Ministry Newsletter

Dear Friends of the Mordecai Project:

Last night Tropical Storm Zeta tore through Georgia after landing in Louisiana. I woke up at 3 am to hear torrential rain and wind gusts. My house was shaking! I got up and prayed for a while, and then finally went back to sleep. It took more than two hours for the storm to pass. But when I woke up all was peaceful. No more wind or rain. Soon the sun was shining!

This was a vivid reminder that God will get us through the storm of 2020. It has been a turbulent year, and we may experience more turbulence next week after the presidential election. But this crisis will end. I am grateful for God’s sustaining grace, not only to us but also to all of our international partners who have struggled so much during the pandemic and the resulting financial crunch.

I especially want to thank everyone who has given to our overseas projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below you can see some very happy women in Masindi, Uganda. They are all part of our women’s empowerment project, which is operating in Masindi and in the nearby city of Hoima, where I did a large women’s conference last year.

This week we sent the $3,000 needed to purchase 30 sewing machines. The women in our program are given a sewing machine for six months so they can begin their own tailoring businesses. After that time they are given the option to buy the sewing machine. Your generosity is allowing many women to grow their own businesses and feed their families.

A few weeks ago we also sent the funds to pay the teachers in the photo below. They are all employed by Rehoboth Christian School in the city of Masindi, where my friend Robert Kaahwa is pastor. Because of the pandemic, many parents could not afford to pay school fees for their kids. We stepped in to cover the salaries of the teachers, and now school has resumed with no interruption. Thank you for investing in this community!

Our work in Pakistan continues to grow. Below you can see some of the women who are part of our empowerment project. They are making tote bags that we will be selling on our website in time for Christmas. Stay tuned to our Facebook page so you can purchase a bag before we run out. These are beautifully embroidered bags with colorful Pakistani designs, and they make great gifts. One of our supporters, Fredda Edwards, said: “My beautiful purse from this project has given me several opportunities to share about this ministry and God’s love.”

Last week we provided another month’s worth of food to the women involved in this project. Because of your generous gifts, we have been able to feed these women and their families since the month of April. Some of the women were destitute because pandemic lockdowns prevented them from working. After the food was distributed, our co-director Esther Saleem taught a discipleship class for them. It has been a blessing to watch Esther grow as a leader as she ministers to these women.

We have also been distributing food to needy people in Moi’s Bridge, Kenya, where we work with Pastor Elijah and Rebecca Wafula. In the photo below you can see Pastor Elijah (far right) with an elderly pastor with his wife and six grandchildren. The family was starving because of the pandemic lockdown, but now they have provisions to live on. Your gifts have also made it possible for us to complete the girl’s dormitory at Pastor Elijah’s school.

I have been able to resume some of my domestic ministry travel. In October I went to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to serve with my dear friend Quentin Beard (below). Quentin is lead pastor of Sioux Falls First Assembly, and I have known him for more than 12 years. We are planning to do a Bold Venture men’s retreat in Sioux Falls next year, so we were able to plan that event during my trip.

I preached all three Sunday services at Sioux Falls First (below), and I did a special prophetic meeting with Pastor Quentin’s leadership team. This church believes in missions, and I was able to share the vision of The Mordecai Project with the congregation. The church has partnered with us for several years. (If you’d like to add The Mordecai Project to your church’s missions budget, please contact me!)

While I was in Sioux Falls I also got to speak at the youth service of a Russian-language church in the city. Below you can see we had more than 80 teenagers and young adults at that powerful service. I love being in immigrant churches!

Whenever I travel the Lord usually connects me strategically with people who I end up working with in the future. One of those people is Sergey Mazan (below), who is the youth pastor at the Russian church in Sioux Falls. We had never met until that Friday night, but we are great friends now. I look forward to helping Sergey grow in his leadership gifts. My greatest joy is to mentor and train emerging leaders in the church.

Speaking of emerging leaders, I got to spend a weekend with Antione and Andrea Ashley (below) two weeks ago. I preached at their congregation, Arise Church, in Deland, Florida. Aside from Sunday morning, we also had a special Holy Spirit Night on Sunday evening, and about 20 people were filled with the Spirit. There was also a lot of prophetic ministry. I am really proud of Antione and Andrea—they are building a healthy church that is making an impact on that community.

While I was in Central Florida I hosted a reunion gathering of some of the guys I mentored when I was in Orlando. We had a meal together and a lengthy time of sharing and prayer. After so many months of social distancing, people these days are starving for connection! It was so special to be with these men. More than half of them have traveled with me on ministry trips.

Many of you know that four years ago, during a trip to Pittsburgh, I prayed for a young man named Dante Lee Grady. He is no relation to me, but we share the same name. He came to the altar, gave his life 100 percent to the Lord and was filled with the Holy Spirit. I began mentoring Dante that day, and he has been on several trips with me. I have exciting news now! Last month Dante was commissioned by his pastors to serve as youth pastor at Berean Church in Pittsburgh! Below you can see the moment Pastor Mark and Stephanie Moder prayed for him. I am very proud of this guy!

Please continue to pray for our ongoing construction projects. We only need about $18,000 to finish our shelter in Tarapoto, Peru. Below you can see an artist’s rendering of our shelter in Rio Hondo, Guatemala—which is called Casa de Estér. We only need about $40,000 to finalize that building, both inside and outside. When the pandemic is over I look forward to going to both places to cut the ribbons and open these shelters! Thank you for helping us reach these financial goals.

I also have some sad news. In August my spiritual mother, June Leverette, passed away in her home in Atlanta. June is the woman who shared with me about the baptism of the Holy Spirit when I was just 18. She has been an inspiration to me for most of my life. If it had not been for June I don’t know if I would even be doing what I do today! June and her husband, Jerry, have been generous supporters of The Mordecai Project. Someday I want to open an overseas
project for women in her honor.

Thank you for believing in this ministry, and for praying for us. Please pray for protection and fresh anointing as I travel in November. Here is my schedule:

November 1 – Center Point Church, Griffin, Georgia
November 2-6 – Slavic Ministry Training School, Jacksonville, Florida
November 4 – The Springs Church, Jacksonville, Florida
November 12-15 – Bethel Church, Goldsboro, North Carolina
November 19-22 – Cumberland Worship Center, Crossville, Tennessee

We love you so much, and we are praying that the Lord will hide you in His safe harbor during this turbulent time. This storm will end!

Lee and Deborah Grady

The Mordecai Project
P.O. Box 2781
LaGrange, GA 30241