help, someone who cannot work; people looking for hope and help. Still God is faithful for sending us people like you who help us so we can help them.”

– Isam Ghattas

REACHING THE UNREACHED: HERE’S HOW

D. B. Hrudaya has always had a heart for the unengaged, unreached people groups in his Indian state of Orissa. After the super cyclone of 1999 where 100,000 children of such groups were left homeless, D.B. began to develop programs to reach out to them. Through starting what are called “Hold My Hand” clubs in rural villages for the children, D.B .has found favor in the eyes of those who have previously been hostile to the gospel. In Mayurbanj district alone, 100 Hold My Hand clubs have been started. These each include 30 children ages 5-11. They provide teaching material for the children and a set of clothing to each child. The children love these clubs and they open doors for D.B.’s evangelism teams to share the gospel. In Mayurbanj the Khadias and the Mankidias are among the most underprivileged people groups in India. Thankfully a work has now been established among the Mankidias and house churches have started to take root among them. Other people groups that D.B. has targeted include the Bathudis, the Bhumij, the Lodhas and the Dongrias.

You can make a difference by supporting the work of the Hold My Hold program and the wider evangelism that takes place through them. $3000 will provide start up costs to get this program underway by opening literacy centers and Hold My Hold clubs among an unreached people group.

HAITI’S HOPE LIES IN THE GOSPEL

Pastor Cebien Alexis and his Army of Christ ministry is making a huge difference in the lives of many throughout Haiti. Through education, medical services, nursing and farming programs and evangelistic outreaches, thousands are hearing the gospel, and responding to the Lord. They are seeing Jesus do for them what voodoo and witchcraft never could: bring them peace and hope. Earlier this year several evangelistic crusades were held in the area of Jacmel. Over 10,000 came at a time and hundreds of them received Jesus.

Up in the mountains of Haiti in an area where there is no running water and hundreds of children had to walk 3 hours to get an education, a school is being built. In addition a well is being constructed. Once there is water crops can be planted and local food avail- able to feed the children. In addition, Nursing, Agronomy and English programs have been opened at the University level. You can help Cebien expand this great work by giving for cru- sade costs, school needs or well construction.