GapFill.org Thanks YOU for a Great 2017! / December 30, 2017 by gapfillorgblog

As we end this year, I count YOU among the many blessings the Lord has given. I can't list everything you've done, but you are making a big difference in filling in the gap in the lives of Christian missionaries.Here are some 2017 highlights:

Boy’s Home Damaged by Monsoon, donors helped build up the boy’s home, Bible School and the path to a widowed missionary’s home.
Surgery Need for Anthony Vanaria, donors contributed to Anthony’s craniofacial deficiency surgery need.
Sharing Jesus’s Love in Nigeria and Haiti, donors contributed to Daniela Bonanno trips to Nigeria and Haiti to help with childcare clinics and surgery needs.
Helping Widows and Orphans, donors helped John and Kay West provide for widows and orphans in South Africa.
Helping with Mission School Needs, donors helped a Christian missionary run a school for children in a place where Islamic terrorists are just beyond the horizon.
Sharing Jesus in Russia and Greece, donors helped Stan Balken and Mike and Sheri Bedient share Jesus in English language camps.
Help Purchase a Scooter, donors purchased a scooter to help Christian women proclaim the Gospel of Jesus in a sensitive area of the world.
Back Surgery Need, donors contributed to Marlyn Stucky’s back surgery to help get him back to full time mission work in Papua New Guinea.
Dental Need for Sheri Bedient, donors contributed to Sheri Bedient’s dental expenses.
Help Diagnose Ninau, donors contributed to help Ninau and now her daughter Sheerah.

I am looking forward to 2018 with great expectations, confident that the work of Christian missionaries will be multiplied many times over for even more people. When the Gospel is proclaimed and the needs of Christian missionaries are met, our world becomes a better place. You help make it happen! Thank you!

The year 2018 awaits! To make it an even better year in filling in the gap for Christian missionaries, click here.

Warm Blessings,

Joyce Turner| Executive Director, MNpS | GapFill.org

You can help Christian Missionaries in 2017 / December 26, 2016 by gapfillorgblog

GapFill.org’s mission is to engage donors in Christian mission work by giving them a simple, accountable and personal way to address the needs of Christian missionaries. This helps to further God's work one project (or gap) at a time.Here are just a few current project needs.

Help Purchase a Scooter

Thanks for helping this single woman feel safe as she proclaims the gospel of Jesus in a sensitive area of the world.

Learn more >>

Back Surgery Need

Can you help Marlyn get back on his feet (literally) and back in the ministry God called him to be in?

Learn more >>

GapFill.org is always hearing about more Christian missionary needs and 2017 will be no different. Explore and learn here about the current items or projects needed as well as the missionaries who are needing them! You can be a part of the front lines here at GapFill.org for the needs of Christian missionaries.GapFill.org is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Will you prayerfully consider a special year-end gift before midnight, December 31? Thank you in advance for your support.

Support GapFillorg when shopping at Fry's Grocery Store at NO COST to you! / September 5, 2016 by gapfillorgblog

Do you shop at Fry’s Grocery Stores? If so this post is for you. You can now support GapFill.org while shopping at Fry’s. Fry’s offers a Community Rewards Program that gives a percent of your Fry’s purchases to local charities and GapFill.org is one of them. There is NO COST to you, the Fry’s donation is in addition to any Fry’s rewards you get. Since they offer this free, we were hoping you would consider selecting Gap Fill Org as your charity of choice. It is easy to sign-up (just 1 or 2 steps, see below instructions).Thanks for considering this free service that Fry’s offers. Also, feel free to share this with your friends!STEP 1: Creating an Online Fry’s Account **NOTE: If you already have an online Fry’s account, skip to#2

Go to http://www.frysfood.com/
Select ‘Register’.
Under Sign-In information, enter your email and create a password. (Write down your email & password—will need it in step 2)
Select ‘Use Card Number’.
Enter your Fry’s V.I.P Card Number, last name and postal code.
Under ‘Select Your Preferred Store’ enter your postal code.
Select ‘Find Stores’.
Choose your store then select ‘Create Account’.
You will then be prompted to check your email for a confirmation email.
Click the hyperlink in your email to finish creating your Online Fry’s Account.
Continue to step #2 to register for the Fry’s Community Rewards Program of your choice.

