I just returned home from 10 days of meetings with the Admin team, board members and staff. Bethesda Outreach is in a special season of challenges, growth and development. What a joy it was to be with everyone and I reminded them that they are the answer to the prayers of God’s people. Psalm 10:12-18 encourages us to cry out to God to see, hear, strengthen and help the fatherless and afflicted. God raised up Bethesda Outreach and our team of committed parents and staff, along with thousands of other ministries and caregivers around the world, to be His help and voice to do right for the fatherless and oppressed.
We believe God has stirred our nest a bit to both teach us to trust Him as well as to rethink and affirm our ministry model. Last week much of our discussions centered around the impact of work visas not being available for our missionary teachers. The result is that over the last year we have had to replace and fund 4 school staff positions with South Africans. While there is so much good about having an all-South African school staff, the funding component of losing 4 fully funded teachers has stunned us without time to plan or prepare. Add to that a decrease in expected school enrollment due to many factors, and the resulting budget deficits are significant.
As you see in our various communications via email, Facebook and our website, God is blessing the day-to-day ministry of our families, children and school. However, we want our friends and partners to know that we are facing special needs and join us in asking God to provide, direct and grant wisdom to our leadership team as we listen and learn through these challenges.
Please support Bethesda Outreach in prayer . . .
- Praise God for special gifts received over the past year that can be applied toward the 2019 budget deficit created by the factors described above.
- Ask God to both direct and bless our efforts of fund raising, property development, budget controls and school marketing to develop more sustainable income.
- Pray for our leadership team and board as we seek to learn all that God has for us in shaping Bethesda Outreach to care for more orphans in a gospel focused, family centered and church driven way.
Let us hear from you if you have questions. Thanks so much for your partnership in the gospel through Bethesda Outreach. We are confident that God will show Himself strong on our behalf as he has for the past 19 years.
Don, on behalf of Rudi, Charles and Darrel
Don Whipple
Executive Director
Rudi van Jaarsveld
Executive Director Elect
Charles de Kiewit
BOMSA Board Chair
Darrel Huff
BOMI Board Chair
