My favorite verse in the Christmas story is what the angel told Joseph in a dream: “You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Christmas is a celebration of our salvation! We pray you will enjoy a wonderful holiday season. Deborah and I are so grateful for the many friends who stood with us in 2021. Even though I couldn’t travel overseas this year, I stayed busy preaching in the U.S.—and our work overseas expanded greatly even though I was directing things from home. None of this would have been possible without your prayers and financial partnership. Thank you!
Here are some highlights from this amazing year…
1.
We finished our girls’ dormitory in Kenya
Girls in Kenya are at risk of being pulled out of school because of their gender. Girls are also at serious risk of sexual assault and female mutilation. We are so blessed to be in partnership with Pastor Elijah and Rebekah Wafula in Moi’s Bridge, Kenya. During 2021 we completed the girls’ dorm, purchased beds and mattresses, and paid school fees for many girls in that city.
2.
Our Pakistan project expanded.
We have now identified land where we can build our women’s empowerment center in Pakistan. Already women are receiving discipleship as well as training in sewing skills so they can feed their families. And God even opened a door in 2021 to help women refugees from Afghanistan!
3.
We launched a new project for women in Congo.
Because of my contacts in South Africa, the Lord connected me with Pastor Udjasiri Wakahasha in Goma, Congo. The Lord provided the funds to build a women’s empowerment center there, and we have already purchased 30 sewing machines and
all the materials to train women in valuable skills so they can launch their own
businesses.
4.
We are just weeks away from finishing Casa de Estér!
Our women’s domestic violence shelter in Guatemala has been under construction for a while, but in 2021 we raised the remaining funds to complete it. Casa de Estér will be the only functioning shelter and counseling center for women facing violence in the entire state of Zacapa. We plan to cut the ribbon in February 2022! Thank you for helping us make this dream a reality!
5.
Our womens’ project grew in Masindi, Uganda.
In this photo (left) you can see one of the 60 women who graduated from our training program in Masindi in 2021. Women have been learning tailoring skills, raising pigs and growing crops to feed their families, thanks to our generous donors. Our directors Robert and Doreen Kaahwa are doing a great work there!
6.
We launched a new project in El Salvador!
I am so blessed to work with Pastor Maribel de la Rosa in San Salvador. We raised the funds so she could organize an ambitious training project for marginalized and abused women in her nation, where a huge percentage of women suffer from violence. They are being discipled in their faith, and they are also learning how to make foods to sell in vendor carts.
7.
We are empowering women in two cities in Malawi.
On the left you can see smiles on the faces of the women in our ministry in Mzuzu, Malawi, where Pastor Charity Mkamanga is providing training in raising chickens for eggs and meat. We plan to expand this project in 2022, along with a companion project in the capital city of Lilongwe, directed by Pastor Fanny Njaidi.
8.
We hosted two men’s Bold Venture retreats in 2021.
In spite of the challenges of the pandemic, men are so starved for fellowship and encouragement. We gathered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in August for our first Bold Venture event, and then we had another one in October at a camp near Mobile,
Alabama. I learned many years ago that we can’t stop the abuse of women until we heal the hearts of men. This healing continues at these retreats. I also did men’s retreats in Michigan, Florida, Illinois and New York.
9.
The Holy Spirit moved powerfully in our meetings.
On the left you can see the moment when a young man ran to the altar to give his life to Jesus at the close of a service in Alpena, Michigan. Throughout 2021, I was able to do meetings in Florida, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, South Dakota, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington state and Oklahoma. In all of those places we saw people saved, filled with the Spirit, encouraged and equipped. I was not able to go overseas in 2021, but I did many video meetings with churches in Sri Lanka, India, Russia, Singapore and other nations. I am so thankful for the technology that allows remote ministry!
Here’s How You Can Give
We are so grateful for the churches and individuals
who support The Mordecai Project regularly. We
hope you will consider becoming a part of our
support team, either by giving toward our overall
budget or by sponsoring a specific overseas project.
Also, please consider giving an end-of-the-year
donation to The Mordecai Project. Your gift will
enable us to launch our compassion projects for
women in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
If you prefer to give online, go to our website
(themordecaiproject.org) and just hit the “Donate”
button. This allows you to give through PayPal.