STEP 2: Register for the Fry’s Community Rewards Program

Go to https://www.frysfood.com/topic/community?activePage=community-rewards-2
Select ‘Sign-In’.
Enter your email and password then select ‘sign in’. (This will be the email and password you created in step 1)
Select ‘My Account then select ‘Account Settings’ from drop down menu.
Click ‘edit’ under Community Rewards. If prompted, enter personal information.
Under Find Your Organization: Enter Gap Fill Org, Inc. (there is a space between Gap and Fill) or use Organization Number: 55256
Under Select Your Organization: Select box next to Gap Fill Org, Inc.
Then select ‘save changes’.
If you have registered correctly, you should now see Gap Fill Org, Inc. listed under ‘Community Rewards’ on your Account Summary page.

Thanks so much for registering so GapFill.org can continue to help Christian missionaries with their project needs.

Warm Blessings,

Joyce Turner

Do You Know Mike and Sheri Bedient? / April 30, 2016 by gapfillorgblog

Mike and Sheri Bedient

have been personal friends of my husband Bill and I for 20 years. Their children and our children have grown up together through the Bedient's missionary years in Russia and at Arizona State University (ASU). So, it is with a thankful heart of service to Jesus that I present to you these two needs that they currently have.

Dental Need for Sheri

Sheri, has to have two of her teeth replaced and has no dental insurance...Ouch! As a way of thanking Sheri for her years of service to Jesus, can you donate toward her dental need?

Learn more >>

Sharing Jesus in Russia

As many of you know, Mike almost died on their 2009 Russia missions trip. While recovering in Berlin, Germany our Lord CLEARLY spoke to Mike, ..."It is not your time to come home...I have significant other things for you to do."With this great news, Mike and Sheri are heading to Russia this summer and need your help. Would you help Mike and Sheri engage again in the great work that Jesus gave them to do in Russia.

Learn more >>

Review all of our current projects in the Items Needed Tab at GapFill.org.Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.Ephesians 3:20-21Thank you in advance for your financial support and prayers for Mike and Sheri.

Warm Blessings,

Joyce Turner Executive DirectorGapFill.org, Inc.

To God Be the Glory!! / December 28, 2015 by gapfillorgblog

Please join me in praising God for His provisions to missionaries in 2015. God used your donations to...

...help a Mission School in North Africa.

This missionary writes, "You have been a great blessing and your input has made a tremendous difference in our pursuit of enthroning Jesus as Lord in the dark places of the earth. May God bless you richly".

...purchase solar panels to give heat to a widow.

Thank you for warming some of the least of these in the mountains. No small thing.

...support John and Kay West as they help widows and orphans in South Africa.

You helped widows and orphans receive clothes, food and more importantly shown the love of Christ.

...help in Bible College repairs.

You contributed to the repairs of the men's dormitory at NorthPoint Bible College. Please continue to pray that this winter will not be as severe as the winter of 2015!

Learn more >>

...and God continues to use your donations to help fund:

sharing the Gospel with Muslim people,
helping woman and children in North Africa,
a "thigh cuff" for Bobb Lewis's current leg device,
hearing aids for Kay West, missionary in South Africa,
training Papua New Guineans,
the teaching of the Mesem New Testament in Papua New Guinea, and
needed Christian Recording Equipment for the lost in North India.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. 1 Timothy 1:17

To Him Be the Glory!!

Blessings for a God inspired 2016!

Update from the West's: Meet Some Ministry Helpers in South Africa / November 8, 2015 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: I just received Kay and John West's newsletter and thought you would enjoy meeting some of their helpers in South Africa. To God Be the Glory for all the work He is doing! Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:29-30Most of you are parents, and know full well the joy when someone wants to hear about your children! So you will understand our delight that so many of you responded so positively to our last newsletter, which featured some of our interpreters. These darling young women have become like daughters to us, and most even call us “Mom” and “Dad.” We thank you for wanting to “meet” a few more of our helpers, not only because are they a vital part of the ministry here, but also because we have a very special place in our heart for each one!

