christmas greeting
Christmas Message from Benjamin Evans
As the year draws to an end, I especially want to thank you for your support and for partnering with us to achieve so many of our goals in 2008:-
- We were able to send twenty large shipping containers into Angola to feed over 70,000 children.
- Supporting President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and his First Lady whose love for their country is only surpassed by their love for God. Feed The Hungry provided 1.5 million meals to assist African Revival Mission provide free school meals for their school outreach program.
- Two containers of food and medical supplies were cleared from customs just days before rioting erupting in Kenya. The supplies were available just in time to help the most vulnerable in what had previously been known as the most stable nation in Africa.
- Renovation Rescue conducted in Liberia for 8 orphanages.
- Working with Eden Keepers an agricultural group of Sudanese returnees who are dedicated to raising the productivity of farmers in South Sudan while sharing the Gospel.
- Sent over a million meals into Swaziland to prevent the children returning to the pain of Chronic hunger.
- Sent food to Zimbabwe, a nation that recently issued a 10 billion dollar note in an effort to combat an inflation rate of approx 230 million percent. 54,000kg of food was distributed through our partners in Zimbabwe who have been ministering in the country for over 20 years.
Feeding EveryChild EveryDay
- Began in 2005, this FTH initiative seeks to relieve the burden of finding enough support to feed the children in Christian Orphanages or Street Outreaches across the world.
- 20,700 children are now receiving hot and nutritious meals everyday in countries like:- Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Columbia, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Peru, Sudan, Swaziland, Thailand, and Uganda.
Disaster Relief
- Cuba & Haiti where 750,000 emergency relief rations were sent in the wake of Hurricane Ike.
- Indonesia which were struck by flooding over the 2007 Christmas break.
- China’s Sichuan Earthquake where a team of 24 people including 6 doctors and surgeons flew into the disaster area bringing as much medicine as they could carry.
- Truck after Truck of food and relief items were shipped around the USA in 2008, as Tornados, Floods, and Hurricanes battered the nation.
- Myanmar (Burma) suffered two terrible disasters in May 2008. Cyclone Nargis ripped through the Ayerwaddy Delta killing over 70,000 people and displacing millions more. The disaster was elevated to a catastrophe through a military government reluctant to allow a flood of foreigners into their nation.
Despite these bureaucratic obstacles FTH brought disaster relief supplies into the nation within days of the disaster. Our relief partners on the ground were able to feed over 40,000 families in the weeks after the disaster.
Phase Two relief operations have focused on reconstruction of homes for survivors of the cyclone and are nearly complete, thanks to the partnership of many organisations and churches such as Christian City Church.$6 provides 100 Meals
I’m constantly amazed at the testimonies of people who capture the reality of how little it takes to make a difference to people struggling to survive.
- Southern Highlands Christian School in NSW who undertook a 200km mountain bike trek through national parks (sleeping through lightning, hail, snow and rain) to raise money for those in need.
- Suncoast Christian College girls bible study group who sold ice cream “spider’ drinks to their fellow students at lunch.
- Mackay Christian College year 6 class who all decided to bring in $1 to feed the hungry, but got so excited they dipped into the pocket money to give even more.
- Or this note from Sarah, Ishah and Solomon in South Australia.
So thank you everyone for your faithful and generous support in 2008.
Please allow me to also give all our partners and friends the very best Christmas wishes in 2008. I pray that this Christmas time be a time of reflection, restoration and reconnection with your families.
I particularly pray for families to focus on commonalities and to put aside personal differences. I pray you will be able to forgive, forget and love one another in the spirit of 1st Corinthians, Chapter 13.
My hope is for families to join together in peace, unity and celebration of the birth of our Saviour. The immaculate conception of Jesus Christ has made possible His sinless sacrifice that opened heaven's door.
Our entry into heaven's eternity is assured by the simple prayer: God forgive me of my sin, make me right in your eyes, help me to serve you as my Lord and savior, all the days of my life!
Merry Christmas.
Benjamin Evans
FTH Australia & New Zealand
Peace on earth and Good Will to all men!
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