If you’d like to set up a monthly donation with
your bank, email us at mordecai.assistant@gmail.com
or deborahlgrady@gmail.com and we will help you.
If you are not a part of our monthly support team,
please pray about being partners with us. Your gift,
no matter how small, enables us to expand our work so
we can help more women and girls who have been
abandoned, abused or marginalized.
Deborah and I thank you for believing in this ministry.
We cannot do this without you! We’d also love to get
your current prayer requests. We hope you have a very
Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year’s holiday with
those you love!
We are your servants in Christ.
Lee & Deborah Grady
10.
Young leaders were trained!
God opened many opportunities for me to train the next generation in 2021. Above you can see young Russian-speaking students at a Slavic Bible college in
Florida, where I spoke for five straight days. It was especially exciting to train the women in this group, because they come from traditional backgrounds, and they are realizing how God wants to use women in powerful ways!
11.
It was a year of personal discipleship!
As always, I trained many young men by taking them on my ministry trips. This is one of the greatest joys of ministry for me—investing in Timothys who will then
train others. Above you can see me with David Solomon, a young leader originally from Eritrea who leads a ministry for young adults. In 2021 I took 20 young disciples with me on various trips.
Personal News and Transitions
Meet my new assistant, Abdiel!
In March, my ministry assistant Paul Muzichuk (far right) was offered a fulltime pastoral position at his church in Jacksonville. Prior to that, in February, I met a young man named Abdiel López (center) when I spoke at Holmes Bible College in South Carolina. Abdiel came on board in May and he is doing a stellar job! He is originally from Cuba so he is able to translate for me in Spanish!
I lost a very close friend, James Graham.
More than 15 years ago I met James Graham, director of International Gospel Outreach in Alabama. James has been a trusted friend, adviser and member of the board of The Mordecai Project since we incorporated. He died unexpectedly in November, and it was a tremendous loss.
Our three grandkids are growing!
We are blessed to have our oldest daughter, Margaret, and her family living near us in LaGrange. Our three grandkids are doing great in school. We also love keeping in touch with our other daughters, Meredith, Gloria, and Charlotte, and our sons-in-law. We will all be together for Christmas!
My mother is a survivor!
My mother, Jean, was in total lockdown in her nursing home in LaGrange for most of 2020 and 2021. Now I can visit her anytime, and we were able to bring her to my house for Thanksgiving dinner. Her dementia has become more severe, and she rarely speaks, but she is still smiling at age 93!
I finished my next book.
During the pandemic I wrote Follow Me: Make Disciples Like Jesus Did. It’s my life message on relational discipleship. And when the publisher learned I was writing a companion Bible study for new believers, they decided to publish it, too. Follow Me releases in January. Let’s Go Deeper: A Practical Guide to Following Jesus, will release in spring 2022.
Pray for Us!
Here are our most crucial needs:
Because I didn’t travel overseas during the pandemic, all of our ministry directors are asking me to visit them in the next year. It’s a challenge to fit all Pray for wisdom as I put together the 2022 itinerary.
Many new donors came alongside to help us in 2021, but we need ongoing support to finish all of our projects in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Please pray for God’s abundant provision.
My assistant Abdiel lost his beloved mother,Beatríz,to COVID-19 in 2021, and it was heartbreaking. She was a church planter in Cuba. Pray for comfort for Abdiel, and wisdom to know how he can continue his mother’ work in his homeland.
Please pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit as i minister in churches, conferences and outreaches in the U.S. as well as overseas in 2022. We need God’s miracle-working power.
Deborah and I faced some health challenges this past year. I had eye surgery in August, and there are a few ongoing issues with my vision. Deborah has also struggled with joint pain. We need your ongoing prayers so wean stay strong
The goal of The MordecaiMProject is to take the healing of Jesus to women and girls in countries where they suffer. Pray that the Holy Spirit will help us come closer to reaching that goal in 2022. We love you!
The Mordecai Project
P.O. Box 2781
LaGrange, GA 30241
E-mail:
mordecai.assistant@gmail.com
Website: themordecaiproject.org