The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discrete, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God may not be blasphemed. Titus 2:3-5

While we respond in ministry to wherever the Holy Spirit leads, the focus of the ministry to which God has called us is primarily to women. It is African women who nurture and shape the next generation, and our vision is that as we pour the love of Jesus and the Truth of His life-giving Word into their lives, their communities will be transformed from places of violence, death, and despair into neighborhoods reflecting God's Kingdom culture of peace, life, and hope.They say “there is no hurry in Africa,” and we have learned this to be overwhelmingly true! It is especially pertinent to discipleship; discipleship always takes time, commitment, and patience, and happens not only in overt ways like teaching the Bible, but also in simply “doing” life together. So while these young ladies serve alongside us, we are honored to disciple them as well, and we are so blessed with the beautiful fruits God is producing in their lives. Please forgive us if we sound like bragging parents! 1 Corinthians 1:17 tells us, Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. Yes, to Him be all the honor and glory!

The Lord announces the Word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng. Psalm 68:11

Nomvula Mdunge is a 31-year-old single mother of two daughters, Onke, age seven years, and Kuhle, age three years. She works as the head teacher at “Under His Wings” preschool in the community of Emanzana, and also oversees the cooking and feeding of approximately 100 children every weekday. She is smart and sassy and exuberant in her love for Jesus. She was able to finish three years of college before she lost her husband and had to quit in order to support her young children. Someday she hopes to complete her degree in education, and have her own home, as currently she is living with her sister and her sister's family.

Nomsa Nhlabathi is the 33-year-old sister of Nomvula and has three children: Sizwe (boy), age sixteen, Mfanafuthi (boy), age fourteen, and Lindiwe (girl), age three. This quiet but brilliant young woman completed three years of college and now works for Emoyeni (“In the Spirit”) Ministries where she is in charge of the administration for five care points serving over a thousand children. Nomsa is also a single mother and prays for wisdom in parenting, especially to her teenaged boys. Her dream is to have her own bakery someday.

Zenzile “Constancia” Maluka is a 33-year-old single mother of two and has a strong drive to make a difference in her community and in her country. Constancia currently works as a facilitator at Kingdom Shines Ministries where she oversees a preschool and feeding program for approximately 150 children. Her dream is to someday go back to school and become a social worker. In the meantime, this feisty and spirited lady is making a huge impact for the Lord right where she is planted. She recently lost both of her parents, but is undaunted even in her grief. In her words, “God is good to me all the time. No one is sick in my family. He protects us every day and He guides us along the way.” Constancia also wants “more strength to serve the kids at the care point and to give them love and a smile every day.” Last but not least, she also wants to “encourage other young women. They must be strong in the Word of God and they should not rush into everything that is not good. They must wait on God's right time.”

Nomcebo Anne Shongwe is 32 years old and works as a facilitator in her home village of “Lonhlupeko” which means “suffering” in siSwati. While Lonhlupeko is an area of much struggle, the preschool and care point where Nomcebo works is an island of joy and light for the children. Nomcebo comes from a large family and is blessed that her mother and father and her father's second wife (remember that polygamy is practiced here) are all still alive, as are her six brothers and two sisters. The father of her eight-year-old son, however, died of AIDS-related causes when her son was still a baby. She has recently remarried. Her income is R1,000 (roughly $75) a month. Part of her job is to visit all the care point kids in their homes regularly to check on their welfare (reporting abuse, teaching parenting skills to caregivers, ensuring medication compliance, monitoring that the children are getting enough to eat and their health, encouraging cleanliness of living environment, etc.) She says she is very emotional about women’s rights in Swaziland and sees far too many women being physically and sexually assaulted. She especially hates it when abuse happens, as it often does, in front of the kids. Nomcebo says Jesus has changed her life, and that, “He is my Everything, my Provider.” When she was a child, she dreamed of being an accountant but she is glad she is working with children now. Kay will never forget watching Nomcebo frantically chasing a two-year-old toddler who was in her care. The little girl was having a colossal temper tantrum and was running away from the safety of the care point at an astonishingly fast pace, with Nomcebo in rapid pursuit for at least a half mile. Nomcebo caught up to her just in time to prevent the still-screaming child from heading right into the dam where crocodiles lay in wait. Just an average day in the life of a preschool teacher in southern Africa!

