You Can Make this Christmas With Hope Builders International!
Dear Friends,
Christmas is a season of new hope as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, the Hope of the nations. Despite all the difficulties that this year’s pandemic caused, our ministry partners are lifting up the Lord in every- thing they do. As one leader wrote to us, “Isaiah 62:6 says this, ‘I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest.’ It’s a special time for harvest.” Through their work for Jesus and your generosity Hope Builders was able to send relief funds into Lebanon and Jordan, child and widow support to India and Nepal, much needed aid to Haiti, building and farm supplies to Uganda and survival food deliveries to thousands of unemployed day laborers and their families. Many came to Christ and were baptized.
Now our partners look for an even greater harvest. Thousands of Asian villages wait for a witness for Christ. Hundreds of workers are ready to be trained and sent out.
Unreached peoples like the Kutia in India wait for the Word of Life. Wells that open villages to the Gospel are ready to be dug, marginalized women are ready for voca- tional training that will change their lives, refugees living without hope wait to find freedom in the Savior. New hope can only be found in Jesus. Your Christmas gift this year will lead many to Him!
Lance & Christie
WINTER CARE PROGRAM REACHES OUT TO REFUGEES
There is good news in the Middle East where hundreds of New Testaments and Bibles were distributed in village areas. There is a spiritual hunger among the people. Covid-19 has hit hard and many are dis- placed and vulnerable. Ministry leaders feel more responsible for the basic needs of those suffering. They are providing a Winter Care Program that will reach hundreds of displaced families.
Through this they will feel the Father’s love and warmth in a practical way. Hygiene kits, food parcels, kerosene heaters and Christian literature make up a complete package costing $90.
TRAINING CHURCH PLANTERS RESULTS IN THE
UNREACHED SAVED AND NEW CHURCHES PLANTED
The Lord is raising up men and women in India to be his witnesses. Since their ministry’s start, one partner has trained over 3000 church planters.
Through them over 600,000 people have come to know Jesus. Over 1600 churches have been planted. At their eight missionary training centers a church planter can have a year of training for only
$600.
A recent class is shown here. And this ministry is not alone. All of the ministries we partner with are committed to reaching the lost for Jesus’ sake. This is vitally important as according to ministry leaders over 300,000 Indian villages still do not have a viable church fellowship established in them.
Wells sustain life & open villages to the gospel
For many villages in India, clean water is not available. It is not unusual for women and children to walk several miles each day to collect and carry home the water they need. When there is no good well water, polluted stream water must be used. India is rated 120th out of the 122 na- tions in terms of water quality.
Worse still, if you are a Da-
lit, one of India’s “untouchables,” you will likely be barred from drawing water from a village well because of your so- cial status. Believers in Christ, who are considered untouch- ables, especially suffer as persecution comes in the form of being banned from the local water source.
The good news is our partners are providing life giving wells to such communities. These wells give missionaries an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with people in need of the true living water. A well can be provided for an entire community for $1800.
HOPELESS TO HOPEFUL: RAVI’S STORY
Ten years ago Ravi, shown middle left, was brought to an orphanage by his relatives. He was very thin as his family was unable to feed him. He came from a tribe of untoucha- bles known as the Banjaras.
In God’s mercy an Ameri- can family sponsored him through Hope Builders.
Ravi grew up to love the Lord Jesus and wants to live for Him. Today Ravi has finished his schooling and is making plans to attend college.
A tribal boy’s life has been changed. He has gone from hopeless to hopeful. This is the work of the family of God. Your support for children’s homes or sponsorship for an orphan at $30/month can help change such a life.
GOSPEL TOOLS FOR REACHINGTHE UNREACHED: BIKES, MOTORCYCLES MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
According to the Joshua Project, there are still thousands of unreached people groups. Many of them are in India and Nepal. Our ministry partners there are reaching them one by one. Bicycles and motorbikes are a great aid in reaching the un- reached. In the picture below, a missionary to the recently evangelized Mankidia tribe receives a much needed motorcycle.
The church planter on the right can double the number of villages he can vis- it with his new bicycle.One partner has a need for 25 bicycles and 5 motorbikes for their evangelists right now. In Haiti where many villages wait for the good news, missionaries can also use their motorbikes for income generation as taxi drivers. One bicycle costs $100. A motorcycle costs $1000.
GOATS PROVIDE A WAY OUT OF POVERTY FOR BELIEVERS
Kapura lived a hopeless life after her parents died and her husband fell ill. She was desperate for help. Then she received 3 goats through a Hope Builders partner. Through hard work, the goat farm she began grew and her life changed. Her children were educated and eventually obtained excellent jobs. This story has been repeated over and over
in the lives of those we serve. Rajesh dreamed for years of leading his family out of poverty. When he received a cow from an Indian ministry he saw that dream unfold. Through the milk income re- ceived, he enrolled his kids in school, established a home and even bought goats for more income. His life testifies to God’s love and compassion. Three goats can be purchased for $200. A cow can be purchased for $700.
PROVIDING BIBLES: THE WORD OF GOD BRINGS JOY
Few gifts bring as much joy to hungry believers as receiving the written Word of God in their own language. Depending on the language area $5 to $10 can pay for the printing and delivery of a Bible to a seeking believer.
Throughout countries like Cuba, India, Syria, Jordan and Nepal hundreds of thousands of believers wait for their first Bible. Every one of these Bibles can change hundreds more lives. Share in the blessing of bringing joy to a fellow believer’s heart as they receive their own copy of the Scriptures. The Indian believers shown here studying the Word rep- resent thousands more who wait for their own copy of the Life giving Word of God.
BUILDING ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE, EMPOWERING FAMLIES
Sewing machines are helping to change lives. Through providing training and a sewing machine, women like those shown below can earn income for their families. Preeti is one example. She loved Jesus and worshipped Him with believers in her village. But, having no job skills she couldn’t pro- vide for her family. Then she heard of a tailoring program run by our partners in her area. After 4 months of training she was able to open a small business where she now earns $30-40 per month. All this in an environment where Christ is honored and the gospel is shared! One sewing machine costs $100.
Where Most Needed Worldwide
Want to make a great impact but don’t have a specific need or place in mind? Besides ministry needs already highlighted in this letter, a gift to Where Most Needed
allows your gift to go to areas of immediate and strategic oppor- tunity or challenge our ministry partners sometimes face. One example is the terrible explosion that hit Beirut recently. Through special gifts we were able to send funds to help stricken families there. Your gift of any amount to this fund is greatly appreciated.
What We Do
HBI helps national leaders in the nations they serve. Our ministry partners plant churches, strengthen new believers, provide Bibles and training materials, do job training, run schools and children’s homes and care for widows and orphans.
We have been involved in this work for over 25 years and count it a great blessing. We hope for you a joy filled Christmas season and pray that the new year will bring great advance to the Kingdom of God through our partnership.
Lance & Christie Thollander
www.hope-builders.org info@hope-builders.org
P.O Box 91359 Austin, TX 78709
