There is enough. There always has been. God created this world with an abundance of resources and imbued ingenuity. And yet, I often feel like there isn’t enough. There isn’t enough time, enough money, enough emotional capacity, enough help… I am quick to adopt a scarcity mindset, and then everything is in competition.
At the beginning of his gospel, John writes that the Word already existed and brought everything into being. This Word took flesh in the form of Jesus, and “from his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.” (John 1:16 NLT)
In the midst of troubling times, Emmanuel is with us. Through financial challenges, Jehovah-jireh provides for us. When we are broken and hurting, Jehovah-rapha brings healing. In the middle of chaos, Jehovah-shalom brings peace. When we are weak, Elohim shows himself strong. No matter the situation, God provides grace and blessing over and over again.
I pray that you live into God’s blessings and provision this year. We are blessed to be a blessing to others, and I’m grateful for your generous support of God’s work around the world. Because of your blessings, children are able to attend school, pastors are able to start and sustain new churches, and families are learning to make a living wage.
May we embrace a posture and practice of abundance. And may God reveal Himself to us as Elohim, Jehovah-shalom, Jehovah-rapha, Jehovah-jireh and the Great Emmanuel.
“We don’t have many churches in Nepal, and only a few people hear about the gospel, so that is why we need to train people.” Nepal Director Bekharaj is driven and passionate about church planting as leaders try to keep up with the rapid 10% annual growth of Christianity in Nepal. The goal is not just more churches, but sustainable, healthy growth of thriving churches. Bekharaj shares, “We need to build leaders so that the church will be strong, so that the church will be healthy.”
This past November, I went on my third trip to Nepal along with seven people who would become my fast friends. This trip opened our eyes to see what God is doing in another country. My team member Jodi McKenna described it as “an opportunity to go to the opposite side of the world, be changed forever, and have relationships that matter.” Over the course of 11 days, we visited the pastor training school, met the 300 children in ServLife’s sponsorship program, and enjoyed fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ from many different backgrounds.
At the beginning of the trip, we took a tour of the pastor training school. We met the pastors-in-training, learned about their spiritual and vocational education, encouraged them in their mission, and heard amazing stories about pastors from previous training school sessions who had planted churches. On one of the last days of the trip, we got to watch the 14 trainees graduate and be commissioned. Then immediately after the ceremony, we took the new pastors to the bus stop from which they were going to their home villages to start new churches. It was energizing as Christians to watch the pastors go out to push boundaries and take the Gospel to new frontiers.
When she saw the letter with its pictures, she immediately recognized her best friend and her family, so Jodi had the pleasure of helping this girl write a letter to her best friend.
Kul 
moved to Kathmandu to find work after Nepal’s civil war. His neighbor was a Christian and invited him to church. Initially, Kul was skeptical of all religions, but through persistence he agreed to go to church at least once. Three months after his first visit to church, he accepted Jesus into his heart.
My 95 year-old grandma passed away at the end of last month, and it has hit me harder than I expected. She was an amazing role model and the matriarch of our family. She had the elegance of a queen and treated everyone like royalty. Her retirement was anything but, as she daily served her church and family. As her church transitioned from hymns to rock choruses, and an old, traditional building to a new modern building, she was leading the charge and continued to serve in the children’s ministry until she was no longer able.
I am convinced that everyone needs to meet this blessed Savior, and only He can make us whole. Thank you for joining ServLife in sharing the hope and restorative love of Jesus around the world. Your generous service has helped start new churches, send children to school and provide small business loans for families. Your support and service is a shout of praise and an investment in God’s kingdom.
