During this period of the pandemic in general and particularly the past month or so, some of our basic needs for operating as a missions organisation have become blatantly clear to us. Like any other organisation in the world, we require funding in order to operate. Unlike a Church, which receives regular donations, or a business, which can make profits, we are completely dependent on donations for all operating expenses, which are a constant reality.
Our organisational financial needs notwithstanding, one of our greatest needs is for our on-field personnel to be fully funded in their personal support. The Lord has been gracious to some of us in providing for this personal support (through many of you reading this update – thank you). For others, they are really struggling. I’d like to mention three areas of support need, which are urgent, two with current Linguæ Christi personnel and one as a partnership possibility.
Daniel & Martu Scott
Daniel and Martu are our missionary family, serving faithfully in the Basque Country. We have talked a lot about them over the past few months; so, I won’t go over their details again here. However, I will update you on the situation by saying that in spite of our appeals, they have received very little additional support, and their financial situation is acute and desperate. Their work among Basque speakers has seen fruit even in spite of the pandemic, but they’re struggling to pay for basic necessities. They are our top priority at the moment, in terms of fundraising.
Brittany Kent
Brittany is planning to serve with us for a year in a very strategic role, arriving (hopefully) after the first of the new year. In order for this to happen, she has to finish up with her fundraising. She just needs some help to get her “over the line” as it were.
“Joe”
The person I’d like to mention at this time does not currently serve as a missionary with Linguæ Christi. However, he, as an indigenous Church planter, has approached us with some significant financial needs related to his missionary work. Because he lives in a high security area (limited access), I have changed his name to “Joe,” and I won’t mention the country, where he lives and serves together with his family. Suffice it to say that his area of ministry is quite remote, vast, and with great extremes of weather, making it a difficult context just for living, much less missions and ministry. Joe is a native speaker of one of the many indigenous minority languages in his area, and he also speaks several other languages of this kind. He has already had experience in planting Churches in these languages and has a heart to reach these peoples, who are unreached, and plant Churches among them. However, he is very much alone with almost no support for him and his family and with significant ministry needs. For example, regarding his personal/family needs they are struggling for basics like firewood (their winter is well underway, and it has not been above freezing in weeks and will not be again until April or May next year), winter tyres, and clothes for his children, not to mention essentials like food and medical needs. For their ministry, they also need some things, which are very practical, such as a heavy, all-terrain vehicle for all during the year, but especially the very harsh winters. Also, a ministry need they have is for a small boat with motor. I realise that for many of you, a “boat” conjures up images of luxury and leisure. In this case, it would allow him to reach some of these people groups during the warmer months, who are nomadic, and only accessible by water during those times, i.e., there are no roads that lead to them, which is why a boat in this case is not a luxury, but the solitary means of getting the Gospel to people bound in shamanistic paganism. To put it more starkly, the only difference between an entire language group being engaged with the Gospel or left without any kind of witness they can understand is the cost of a small boat and a used, all-terrain vehicle. One of the reasons that I have been trying so hard to get to Estonia and perhaps Finland as well for meetings is in order to develop partnership relationships with organisations and institutions there, which might facilitate our helping indigenous minority language Church planters like Joe and others in the future, who are serving in difficult places with these language groups.
Please consider giving today
We realise that everyone in the world has been affected dramatically in some way by the current coronavirus pandemic. One of the areas greatly affected is in the economy. For some Churches and individuals, this has been a time of great struggle, with a loss in income, jobs, benefits, etc. We understand completely that for people and Churches in such circumstances it would be very hard to give. For others, though, they seem to have weathered the storm fairly well in terms of economic effects, maintaining their income and job security. For yet other Churches and individuals, they have actually been blessed financially during this time, while perhaps struggling in other, non-economic ways.
I realise that for many of you with the means to be generous, there are hundreds of needs at the moment, all of which asking for help. I know that it can be overwhelming. However, if you would simply pray about the possibility of helping with some of these needs, we would be so grateful. Thank you for considering this possibility, and if you would like to know how you can help in this way, please visit our giving page or contact [email protected].
Help us out with a Facebook fundraiser
If you are on Facebook, would you consider using your birthday as a way to raise funds for the needs we’ve mentioned above? Linguæ Christi is registered with Facebook for fundraisers. Even if you make a goal of £50 or $100, every little bit helps, and if lots of people do this, it will accumulate quickly.