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Pursuing God's Leading
We have been busy behind the scenes planning for the first few weeks of 2024 and working directly with our national partners. We are excited to share some of what has transpired during this period of time and will soon share future projects and programs. We also need your financial support for several of our programs. You can see the list of our biggest needs through our cause pages here. We ask that you prayerfully consider monthly support or a one-time donation to help those in urgent need.
“To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map.” – William Carey
One thing that has been clear over the last few months is that the Lord is calling us to serve the Pakistani people more. We at E4 started praying several years ago that God would lead us to serve in areas where Christianity is not accepted, mainly the 10/40 window, which makes up the least evangelized countries. We have waited patiently to hear from God about this desire and have clearly seen His direction to serve in Pakistan. There have been three different avenues that we have been led to pursue and consider in Pakistan and with Pakistani refugees in Europe. We partner with Messiah Ministries in the Punjab region of Pakistan, and we are praying about what God wants us to do with other opportunities. According to an Open Doors 2024 report, Pakistan is the 7th most dangerous country to be a Christian. We ask that you pray with us about how God wants us to serve.
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First Pakistan Sewing Class Moving Forward
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One of our leaders in Pakistan visited the families in Youngsonabad, where young women were trained and mentored in our first sewing training in partnership with Messiah Ministries. We are incredibly excited to see how the first class is putting their skills to work. A couple of women are making income already, but most have started by making clothes for themselves and their family members to save money on clothes. These girls used to have to stay inside their homes all day with no skills and no way to help their families, but now, six months later, they are helping their families by sewing clothes so the families don't have to purchase them. We can't wait to see what they all do as they progress in their skills.
Second set of enrollees of the sewing training program
The second training session started last week, and we will share more about the new class soon. It is such a low cost to train approximately 20 women at a time. They meet at the church, so there is no overhead cost; machines are purchased in the country for $70 a piece, and a Christian Pakistani woman trains the women for six months. They also receive Bible teachings and encouragement from Messiah Ministries. Two six-month sessions for approximately 40 women cost E4 Project approximately $150 per student.
We are excited to see the success of this model and are praying about the conversations underway with the church leadership in Gabon about possibly transitioning to this model for their sewing center. We are hopeful that lessons learned might help inform those decisions that are upcoming.
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Monthly Impact at Nebobongo Hospital
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Last month, Dr. Sengi shared a story about a mother and twins who were saved because they could come to Nebobongo Hospital when the mother was in crisis. The 30-year-old woman was transferred to Nebobongo due to prolonged labor and failure to progress in delivery. The medical team concluded that there was acute fetal suffering and both mother and children were in extreme danger. They performed an emergency cesarean section and extracted twins - a boy and a girl.
This is just one example of how important Nebobongo Hospital is. Many people in this region would not survive without the surgical care offered here. The hospital’s chaplain also shares the Gospel with patients, and the staff prays over patients. We are currently running low on our monthly support for the hospital and ask that you consider supporting what the hospital is doing.
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Asset-Based Community Development in Pakistan
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We are excited to share that we are part-way through our first-ever asset-based community development (ABCD) assessment. Our partners in Pakistan have started an assessment in Youngsonabad, and as we raise funds, we will continue in neighboring villages as well. The goal is to focus on community assets and strengths instead of just the needs and problems. The goal is to use these strengths in the community to assist in solving the problems that they are faced with. Once this assessment is completed, we will move into a more detailed approach to serve in the community to support their goals. Our partners have met with people who rank at the top of the village, such as elders and village chiefs, to those living in the margins (such as the Christian brick makers pictured here), and many in between.
Thank you again for your continued partnership. Please continue to pray with us for what God has planned for 2024.
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