Project updates

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India: Bihar – Help for young girls

The project in India aims to help girls, in particular, to have a better future. In the village of Bihar, which lies directly next to the village of Jirwa where the sponsored children live, there is another project run by the mission. Living conditions there are anything but ordinary. Prostitution is widespread, unfortunately not only among women. Parents sell their young, powerless daughters to men to obtain more money.

The project aims to provide girls with education and a sense of self-worth, enabling them to have a future. The village women should have the opportunity to earn a living through suitable work that can be done locally. Another important goal is for the girls to learn about Jesus and be able to choose to place their lives in his hands. The girls often share what they have learned with their parents or siblings at home, allowing the faith to spread further within the village.

Learn more: https://cdh-stephanus.org/indien/

 

Siblings in distress: Donations and containers for Africa

Thanks to donations totaling €700 received in February of this year, street children were fed and given gifts. These children lack basic necessities such as daily food and clothing. In addition, eight pastors were each supported with €150, enabling them to intensify their ministry. Forty-three food packages were distributed to families and those in need. Through the "7 Hectares of Land" fundraising campaign, launched in August for our brothers and sisters, a portion of the donations received has already been forwarded. This has allowed our brothers and sisters in these countries to meet the government's requirements for cultivating agricultural land, thus enabling them to retain their fields.

Regarding the container campaign in North and West Africa, the first container, valued at approximately €11,000, is already being loaded with aid supplies such as clothing, food, kitchen appliances, washing machines, and dryers. It will be shipped as soon as it is full. Donations can support the campaign so that the second container can also be loaded.

Learn more: https://cdh-stephanus.org/container-fuer-menschen-in-not/

Disability assistance: Help is especially needed during war

Since the 1990s, a project of CDH Stephanus has been helping people with intellectual and physical disabilities in Ukraine. These individuals are very often neglected and ostracized in our society, especially in post-Soviet countries. People with disabilities, in particular, require many specialized items, which the mission tries to procure. Everything is needed: from personal hygiene products to diapers, medications, clothing, and food. To receive the right supplies at the right time, it is important to let the Lord go first.

This year was particularly marked by the horrific events in Ukraine. A large quantity of food was collected and sent to the victims on the ground. Nevertheless, the work of the disability relief organization could not be neglected, as the number of suffering people increases dramatically during such times. Requests for help are coming in from all over Ukraine, and the needs vary greatly. Sometimes operations and medication are urgently required, other times clothing, food, or money for transporting people from the war zones. Often, swift action is necessary, as lives are always at stake. But without God, all service and all efforts would be in vain. May the Lord continue to grant strength so that we can continue our work on the ground.

Learn more: https://cdh-stephanus.org/barmherzigkeit-fuer-schwerbehinderte/

Northern Uganda: great hardship according to pure Christian doctrine

Following a civil war in Sudan, approximately 1.5 million refugees now live in northern Uganda, including many Christians. The need for pure Christian teaching is immense among these people. Inspired by the verse, " Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you " (Matthew 28:19-20), Brother Andreas Arndt from Trossingen, with the support of Waldemar Maier, made it his mission to help people in their spiritual growth.

In 2018, the first seminar for 60 pastors from various congregations in the refugee camps took place. The seminar was highly successful, as many learned for the first time how a servant of God should conduct themselves. The people are very interested in the teachings. There are now six church buildings and over 50 house groups. The last seminar was held from October 16th to 20th, 2022. Brother Eugen Eisler addressed the topic "Introduction to the New Testament." In the future, Bible instruction is planned to be offered four times a year for ten days at a time. The workload and costs involved are considerable. The pastors must undertake a strenuous 15- to 18-hour journey from northern Uganda to Seeta Lukinga (Kyewanise) in southern Uganda, to the mission station of CDH-Stephanus.

It is a great need to support this project in prayer and also financially, so that God can continue to work through our brothers in the refugee shelters in the future. Additionally, translators with excellent biblical English skills are urgently needed.

Learn more: https://cdh-stephanus.org/uganda/

A ray of hope: Jesus for children in need

What initially began in Kyrgyzstan has now been extended by God to three countries. Through His grace, our brothers and sisters are able to care for children in need and, more importantly, share God's message with them. Currently, we are actively working in Latvia and Ukraine. Due to the war in Ukraine since spring 2022, this work has been severely hampered. Aid from outside the country has been largely blocked. A few local brothers and sisters remain on the ground, dedicating themselves to this ministry, but staying is becoming increasingly dangerous for their families. Even though it is difficult for them, they are forced to flee the country to protect themselves and their children.

Nevertheless, God continues to work. What has been sown begins to grow and flourish. Children who were taken into the program years ago and came to know God are now adults and participate in the ministry of caring for other children in need and showing them the way to God. The primary intention is not to satisfy physical needs, but to place the children on good and fertile spiritual ground so that their lives are sustainably transformed and shaped. For only this alone will bring about lasting change and improvement. The project continues to rely on donations and support, but especially on your prayers and intercessions. May the Lord continue to bless and guide everything and grant strength to the brothers and sisters.

Learn more: https://cdh-stephanus.org/strahl-der-hoffnung/

Bulgaria: Construction sites in their final stages

The goal of the "Jesus for Bulgaria" project is to establish churches in the country and support those in need. At the beginning of this year, donations from the churches in Speyer, Guntersblum, and Seckach enabled the purchase of buildings in the Belo Pole area, in Dondukovo, and in Krivodol, which were to be converted into prayer houses for the local congregations.

Despite the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting construction halts, the prayer houses have been completed. Many tasks, such as interior finishing, exterior facade work, and electrical installations, were finished. Brothers from several congregations participated in the construction, including those in Speyer, Guntersblum, Seckach, Molbergen, and Gifhorn. Donations from Germany also enabled the purchase of seating. This year, much of the work on the prayer houses in Belo Pole, Dondukovo, and Krivodol was completed, allowing them to be used as meeting places by the brothers and sisters in Bulgaria.

Learn more: https://cdh-stephanus.org/bulgarien-2/