Last year Americans gave $2.9 billion to overseas missions. Americans also paid $8.4 billion to see movies, $13 billion to buy chocolate, $23 billion to buy toys, $23 billion to buy stuff for their pets, $24 billion for jewelry, $58 billion for soft drinks, $85 billion for lawn and garden care, and $354 billion to eat out in restaurants!

When you receive this letter there is no telling how much you will be paying for gas; food prices have also soared. Keep this in mind: “In 1933, the depth of the Great Depression, (per capita giving) was 3.2 percent. In 1995 … it was still 3 percent. By 2004, when Americans were over 555 percent richer after taxes and inflation than in the Great Depression, (they were) giving 2.54 percent of their income to churches.”*

Yesterday I heard from a leading evangelical pastor in Iraq.  Ninety percent of the children in the Day Care Center of his church are from Muslim homes.

“Several of these families have openly confessed that they have noticed distinct changes in the character and conduct of their children at home as well as in the neighbourhood and have noticeably developed the habit of praying before meals and to ask their parents to love their neighbours and others! Several others have even confided to our centre staff that their children have openly told their parents that they were against any talk that God orders revenge against enemies. When asked why it was so, their answer was that their teacher had told them ‘God is Love.’” Local authorities have ordered the church to vacate the building where the Day Care Center is presently located for reasons the church cannot control. I promised the pastor that I would ask you to pray about this.

Last month I shared with you an opportunity to provide 140 specially donated PET wheelchairs to the disabled of Kyrgyzstan. To ship and deliver them to Central Asia will cost $12,600. These chairs, called Personal Energy Transportation, are gifts resulting from the creative skills and hard work of retired professionals in Florida. In response to last month’s plea, we have received $4,004. We still need another $8,596 to reach our goal. A generous donor has promised that every dollar given will be matched! I hope to report success when I write to you next month.

Before

After

Pray … give … make a world of difference!

Blessings

Len Rodgers

*Quote from “The State of Church Giving through 2004: Will We Will?” by John Ronsvalle and Sylvia Ronsvalle, as quoted in “Revolution in Generosity” by Wesley K. Willmer, Editor.