2019 has been an incredible year for ServeNow. We have been able to expand ministry and impact from a core of four countries to many new countries and areas including, but not limited to, West Africa (Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo & Burundi), Latin America, and the Middle East. We received our largest single gift in our short six-year history as an organization and can begin to move forward on some plans that a few years ago were just dreams we hoped would one day be possible to see become reality. We are so grateful for God’s undeserved goodness towards us and the generosity of his people!
One dream that became reality that was particularly meaningful to me personally this year was when I had my first manicure and pedicure at a fully operational “Dream in Style” salon we helped get started through a refugee from Eastern Ukraine training other refugee’s and starting their own business. I remember well that being just a one-page document on my desk several years ago and just a dream in the heart of this refugee woman. Yet, today it is a reality and now they are looking to franchise out and open more salon’s with other women in need that we continue to help provide training for!
We have reached MILLIONS of people literally just this year in 2019 alone through a new video series called the Road to Paradise put together through our Arabic team and pushed out through social media avenues. The Basic Series Discipleship books were launched in new languages and countries, such as KiSwahili (Kenya), French (Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin), Kirundi (Burundi) and some new Asian languages. Thousands of copies were printed and a couple hundred thousand people were impacted by these books.
Additionally, being we are living in a time that is seeing a historic global refugee crisis (over 70 million refugees in the world today), I am happy that we were able to help provide aid to refugee’s around the world from a Yazidi refugee camp in Iraq, to legal immigrants at our own border in the US/Mexico, to Sudanese refugee’s living in one of the world’s largest refugee camp in Northern Uganda.
On top of these new projects, we continue to reach out to many very remote areas with winter blankets, mosquito nets, medical clinic’s, and more in very practical and life saving ways that are opening many hearts and doors for the Gospel to be shared and the love of Christ to be experienced.
As we look to 2020, we are excited to see even more dreams become reality. For example, in Nepal, we are looking at being able to expand one of our children’s tutoring centers to double the number of children in one of the worst slums being able to access help for their education. In Ukraine, we are looking at managing our own bakery area and café in connection with a local church where we can train more orphan/Roma young women. In Uganda, we are looking at plans to open a Trade School where various programs could be offered in tailoring, cosmetology, handicraft and other practical skills. In Egypt, we are looking at plans to start awareness training for young women at risk. And throughout all the world, we are expanding our core Basic Series Discipleship Series with a network of hundreds of churches in various languages.
These are just a few of many new plans and dreams as we look to the Lord for all provision. We also plan to continue current projects as the Lord provides in ways such as summer camps in Ukraine, VBS programs in Asia, winter blankets in Himalayan Mountain areas, mosquito Nets in Asia, Bicycles for pastors in Uganda and Asia, school buildings in Uganda, medical containers to Ukraine, skill-training for women at risk in Asia and Europe, refugee aid around the world, and medical clinic’s in Asia.
Every week, we receive story after story from around the world of individual lives being transformed, churches being revived, and entire communities transformed by the impact of ServeNow partnering with local churches and national leaders. All of this is made possible by people being moved to give generously and by the prayers of God people. On behalf of so many around the world, I just want to say thank you!
Ben Foley, ServeNow President
***Would you consider a meaningful gift to partner together in serving those in need around the world? To donate today, click here. You can also consider other ways to get involved through going on a mission trip with ServeNow, volunteering in various capacities, engaging in prayer and signing up to receive our weekly impact stories and reports. Contact us today for more information: ServeNow@weservenow.org.