Nomsa Debra Nkwanyana is twenty-eight years old and works alongside Nomcebo as a preschool teacher and care point facilitator. Nomsa's father died of AIDS-related causes and her mother is HIV positive and getting sicker. The father of Nomsa's only child, a nine-year-old daughter, was abusive to her and they are no longer in a relationship. Nomsa also recently adopted her young nephew when Nomsa's brother died, leaving the young boy as on orphan. In spite of all the sorrow she has experienced in her few short years, her faith and joy in the Lord are unshakable. She wishes everyone would believe in Christ because He is “the only one to trust—He provides all I need. He is everything to me. He means a lot to me because He is the reason I am alive today.” When she was a child she dreamed of being a high school teacher and owning a car and a beautiful home and being married to a faithful husband. Now her dreams are to “serve God as much as I can, each day learning new ways of praising Him.” Nomsa is also a hero to us. When Kay was training women in the community in prayer via the ministry of Moms In Prayer International, she was helping Nomsa set up chairs for the women who were participating. The chairs were stacked in the corner of the small rural classroom. Suddenly, Nomsa grabbed Kay's arm and roughly shoved her away from the corner, shouting, “cobra!” We thank God for her seasoned eye and quick reflexes which enabled Kay as well as herself to escape unscathed. It takes a lot to scare praying women, and the training continued once it was ascertained that it was safe and the snake was out of the way!Actually, to us, all these ladies are heroes, exhibiting a faith in the Lord that blows us away. They walk miles to work whether in the hot African sun, or the torrential rainstorms, or the surprisingly cold winter winds as none can afford a car. They survive the untimely deaths of family members, illnesses with substandard medical care, and rioting and strife in their communities, and yet their confidence in Jesus is unwavering and strong.There are no quick fixes to the many challenges facing our brothers and sisters here in southern Africa, but with the selfless service of women like these, God is moving towards His inexorable plan of salvation for those who hear and believe. And our lives are immensely richer for being allowed the privilege of serving alongside them.For His Kingdom,John and Kay WestWe hope to see as many of you as possible when we travel back to the US for the holidays, though our time with family will be paramount. We will be sharing more about the ministry at these venues:

Love of the Lord Community Church, 11:00am, Sunday, January 3, 2016
Jesus Cares Ministries, 6:30pm, Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Bridgeway Community Church, 9:00am and 10:30 am, Sunday, January 10, 2016

Prayer Requests:

Safe travel to and from the US
For all the new groups of praying women!
Ability to effectively communicate the wonderful things God is doing here in Southern Africa
God's wisdom as we face some challenging situations with family in the US
God's covering for our home, dogs, and ministry here in SA while we are back in the US

John and Kay West are missionaries in South Africa. Visit the “Current Needs” tab on the GapFill.org website to see how you can help the West Family.

Can You Help in Sharing the Gospel Truth with Muslim People? / October 2, 2015 by gapfillorgblog

GapFill Partners,I don't think it is a coincidence that GapFill has been receiving more and more requests for help in sharing the Gospel with Muslims. Muslim evangelism is one of the toughest fields of Christian witness. The harvest looks ripe, the missionaries are in place, can you help?

Italian translators needed for Muslim evangelism

Two Italians are needed to translate an evangelistic video with Bible study materials developed by Christians in the Middle East.

Car needed for Muslim evangelism

This single woman missionary, who is running a Christian mission school for local Arabs, is in need of a car.

Mission school needs for Muslim evangelism

Can you donate toward some of these school essentials from this list of mission school needs in a sensitive area of the world?

Using music to spread the name of Jesus in India

The door is wide open in India to creatively use music as an outreach. Can you help the young people of India write Hindi/Bengali worship songs to Jesus?

A door for effective work with Muslims has opened. We would love for you to be a part of it!

Blessings and thank you for your continued generosity,

Joyce

Meet this Courageous Arab Christian Missionary / June 13, 2015 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: I first heard about our latest GapFill.org missionary from my good friend and prayer partner Vicki. She told me of this amazing, courageous woman who had converted to Christianity. Her story is real, personal and encouraging to all of us as we try and see God's big picture in the events of our lives. Read about her background, God's call and her funding needs for "A School of Hope for the Arab Children". Due to the sensitive nature of the area she works in, her name and location cannot be disclosed. She is an Arab Christian now, however, was raised Muslim. Here is her story....

My Background

My parents were devout Muslims and made sure they taught us Islamic doctrines and way of life. My many siblings and I were made to go to Quranic School and say our five daily prayers.We had little contact with Christians except in a government school we were privileged to attend. The death of my dad at a young age made life difficult for us. My sisters all dropped out of school at 16 to get married to men they had never seen before. The arrangement was made by my uncles according to tradition and there was nothing they could do about it. Several attempts were made to give me out in marriage too but it all failed.

