lunes, 21 de febrero de 2011

My christian friend from Lahore, Pakistan


Those who know me, already know that I love missions. My experience in the field has been limited (the Lord forgiving me, since He's in control) but I seemed to have thought that I would be 'going to far away places' instead of 'just' Dominican Republic, Yucatan and in my own country.. lately it seems that missions means my own house.. and with the Lord's help I hope to bring Him glory in this too !!
But thank God for facebook, yes, because last year, when I could travel the least due to my husband's battle with esophageal cancer, I was able to help a friend in Pakistan that I found through a mutual facebook friend. Her name is Farah Imtiaz and her husband is the Rev. Robert Imtiaz, an evangelist in the city of Lahore, near the frontier with India. (Farah is in the attached picture, standing on the left.) They enjoy certain freedom of worship and evangelism through years of experience and being established by their christian parents in this muslim country. Farah leads worship and teaches the children at their church. They have a beautiful web page that is regularly updated with pictures and you can see it at www.rejoiceministry.webs.com
The missions ministry of my church here in Puerto Rico matched a personal donation last December that we sent through 'Western Union' to their address in Pakistan:

Farah Imtiaz
Rejoice Ministry of Pakistan
32-S-63, Main Road Bahar, Colony Kot,
Lakhpat Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Postal Code: 54600.
Phone Land Line: +92-42-35943954
Mobile Phone: +92-333-4404669

Farah bought new clothes and shoes for the needy children and this is part of what she wrote to me in facebook:

Farah Imtiaz December 28, 2010 at 10:53am Report
Thanks my dear Juanita for replying me, I was so glad and blessed when I distributed your sent love gifts to children. Hope your husband is recovering by the grace of Lord. We wish both of you a very prosperous cheerful and healthy wealthy year 2011. I pray to God that this friend ship may last forever.

Then she wrote again with a need that we haven't been able to address:
DEC 28, 2010
I want to share some thing important about one widow with three kids she is very poor lady and living alone in a rented house. She has no job, Her children have no clothes no schooling and no food, every month they knock the door of others to meet their needs. This family suffering badly they often come to me and ask for help I do what ever I can. I am sending you the picture of this deserving family (attached).
Being a developing country and bad economic conditions here its very hard for poor families to manage their livelihood. We come across such families and could not resolve there pathetic conditions alone.
I know you are still busy with the care of your husband at home. I just want if you find some spare time please look for such donors who can willfully and personally support the widow family and orphans at monthly bases, Their little contribution can light up the stove of poor family.
I feel in spirit that God is using you with us in this mission to help others. If there is any Organization who help the orphans and widows, is in your knowledge please let us know and about us let them know.
You are always in our prayers
May God bless you with long life and peace and happiness
Love you soooo much
Farah Imtiaz.

Soooo, there it is! (you can share this blog as you feel led to) I am sharing this and asking if there is any way you can help: for example $20 a month, donated by a different person each month, or a one time gift of whatever amount the Lord puts in your heart, or... the support of a missions group from a church, etc. I know the blessing will be great for this widow and her three beautiful children, but I also know that it will be greater for those who are able to help.
My first attempt was posting this need to a christian ladies network in Spanish, but it was not approved by the web page rules. So I thought of this blog that I created a few years ago when everybody in our family decided to become bloggers and I have mostly used it to re-post counseling articles which is another ministry I love.
I am trying this in English now... and let's see what happens.
God bless you all,
Juanita

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I was born once in my dear city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, where I now live once more, after living 18 years in the state of Massachusetts where I was born again.