A New Update from Jordan

Dear Friends,

We received this message from our ministry partners in Jordan today.

In this terribly troubled time, and with Christmas just around the corner, our friends are seeking to minister to as many physically and spiritually hungry people as they can.

This includes providing some help to hundreds and hundreds of refugees who are reachable by their ministry teams.

Here are their two projects for the Christmas season:

A. Food parcels for 200 needy Christian families. Each parcel cost is $30. This lasts a family of 2 for 2 weeks; a family of 4 for 1 week. Each parcel contains these usual basics: dried foods (pasta and legumes; tea, sugar, some canned food)

B. Christmas tubs for 1000 needy children in villages in the south of Jordan. Each reusable storage tub includes booklets with the story of Jesus, hygiene items, books, simple toys and snacks. Each tub costs $10.

Thank you, friends for your prayers and help in these times when the love and message of the Gospel is so desperately needed.

With love in Christ,

Lance & Christie Thollander – On behalf of the Manara Ministry Team

Catastrophic News pours in from around the world

Dear Friends,

The tragic events in Afghanistan and Haiti are deeply saddening to us all. In Haiti. one of Pastor Cebien’s main churches in Jeremie in southwest Haiti, was leveled and there is much destruction all around the area. So far they’ve identified three parishioners who have died. Many are still missing. A landmark mountain range in the area collapsed in on itself engulfing entire neighborhoods while citizens were still in their homes. The aunt of one of Cebien’s assistants also lost her home in the earthquake. We are still gathering details regarding those affected and the amount of damage sustained. Thankfully, the locations in Port Au Prince, central Haiti, and North Haiti were not affected. HBI is sending funds to help with such items such as water, food, shelter, and miscellaneous costs including funeral expenses for those who have perished.

The news from Afghanistan is catastrophic. Besides the overall dangers facing the Afghan population,
believers, including Afghan pastors and leaders are being targeted for retribution by Islamic forces. While we cannot give specific details regarding those affected, we have several contacts who are involved in rescue activities centered on Afghan believers and their families. Prayer and specific strategic help are the main avenues we have to help with those suffering and we continue to call out to the Lord for miraculous deliverance for his people and the suffering Afghani land.

If you would like to help in our efforts in either place, please click on the donation icon and enter your gift there.

Calling out with you to our Merciful Lord,

Lance & Christie Thollander

A Message of Faith

Click on the image below to download a PDF of this newsletter.

Dear Friends of Manara,

Warm greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, from all of us at Manara Ministries.

We would like to share with you our latest update, kindly find it in the above attachment, as we hold onto our faith and hope in Jesus in the midst of the current situation. Since after writing this report and sending it, Jordan has declared a mandatory curfew started this morning at 7:00AM until further notice.

“But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect – life in its fullness until you overflow!” John 10:10 (TPT)

Thank you for your friendship, prayers and support at such a time as this.

God bless and protect you and your ministries.

In Christ,

Manara Team

Standing In Faith Against the Coronavirus

“A thief has only one thing in mind – he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect – life in its fullness until you overflow!”

–John 10:10

King Abdullah has approved a national defense law to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. The royal decree issued on Tuesday in an effort to curb coronavirus in Jordan. Measures taken in recent days have closed schools and public transport, and prayers have been banned in mosques, while most public and private sector employees have been asked to stay at home.

Jordan announced a lockdown beginning on Wednesday, ordering all citizens to stay in their homes apart from emergencies and banning travel between provinces, to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

Jordan has closed land and sea border crossings with Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and Israel, and suspended all incoming and outgoing flights since Tuesday. Only cargo flights and commercial overland shipments are entering or leaving the country.

The country has quarantined more than 5,000 people who have recently arrived from abroad. Jordan recorded 85 confirmed cases of coronavirus on Friday the 20th of March, 2020.

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

–Esther 4:14

For Such a Time As This

It’s the time for us to take a stand a gainst the spread of the coronavirus, it’s time for the Church to rise up and cry out to God for mercy; as when Esther went before the king, we stand as the Ekklesia before the King of Glory! Let us stretch out His rod of authority out of Zion and rebuke the Coronavirus in united corporate agreement, believing in faith that the storm will abate, and 2020 will go down as the year of the historic harvest and missions worldwide.

Our Role as Manara

We have a big role to play at this time, starting with sharing a message of hope and encouragement to our brothers and sisters within our circles of ministry and support. Using what we have of resources to help as many people as we can during this turbulent time. As for the Youth Ministry, the various teams are working as planned for 2020 calendar with an eye open on the current local situation and progress. The Lord has been leading us to focus on digital ministry platform to spread The Gospel and extend discipleship to the young generation, in light of the recent developments we are accelerating these platforms. We are currently working on an App that offers opportunities to engage with the Gospel, ask questions, grow and join communities using Manara’s extensive experience with the local communities within Jordan and the region. Keep us in your prayers and support as the Lord guides you. If the Lord put on your hearts to support and contribute in any of what He entrusted us in this nation, kindly contact us at: project@manarainternational.org

“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.”

–Psalm 33:11

 

THE STORY OF YOUTH

A glimpse on the Youth Work & Ministry in Jordan

Manara Youth Ministry – Gilead Camp

RUNNING SUMMER CAMPS FOR KIDS AND TEENS HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR PASSION SINCE 1985.

We have received 105 campers  ages 8 to 10  at the 3,4,and 5 grade camp  and 99 campers ages 11 & 12  at the 6, and 7 grade camp, with around 50 counselors and staff members serving and helping at each camp.

For over 30 years, thousands of campers have experienced Gilead Summer Camps programs; helping raise generations of kids and teenagers. We are happy to share our passion with our campers and to welcome them back to our summer camps year after year, from generation to generation.