God's Call on My Life

I had two divine encounters in September 1992, which turned events around in my life. A man in white, whom I later learned to be Jesus, appeared to me in my room at about midnight one night. He looked straight into my eyes. His look brought back the messages I had heard a week earlier from two Christian women. He searched out all my sins and brought them to the surface. I felt so much guilt and shame and broke down in tears. I rose up when I felt the burdens in my heart were lifted. I opened my eyes but he was nowhere to be found. A similar event occurred a few days later. This time He spoke and said, “I am here to break the yoke upon your life.” I have never, after this experience, thought of returning to Islam. It was then I knew the yoke He meant was the yoke of Islam.After my conversion, several attempts were made by my immediate family members to eliminate me. My elder brother, who later embraced Christ, confessed to poising my food and drink several times. The Lord neutralized the effect of the poisons and I grew stronger. This infuriated my brothers and they resorted to beating me mercilessly. They had left me for dead several times but the Lord kept strengthening me. The family met and decided I had brought so much shame to the family by being a Christian. Their final verdict was for me to be thrown into the lagoon. A date was set but I got wind of their plan and escaped. The brethren in the local church were threatened and they brought me back to my family. I faced another set of persecutions which included hunger, neglect and deprivation. I had no friends and I had to face the wrath of my uncles day by day. The worst came when I refused to marry the man they had arranged for me to marry. I reported the case to the police station because I was 18 years old by then and of age where I could make decisions by myself. My family was terribly angry and they all rejected me and vowed never to have anything to do with me again. I left them that day and found comfort in the arms of my Christian friends. I got a job in a private school as an assistant teacher. I saved some money and bought forms which gave me access to have a university education. Shortly before my admission, my uncle became a Christian and was willing to support me all through college. A few weeks later, he was assassinated in cold blood. I went to the university without any tangible help. I had no sponsor and hardly had enough. I had no good clothes and no food to eat. I went to classes sometimes on an empty stomach. But God saw me through and I graduated six years later instead of four because I refused to give in to the seductive requests of three male lectures which earned me extra semesters. I heard an audible voice while in college. After days of fasting and prayers, the Lord said, “I will use you to help your people.” The “help” God spoke about was later unfolded as I sought His face. This vision is what gave birth to my current ministry which is a faith based initiative geared towards giving hope and a future (in Christ) to the Arabs. After college graduation I joined a theological seminary which helped to shape my current ministry.

What's Next?

GapFill has partnered with this courageous woman in "The School of Hope for Arab Children" project that has been posted to GapFill.org's website. At the moment, 23 Arab children between the ages of 3 to 13 years attend the school while 43 others receive educational support at another care center located off-site. Their goal in this faith-based initiative is to expose these young children to the saving power of Jesus and make them mighty arrows in the hands of the Lord. Below are items that currently need funding.

School Needs

Rent $1,650/year

2 additional teachers – 1st year $1,320

Sustainability for 2 teachers $55/month/teacher

School Supplies $500

Furniture $600

Uniforms $500

Computers / Laptop $1,000

Check out this Current Needs on GapFill.org to donate online.

This Arab Christian missionary is in place; the nursery and primary school is in place; the off-site care center is in place; and, God’s Spirit is bringing students in. GapFill is asking you to help “fill in the gap” with donations toward school needs noted above. By training the young children in the truth, GapFill believes this is one small way they can begin to give the hope in Christ to Arab children. Many blessings and thanks for your generosity.

Visit the “Current Needs” tab on the GapFill.org website to see how you can give the hope in Christ to Arab children.

Gapfill.org's Impact! / April 26, 2015 by gapfillorgblog

Good Afternoon GapFill Partners,At least it is the afternoon where I live, and I am enjoying a type of calm before the storm as I write this update. (My daughter gets married in 3 weeks...Yikes!)I cannot put into words how blessed I feel to be part of this GapFill community who all feel such a passion for Christian mission work. I do not believe you will truly know the impact you have had this side of heaven on Christian missionaries lives, and for that I humbly thank you. Some of that impact starts with...

heat needed for a widow missionary in a sensitive area of the world.

