June has been a busy time for Pastor Samuel Abraham. The last weeks of May were filled with a Sunday school teachers’ and vacation bible school leaders’ training for over 70 villages. Various church leaders and pastors all gathered together to be commissioned to reach out to over 2,500 children this summer. Shortly after returning home, Pastor Abraham turned his attention over to his own church’s vacation bible school [VBS]. While the program has been a great outreach to the children of his community, nothing could prepare him for what God was about to do. To his surprise, this year’s VBS brought in over 270 local children! The team of 22 teachers, volunteers, and young missionaries had their hands full with this great harvest God had blessed them with. This remarkable yield has been a testimony of what God had started over many years ago with a small act of faith in Pastor Abraham’s life when he first laid that cornerstone to the Amazing Grace orphanage. Over 50 miles away, in a small village of S. NaraPuram, where just five months previously, Pastor Joshi laid a cornerstone in the soil, the walls of the church have just been finished being erected. Pastor Joshi was a former Bible student of Pastor Abraham and he has been pastoring in this quiet, remote village over the last several years. At the moment, Pastor Joshi and his congregation are able to meet in the safety of the church walls but he is praying for God to provide the funds to buy the iron sheets and metal frame to complete the roof over the church to keep the members dry during the rainy season. Just as with Pastor Abraham’s church, we also pray that Pastor Joshi’s church will continue to grow and produce more fruit as they reach out to their community of unbelievers.

Columbia is the largest cocaine producing nation in the world. Over 3 million pounds of cocaine is produced yearly. The main port city that exports these drugs to the United States, Canada and Mexico is Guayaquil, Ecuador where our God has led us to start the COJ ministry this past January. Due to the drug trafficking, Guayaquil is filled with crime, violence, corruption and abuse. In fact, many children are victimized by brutal and violent gang members. Despite theses adversities, there is a pastor who has been fighting hard to protect the children from this unsettling environment with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. His name is Marcos. He grew up in a poor family and went through dark times as he was also a victim of drug abuse. But ever since he met Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he devoted his life for the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, his health has deteriorated recently due to inadequate living conditions and health complications - stroke, severe diabetes, and worsening eyesight. On top of that, he lost his job and ability to make income for his family and ministry. He is faced with the reality of closing the church since he can no longer afford to pay the rent of $180 per month. But we believe and trust that our God who does not break the bruised reed and quench the smoking flax will help pastor Marcos and children of that church. We ask for your prayers and if you heart is moved and convicted to lend your helping hand to this ministry, please let us hear from you.