Dear Friends,

Because of contributions to the Critical Medical Needs Fund, Sajini John of Kerala, India, was alive to celebrate her first Mother’s Day.

Last fall, however, when she should have been expecting life, Sajini was facing death.

At 26, Sajini thought her dreams were all coming true. Although from a poor background, she was able to finish school and begin serving the Lord as a missionary. When she desired a husband who would be her partner in ministry, God provided Sajini with a man who loved Jesus and who also was a missionary. Soon after they wed, she became pregnant—a precious child was on the way. Sajini was indeed blessed!

But without warning, Sajini’s life took a turn for the worse. She wrote, "The doctors found out that I had a problem with my heart valves." Immediate surgery might save her, but it cost 60,000 Rupees ($1,500)—way more than she and her husband, also from a poor family, could ever afford. Would she survive? Would her unborn child survive? Were her dreams of a life of service to the Lord about to die as well? Sajini didn’t know the answers to any of these questions, but she trusted God, and He supplied her need.

K.V. Daniel, a trusted ministry partner, found out about Sajini’s desperate situation and contacted Heaven’s Family. Because of gifts to the Critical Medical Needs Fund, we were able to send what was needed to help pay for Sajini’s balloon-heart surgery.

Now fully recovered and with a healthy newborn, Sajini is able to continue her missionary work and enjoy the treasures of motherhood. She told us, "Today we are so happy and healthy. I would like to thank Heaven’s Family members for helping me to go through this valley of death."

Thank you so much for your compassion for Sajini and the many other members of our spiritual family whom we are able to help through the Critical Medical Needs Fund. You are making a difference!

In Him,

Emily
Director, Critical Medical Needs Fund

Dear Friends,

I want to give you a quick report about one way that gifts to the Bibles for Believers Fund are making a real difference. Here are some details from my recent trip to Africa.

Placing Bibles into the hands of believers who have never owned one before is always exciting. While in Rwanda, however, I wasn’t quite prepared for the blessing I was to receive as I gave out a new kind of Bible I brought along with me this time—a Bible called a Proclaimer.

Proclaimers are audio Bibles housed in brick-sized plastic boxes and powered by a built-in solar panel, hand crank, or electrical wall outlet. One Proclaimer can be heard by dozens of people at once, making them ideal for those who cannot read.

I discovered another group that really appreciates them—the blind. Thank the Lord that I happened to have one with me when I visited Kabuga, Rwanda. There I met with twelve families in a blind community. Surprise and delight flashed across their faces as they realized what I was giving them. They insisted on “seeing” this blessed box by passing it around for all to feel!

These believers in Rwanda can now "see the light" in a new way

I was overjoyed to be a part of sharing the Living Word with these precious brothers and sisters in Christ. Your love and faithfulness made this blessing possible. Thank you.

In Christ,

Chuck King

P.S. Please forward this email to your friends who love the Word of God!

Dear Friends,

Because of contributions to the Safe Water Fund over the past twelve months, I wanted to share some uplifting news that we’ve recently been receiving. I just visited Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to follow up on our safe water filter ministry team. The testimonies received from those benefiting from the biosand and Sawyer filters was very encouraging!

First, here is a photo (below) of the Corneille Luanda family and some of their thirty-five neighbors in Goma who are now benefitting from a Sawyer filter from Heaven’s Family.

Your gifts to the Safe Water Fund have not only been helping poor believers in DR Congo, but also in eleven other countries. The establishment of filter production centers in those nations is resulting in lives being saved. Hundreds of families are benefitting.

Below is a photo of Simeon and Josephine Muhunga with one of two biosand filters that together are providing safe water to 350 church members in Goma.

The testimonies concerning the use of these filters was unanimous in Goma. Before using the filters, everyone suffered from sickness from drinking the unsafe water from Lake Kivu. Now, no sickness can be found among those who are using the Sawyer and biosand filters to purify Lake Kivu water! The biosand filter even removes a salty taste in that lake water!

As the director of Heaven’s Family’s Safe Water Fund, I hope to keep you informed periodically via email of what your contributions are accomplishing, as we only highlight it in our monthly magazine about twice a year.

Thanks again helping us to provide safe water for our spiritual family around the world. Jesus will one day say to you, "I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink" (Matt. 25:35).

In Christ,

Chuck King

International Director
Heaven’s Family

In some African countries, the acquired wealth of a man belongs to his parents and male siblings at his death. If there aren’t any male siblings or parents who survive him, his wealth goes to his male relatives. His wife and children do not have a claim on any of the material possessions that were gained by their husband and father. The widow does have the option of marrying a brother or male cousin to keep the wealth in the family, but if she refuses, she is cast out and left with nothing. Of course, many Christian widows will not become a second wife or marry a nonbeliever. This was the story of Philagona.

Philagona was married to Wafula for ten years and had three beautiful children—two girls, Diana and Daisy, and one son, Davis. Tragically, in 1999 Wafula contracted a severe case of malaria and died. Philagona and her children found themselves homeless and penniless. (I will never understand how a grandparent could take the home and belongings of their grandchildren and leave them destitute, but this is common in some African nations!)

Philagona and her grandson outside their one-room home

Philagona took any small job she could find just to put food on her table. For shelter, she rented one room of a building made of dung and clay. Primary school is provided by the government in Kenya, but secondary schools cost money, so her daughter Diana had to drop out because she couldn’t afford the school fees.

With the help of a few caring friends, Philagona took a course in sewing and tailoring. Her dream was to open up her own shop and sew women’s clothing, men’s suits and table cloths. As the saying goes, "It takes money to make money." Philagona didn’t have any money, so her dream seemed impossible.

Thanks to you, however, Philagona now owns two sewing machines and rents a business place where she started her own tailoring shop just last month. Her shop will provide for all the needs of her growing family, and she is already thinking of ways to expand her business to hire some other needy believers!

Philagona is so happy with her new sewing machine and shop

Truly, God has made a way for Philagona and her family, creating a river in the desert. Thank you for helping to make Philagona’s dream a reality!

In the past nine months fifty-six widows have been helped in five different nations because of your compassion. Thanks so much.

To Jesus belongs all the glory,

Becky

Learn more about how you can help widows through Heaven’s Family.