Enough money was raised to buy solar panels for this widow's roof to supply her home with heat. To give you an idea of the type of woman she is and how she spends the money entrusted to her from you, she told one of her fellow missionaries that she should have a quote for the solar project within the next few weeks. She mentioned many people say they can do it but really cannot. She does not want to waste any funds until she is sure the work can be completed correctly. But then she laughed and said, "Now we will be ready for summer", which was kind of amusing. But next winter she will be all the more thankful. This type of stewardship is indicative of all of our GapFill missionaries.

Speaking of missionaries in sensitive areas... new for 2015 is Kevin Rodriguez - preaching the Word of God in a closed area of the world. He will be gone one month traveling to different spots within this “closed country” preaching the Word and sharing the light of Jesus to the native people and orphans.

Another new project for 2015 is the Northpoint Bible College Repairs.

This may seem like a strange project to have on GapFill’s website but the winter in the Northeast United States was very severe this year (as in other parts of the US) and since Northpoint Bible college is the “breeding” ground for Christian missionaries it only made sense to help them in this need.

Review all of our current projects in the Current Needsat GapFill.org.

Thanks again for the impact you are making this side of heaven,

Joyce

Sharing Jesus with Muslim Women / August 2, 2014 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: So how does God call missionaries? Many times it is one step at a time, one change at a time. Vanessa Hernandez is one step closer after her return from Madrid, Spain and North Africa where she did an internship to get a better understanding of the Muslim community, in particular Muslim women where she believes God is calling her to minister. Vanessa spent 6 weeks living among the Muslim people and has shared some of her thoughts.

What is Required?"... From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48It's no mystery that here in America we have been given so much. After having a great conversation with someone I look up to, I couldn't stop thinking about this verse she shared. We live in a country in which we have been given the chance to know and follow God. A LOT has been given to us, churches everywhere, and the choice to follow Him or…this world. The Lord requires more of me...of us for MUCH has been given. I believe He holds us up to a higher standard because of what has been given. I think back to a conversation I had with young ladies from Bangladesh and what they have not been given. One young lady in particular can’t even admit to her father she prayed in the name of Jesus. But she is giving Jesus all she can, and what she is able to do. It just made me fall to my knees on just how lucky we have it. Though all of us come from different situations we have the choice. A good friend told me, "Christ is enough, and if He wasn't than there would be no hope.” So though life seems hard, Christ will always be enough. For nothing can compare. To the ones that know Jesus…we have a job to do. He is expecting us to live out all we have been given. I want to live out with NO excuses because …well...Christ is enough.

Who can Compare?"I am the way the truth and the light."Every other religion points towards the way. They point and use prophets to try to “make a point”. But it never actually makes sense. In fact Muslims don’t have any guarantee of actually going to heaven. They live their life keeping track of their good and bad deeds.But our Jesus is the only way. He is the only one to have said, “I am the way the truth and light.” (John 14:6). It’s no mystery or an opinion, it"s all true. Nothing can compare to our Jesus. Maybe some of you know someone who can’t grasp who Jesus is yet, or might be having a hard time believing in who He is. Share with them stories of how Jesus has healed, and set those in bondage free. The word of God does it by itself, we simply communicate it.For He is the way, the truth..and the light.

Lets pray for the Arab World

My next door neighbor while being in Morocco was a Mosque where prayers went off all day and was a little of a surprise at 4 am. Should we not be concerned with the 40% that does not know right from wrong? Should we not be praying, mobilizing, and going forth to proclaim the gospel to those that have not heard? Are we really following the Great Commission? There are approximately 11,500 people groups and about 6,500 are unreached. The unreached consists of muslims, hindus, atheists, tribal/folk, etc. They are loved in the eyes of Jesus and we must pray that He himself will reveal in their dreams. Imagine walking through a country in which saying the name of Jesus is dangerous. Constantly hearing the call to prayer go out through the day and the feeling of complete darkness walking through the streets. They need hope. They need Jesus. Lets pray for the Arab World.

Visit our “ Current Needs” tab on the GapFill.org website to see if God is calling you to “fill in the gap” for a current missionary in need.

