Many of you, who follow our newsletter and blog, are also on Facebook and connect with us through social media as well. For many years now, I have used my birthday as an occasion to promote a fundraiser on Facebook to benefit our ministry in a financial way. For those of you on Facebook, here is the link to that fundraiser.

If you would like to help us through a donation, and/or sharing the fundraiser on your own Facebook page, that would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you would like to use your own birthday as an occasion to sponsor a fundraiser on Facebook for Linguæ Christi but you’re not sure how to do that, please, contact us ([email protected]) and we’ll help you with those details.

Due to the extraordinary events of recent weeks, there was a part of me that wondered if I should even sponsor such a fundraiser on Facebook this year for my birthday. However, in praying about it, I felt that I should move forward with it. Rather than “re-invent the wheel” by explaining my reasoning for this decision, I’m going to share with you below and verbatim, what I’ve shared on my Facebook page regarding the fundraiser. Thank you for taking the time to read it, prayerfully consider the opportunity to support us, and to act in accordance with how the Lord may be leading you:

Every year during my birthday month (March) I sponsor a Facebook fundraiser for our missionary organisation, Linguæ Christi. In years past, people who know me (or know people who know me) have been incredibly generous to us through this fundraiser. We are so grateful for the way that you have given in the past.

2022 has been a tumultuous year already, especially coming off of nearly two years of the effects of the COVID Pandemic. There is turmoil and great need in our world, from places like Afghanistan and Yemen and now to the senseless tragedy of Ukraine. There is great, practical need in these situations and others.

It is only natural to be drawn to these needs and to give generously to them. In fact, I absolutely encourage that kind of generosity in meeting practical needs with great urgency. I would even go so far as to say that should be the priority for most of us now.

In the middle of all this, however, we at Linguæ Christi have tried to continue our mission work among the least reached peoples in Europe, which costs money—a practical reality. As we often publish in these kinds of things: “Our mission is to plant the Gospel among communities in Europe whose inhabitants speak an indigenous, minority language, sharing the Story of Jesus in their heart language, and making disciples to do the same.”

So, I suppose what I’m asking for people to do is to make a sacrificial choice in how and where to spend their money. I realise that with the lingering effects of COVID, global inflation, and now a major war in Europe, there is a lot of economic uncertainty and added difficulty for people, which affects their pocketbooks. In spite of that, though, I’d like to ask that you, please, give generously to help with the devastation in Ukraine and other places plagued by war and other disasters as an immediate priority. But if it’s possible to go above and beyond, please, also consider making the sacrifice to help missionary organisations like ours, who are dependent on God and His provision through His people, like you.

Thank you and God bless you.