Dear Friends,
This is an URGENT request!
We would like to share three short clips from Lauran Bethell, Global Missionary, that have been received since July 2014. As you know Lauran travels the globe and has insight as to what is going on in human trafficking in many countries.
What a fabulous “birthday celebration” International Ministries had this summer! Celebrating 200 years as an organization—the longest running Christian mission agency in the USA—was a giant moment in history. 1300 people were gathered at our “heart place”—the Green Lake Conference Center: our dear supporters, encouragers and pray-ers, church leaders/partners from more than 30 countries! ALL the IM missionaries! It was exciting! It was fun! AND, I missed a big part of it”… (because of an inner ear virus.)
“When I was home, I had many guests and numerous consultations with people. One of my guests, a Jewish Ivy league lawyer, is doing her PhD at Oxford and is doing very valuable research in Amsterdam in a government shelter for victims of trafficking-and she is so caring and passionate about their situations. She realized that they didn’t have adequate winter clothes, and asked me if I would ask some of the churches I attend in Holland if they would help out. With little time before Christmas, I just posted a note on Facebook, asking my Dutch friends if they could help with some good winter clothes. Friends in 3 churches mobilized themselves and their communities-I ended up with 2 very full packed carloads of good clothing, which I delivered hours before I left for the USA. The Social Workers now want me to come back and help with some other projects-so it’s been a great “in” to the shelter.”
“I flew to Kyrgyzstan for our ‘International Christian Alliance on Prostitution Central Asian Conference It went really well! We had about 70 people representing 8 countries there-including representatives from Thailand and Russia! They came because women from Central Asia are being trafficked to their countries. It was a great time of sharing mutual concerns, strategizing ways of ministering to the victims, spiritual nourishment for the practitioners and also lots and lots of valuable information sharing. The 3 teams from Russia who were with us, invited us to do our conference there next November and that’s really exciting.”
As you can see from these excerpts, Lauran doesn’t waste any time. This is just a small sampling of her schedule. Our challenge is to provide the resources needed to allow her to continue on the journey to rid this world of human trafficking. All Missionaries are now asked to help raise their support funds. Lauran has visited several churches in Southern West Virginia and has also been the guest speaker at the WVBC. Everyone who knows Lauran has been inspired with her compassion and dedication for her work with human trafficking in the global arena. We know that you will want to help Lauran be funded 100%.
Lauran’s Missionary Financial Extension Team in WV consists of Yevette Shafer, Rita Barker and Joyce Mills. We encourage you to especially share the following letter with your Congregation and Women’s Groups. A group of friends in Oregon will be providing matching funds up to $4,000 if our money is received by the middle of February.
Your gift of any size will make a difference!
Through the church: Be sure that the donation is designated when the remittance form is sent in.
Sent individually: Be sure to Memo: Lauran Bethell Make checks to WVBC and send to: WVBC, Attn: Joan Hall, 1019 Juliana St., Parkersburg, WV, 26102
Thank you so much for your friendship and commitment to Christ’s Mission!