Update from the Mesem in Papua New Guinea / May 26, 2014 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: It has been almost a year and a half since I had the privilege of being at the Mesem New Testament dedication in Papua New Guinea. This was a twenty year work for missionaries Neil and Kathy Vanaria. Neil was able to return to Papua New Guinea in April of 2014 to check on the Mesem to see how the churches and the Christians were doing. I told Neil that he must have felt like the Apostle Paul checking on his churches he planted. Neil has just returned and sent me the following update. Thank you GapFill donors for giving toward the Preaching the Mesem New Testament project as Neil was able to use the donated monies to help the churches and Mesem Christian missionaries in need. Here is Neil's update. At the time we were celebrating the arrival of the Mesem New Testament (NT) with our Mesem friends our schedules allowed us to participate in the initial celebration, however, none of us were able to participate in the celebration & distribution which took place in almost every village after we left. There are however some great reports. In Hobu village, an older woman who had worn eyeglasses from a young age was very concerned when she heard she was to get her own copy of the Mesem NT. Her eyes were pretty bad and she used eyeglasses for everything, cooking, going to the garden, walking along the trail. Her eyes were bad enough that reading was not something she could do very easily. So when she heard she was to get her own copy of the Mesem NT she became concerned that she might not ever be able to read it. So she simply asked the Lord to heal her eyes so she could read the Mesem NT when she received it. That was months before the NT arrived. And on the day she received the NT the Lord healed her eyes. Not only does she read but she no longer needs eyeglasses at all!My visit to the Mesem also brought me to Niso village where we had done a comprehension check of 1, 2, 3 John & Jude back in 2008. On this visit I could see there seemed to be some significant interest in adult literacy and producing more books - especially Sunday school material. Later the village elder, Fisika, asked me if I knew why there was so much interest in reading even though the initial celebration and distribution of the NT was more than a year ago. He then told me that after they had brought the Mesem NT in cartons from Samanzing they decided to have their thanksgiving and distribution service the next day. Fisika said that during the service when they cut the sealing tape from the cartons & opened them there was such a strong presence of God that many people could not stand up! So now they feel like the best way to get that power is by learning to read. Many younger Mesem can read and read well. Adults have not always been interested. So I suggested to Fisika that each Sunday they read 3 or 5 verses of John together after church. Taking the time to be sure each person who comes to that Sunday reading lesson can adequately read the selected verses, then assigning those same verses as practice through the week in preparation for public reading the following Sunday. Repeat each week. It shouldn't be long before people who had not learned before will feel comfortable reading Mesem.I also delivered 6 copies of our current project - a New Testament cultural reader called "How the Jews Lived" to Yanga, Dick, Funkeka, Kundolo and two vernacular school teachers, Konaga & NoBruce. Their job will be to read through the book - which I had printed before leaving the US - to make spelling & other corrections. Once that is done they will mail the book to me and I will enter the final corrections into the computer. Once in final form I will email the file to the Evangelical Brotherhood Church print shop in Lae. I met with them and they said they would be happy to print out the book - about 65 pages long - for us. The print shop manager has given me the bank details so I can send payment from here and I also introduced him to Yanga & Dick who will come down from the village to proof-read the text before production begins. The Yanga Explains picture is of Yanga telling people in the village about this new book we are producing. After talking things over with Dick & Yanga we have decided to begin translating the Book of Job into Mesem. It really fits their world view of "if you do nothing bad, nothing bad happens to you", of God's control over our lives and of the unity of man & woman in marriage. I will spend about one day a week preparing the rough draft in Mesem and sending it along to Dick & Yanga a chapter at a time. Others are interested and have already begun translating the Psalms. Dick Hedzure is very frustrated with the contentions of adults in Samanzing but continues in his calling as a teacher of the Gospel to children and young adults in Samanzing & Mukuwe villages. Yanga Tumbe lost his younger brother earlier this year. Yanga's brother was working far away in Alatau when he died and so communication and repatriation of the body back to the family were very time consuming. While Yanga remains very busy preaching and teaching in Mesem his real priority needs to be building a house for his family. We talked about that again.Funkeka Karise & husband Sikiong have dedicated a room in the house which Sikiong built of concrete brick, the room will be used to support Mesem NT activities. In addition to safely storing NTs which are yet to be distributed, Sikiong is in the process of getting bids to install solar electricity into the house. Once that is complete we will have a place to print Mesem materials and quite possibly reliable email & telephone communication. Kitiwanu Lounu has made a couple of visits out to the east Mesem to promote reading and NT distribution. He has for the last year held Bible studies, scripture reading & worship sessions under a palm-leaved roofed sun shelter he built next to his own house. People meet twice a week with Kitiwanu. Ulam Papane & Kimambi Kumbo continue to support reading the Scriptures in Mesem and will help with corrections to "How the Jews Lived" and in editing/revising of the Book of Job. While there were a lot of conversations I did not get to have, I am really encouraged to see & hear the Mesem NT is being widely used and still supported by the community. Neil and Kathy Vanaria are currently working on the translation of the Tok Pisin Study Bible while they "keep tabs" on how the Mesem are doing.