Gilead Camp is an annual summer youth camps providing a healthy, enjoyable, enriching and life changing experience for kids and teens aged 8 – 18 years; there is something for all ages at Gilead Camp, which through worthwhile games, indoor and outdoor activities, music, leisure, bible study and educational activities makes a constructive contribution to the personal development of our Campers. They develop a sense of responsibility and an awareness of their potential and an opportunity to discover what it means to be a Christian in the 21st Century.

Many campers come back several years in a row, and it doesn’t end there! After turning 18 a good number of campers become counselors. The majority of our counselors have had camper experience themselves and carry on sharing it with new generations.

It is with great pleasure that we repeatedly see the transformation and friendships formed during the campers’ stay at camp extend to later in life.

Lifetime transformation, lifetime memories and lifetime friends as a result of Gilead Camps!

Camp Gilead receives 700 campers annually, 500 of them are new campers, which are separated according to age and grade into 5 different camps. Each year our camp includes a theme and a message we want the youth to learn. Camps are currently geared towards nominal Christians and thankfully over the years many have come to know Christ!

Camp Gilead had and continues to have a tremendous impact on the church of Jordan. Many of our current church leaders came to know Christ in this camp. They are now leading churches, preaching and leading their own church camps.

Pray with us for Manara Youth Ministry

Pray for those youths who do not yet know Him that they would be convicted of their need of a Savior during the 5 camps starting of June 4th until June 30th, so that they may come to faith through the word of God and the witness of their friends and these youth fellowships and ministries.

Pray for our Lord to protect them from the wiles of the enemy who would seek to undermine their trust in Him but rather equip each one to look to Jesus rather than to the things of the world. May they grow in grace and become an effective witness to friends and family, not only in what they say but in the godly way that they behave.

Pray for our Lord to draw each one closer to Himself and they may grow spiritually.

Thank you for your compassion and for your friendship. You are a constant encouragement to all of us at Manara International. May the God of peace be with you and those you love.

Lift up Manara Youth Ministry, that the Lord will lead and guide those that are in leadership positions seeking to share the Love of the Father and His truth about the identity of each camper from the different age groups. Pray that God will give them more of His passion and compassion for the younger generations.

MANARA YOUTH MINISTRY

We give thanks and praise for the past two camps

What a joy it is to witness the mighty work of our Father and Lord in the campers’ lives at the first two of this summer’s camps. Our hearts are full of joy and gratitude.

We have received 105 campers  ages 8 to 10  at the 3,4,and 5 grade camp  and 99 campers ages 11 & 12  at the 6, and 7 grade camp, with around 50 counselors and staff members serving and helping at each camp.

We will not stop praising and worshiping our Lord, the only true God, especially in moments when seeing these precious children singing from their hearts with joy and expressing their faith by testimonies such as: “Now, I know Jesus in a different way” or “I am closer to Jesus.” Also, when the parents of the first campers (3,4,5) tell us that their kids have not stopped singing the songs they learned at Gilead in their homes and then gave them no option on Friday except to come again to Gilead on visiting day and spend time altogether again in worship, fellowship and hearing the word of God, all we can say is, “The work is WORTH IT ALL. THANK YOU, JESUS.”

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“I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME” ~ PHIL 4:13 KJV

Manara Ministries March Update

“Be a safe place for those on the run from the killing fields.” Isaiah 16:4

Dear Friends,

Here is a recent report from Isam Ghattas and our partners in Jordan. Isam shared with us the experience of a visiting American who was there to help them with a food distribution. This is what the American wrote:

“Today, we served approximately 200 displaced Christians, all newly arrived from Iraq with just the clothes on their backs. A hot plate of rice and beans, tabouli, and a piece of chicken filled the stomachs and warmed the hearts of those in need. Looking on, I was again struck by the number of widows and children, who always bear a heavy and unfair burden from war. Following a time of prayer and delicious food, all were invited to take what they needed from tables of clothing, blankets and more. All left with a copy of The New Testament in Arabic. The kids gleefully charged the table of Christian children’s books and departed with one or more treasures clutched to their chests.

Like me, you would have admired the motivated performance of the small staff and volunteers. They also receive so much by giving a hot meal to a burdened refugee. Knowing little Arabic, I could only shake the hands of these new brothers and sisters in Christ, learn their names, and pat the shoulders of their little ones. Then on leaving, place my hand across my heart…and give them a smile to take with them. I know…had you been in my shoes, you would have also been touched in a deep and profound way.”

Isam went on to share this news with us. Reports from the fighting around Mosul in Iraq indicate that possibly 20,000 more refugees may be on the way to resource-stressed Jordan. For those of you supporting Manara International, our sincere gratitude. By God’s grace and your generosity, we hope to continue serving and encouraging all our brothers and sisters in need.

Syria is now in its 7th year of civil war, with a total of over 400,000 dead, and 6,000,000 Syrians displaced. The end of the violence and suffering is not yet in sight. Brother Isam is now on his way to deliver much needed support for medicine and food and another $9,000 for Bibles. Recently Manara was given permission to enter the latest refugee camp in Jordan, near the Syrian border. The excitement of these stressed people in need is evident. It’s been an unusually cold winter in the desert. Yet, in the midst of this makeshift camp, these parents find a way to educate their children. Your help is invaluable to every refugee man, woman and child in this camp.

Thank you for your compassion and for your friendship. You are a constant encouragement to all at Manara. If the Lord leads you to share a special gift today to help us minister to those in need, you may send it to Hope Builders at the address below or give online on our website www.hope-builders.org.

Lance & Christie Thollander
Hope Builders International
PO Box 91359
Austin, TX 7870