Ministry Newsletter

Dear Friends:

The big smiles in the photo below could light up the world. These girls from the Democratic Republic of Congo are beaming because The Mordecai Project recently paid their school fees, and they were able to finish their terms. This is quite an achievement in Congo, because a horrific civil war continues to rage there, and because girls often don’t finish school in this part of the world. Parents typically pull girls out of school because they can’t afford to pay the minimal payments required. Your gifts made all the difference!

In the photo below you can see that The Mordecai Project is also investing in the women of Congo. These women have just completed a six-month tailoring class, and more than 40 women students were given sewing machines so they can begin their own businesses. They are shown with our director, Mwema Bertin.

We recently launched a new project to help women in a nation that is currently closed to outside missionaries. Our director, who is only 34, has started more than 300 churches in his region in the last seven years, and he is training some women to be pastors. We want to help these women by providing discipleship training in their language. We need about $600 to translate some of our books. We are also building a women’s empowerment center for training in tailoring, crafts and literacy. We need $10,000 to begin this project.

Below you can see that we are just a few months away from completion of our new women’s empowerment project in Pakistan. The new building will house a training center, classrooms and a shelter for abuse victims. We only need $8,000 to finish the interior. Soon we will dedicate this building, and hundreds of women will be discipled there.

I had a very busy August. I have traveled many times to preach at The Roads Church in Norris City, Illinois, and this wonderful church supports The Mordecai Project’s overseas work. During my most recent visit, I preached at two new satellite campuses of The Roads, located in Carlinville, Illinois, and Marion, Illinois. Below you can see B.J. and Ashley Vinyard, the campus pastors of the Carlinville location. We had a wonderful day of leadership training, and my heart was connected with this precious couple.

Below you can see the leaders who came to the training in Carlinville on that Saturday. It encourages me so much to see how God is growing this church. The original Roads location is situated in a small town, but it has grown to more than 800 members. Now, they have started five new locations within a three-hour radius. It always feels like revival when I am there! I am so thankful for my friendship with senior pastor Chad Everett.

It was such a blessing to lead another men’s Bold Venture discipleship retreat in August. This time I hosted it at a camp and conference center in Leesburg, Florida, north of Orlando. We had 150 men from 10 nations and more than 16 states there! Because we stayed at a camp, the men built close relationships that will last a lifetime.

“Genuine” and “raw” were the words men used to describe this year’s Bold Venture. It was in a rustic setting, without a lot of high-tech comforts, but this encouraged the men to let down their guard and open their hearts. Worship was deep, and there were powerful times of confession and transparency. The men had significant moments of repentance and emotional healing. I have learned that one of the best things we can do to stop the abuse of women is to heal the hearts of men. It is happening!

During our extended times of altar ministry, men were filled with the Holy Spirit, healed of father and mother wounds and delivered of addictions and sinful habits. There were times when we just didn’t want to leave that auditorium because God’s presence was so thick!

Below you can see our Bold Venture speaker team, which included Antione Ashley, Eddie Taylor, Eoin O’Sullivan, Kenneth Mutegyeki, Shane Stringfellow, George Nestertsov, Rafael Torres and me. Also in the photo are emcee Robert Gast and our fitness coach, James Cameron, who led the workouts. At Bold Venture, we lightheartedly encourage all the men to get serious about fitness!

At the end of August I led a mission trip to Rio Hondo, Guatemala, where we built our women’s shelter known as Casa de Estér, or House of Esther. This was my thirteenth trip to Guatemala, and it was a blessing to have this team of people from Overflow City Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, with me. Their pastor, Paul Hanfere (in the white shirt below) has been a close friend of mine for more than 12 years. This team ministered to children, the homeless, and women, and they gave testimonies in numerous churches.

On one of the days, I preached to a group of women at Casa de Ester, and I also heard testimonies from many of the women who have been helped at the shelter. I wish you could have heard their stories. I wept as I learned about women who had been severely abused and abandoned; they found the healing of Jesus when they came to Casa de Ester to seek counseling and protection. God is using this shelter as a bright beacon of hope for many women who have been battered, bruised and neglected.

The woman below is Zulema Zuniga, who was my translator while I was in Guatemala during this visit. Zulema is a strong Christian, but her husband was abusive to her. Zulema was at a low point last year, but she came to Casa de Ester and received counseling and healing prayer. She is now a ministry leader, and God has restored her joy. She is a powerful speaker and I hope to invite her to minister in upcoming events in Latin America.

Below you can see Pastor Paul Hanfere with some of the food bags we delivered to 90 families that live in a garbage dump on the edge of Gualan, Guatemala. The people in that dark place gathered on a Saturday morning and listened carefully as I preached the gospel from Jesus’ story of the prodigal son. The love of God was tangible that day! And then we gave each person hugs, words of love and a big bag of groceries.

The woman below, on the right, gave her heart to Jesus in that garbage dump the day we visited. Jesus met her and began to heal her heart after years of suffering. The woman on the left is Ana Ester Morales, who is one of the three directors of The Mordecai Project there in Guatemala. Please pray for Ana Estér and her team! I am so proud of the work they are doing. While I was there, they gave me a full report on the project, and they are being very careful with the money we send to operate the ministry. Your donations are being handled with care and integrity!

Please pray for me as I travel and preach this month. Here is my schedule:

** Sept. 2-13 / Men’s Conference / Inspiration Church / Sofia, Bulgaria

** Sept. 17 / Mid-Week Service / Bethel Church / Goldsboro, North Carolina

** Sept. 19-20 / Band of Brothers Men’s Conference / Falcon, North Carolina

** Sept. 21 / Morning and Evening services / First PH Church / Mount Olive, N.C.

** Sept. 27 / Leadership Conference / Community Christian Fellowship / Haverhill, Massachusetts

** Sept. 28 / Sunday service / Anointed Worship Center / Belmont, Massachusetts

We need your financial support as our work expands. If your church or business would like to become a partner, please contact me. We are praying for $500,000 to finish current oversea projects. Plus, I really would like to expand my small ministry office and get a facility that has room for additional staff and a training room for interns. The needs are great but we know God is able!

To give to our overseas work, just hit the “Donate” button below and follow the prompts. To give by check, mail it to The Mordecai Project, P.O. Box 2781, LaGrange, GA 30241. We love you and we are so grateful for you!