Visit the “Current Needs” tab on the GapFill.org website to see how you can continue to help Christian missionaries.

Update from John and Kay West - Missionaries in South Aftrica / March 1, 2014 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: I just received Kay and John West’s newsletter and thought I would share it. What a great post on reconciliation as we head into this season of Lent.

And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:20

I am writing this letter in the midst of seeming chaos. Empty and full and half-full boxes have invaded our entire house. Random piles greet me everywhere I look, and the house we've called home for three and a half years now is in seeming shambles as we labor to get ready to move to the country of South Africa in less than one week, while simultaneously continuing ministry here in Swaziland. In addition there are still many unanswered questions about work permits, how we'll afford to live where the costs of living are higher, if we'll have any problems crossing the border with our belongings, and if the leaks in the ceiling and plumbing in our new home will be fixed when we move in.Yet we stand firm, knowing God is in charge, and we trust Him. He is a God of order, of peace, and of reconciliation. We know He has a plan!

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier,the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandmentsand regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two,thus making peace, and in this one body toreconcileboth of them to God through the cross,by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who werefar away and peace to those who were near. Ephesians 2:14

Reconciliation to Himself through the cross was and is His master plan, and we are so thankful for this fact that we are committed to pouring out our lives to share this good news!Lately, though, He has also been placing on our hearts another facet of reconciliation--between people, and specifically between the diverse races and classes that make up the “Rainbow Nation” of South Africa.We are and will be smack dab in the middle of “Mandela country.” Most of you probably heard that Nelson Mandela died at the end of 2013. It was worldwide news; here, it was a MAJOR event, and a MAJOR time of grief for Swaziland and for South Africa. Whatever you think of the man, his methods, and his motives, there is no denying what he did for his country during a pivotal, violent time. His message of forgiveness and reconciliation has radically impacted the lives and hearts of South Africans and of much of the world.Sadly, there still exists a huge gap between rich (predominantly the white South Africans) and the poor (predominantly the black South Africans), and between the association of most whites and most blacks. The CIA website explains it in this way. “The first multiracial elections in 1994 brought an end to Apartheid....South Africa since then has struggled to address Apartheid-era imbalances in decent housing, education, and healthcare.” The site provides many statistics to back this up. Just a few include 31.3% of the population below the poverty line, and an unemployment rate of 25.1%. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html

We have personally witnessed valiant attempts by both blacks and whites to get along after decades of segregation and mistrust, but we still see a huge amount of fear from both sectors, and definite discrepancies in standards of living. Our friends from SA, both blacks and whites, fear for our safety as we whites venture into “black” neighborhoods. (A caveat here—I have never felt it necessary to distinguish between races and it appalls me to do so now, but the fact is that in SA, racism going both ways is a major issue and pretending it doesn't exist would be foolhardy.)We have no idea how God might use us, but we do believe He will, in His plan to reconcile His people in South Africa. We know we find great joy in speaking siSwati to the black South Africans and seeing their astonishment that white people care enough to learn their language. :) We are also committed to learning a decent amount of Afrikaans, another of the 11 official languages in our new country of service and the primary language of the majority of whites there. We know we have so much else to learn as well. But we are willing vessels—stay tuned!In the meantime, we remain committed to being “ministers of reconciliation” by sharing the Gospel and His love wherever He leads us. We are in awe and delighted that God uses us even in the midst of the mundane and frustrating business of moving to another country.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sinsagainst them And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Cor. 5:17

Before sharing some of those mundane details, I want to share just one story of how God has been working recently in our lives. We had only a few days in Nelspruit, SA, our future home, to find a place to live. It was a discouraging time of many doors being figuratively and literally shut in our faces, and to be honest, we felt like giving up. But, as we shared with our gracious hosts and friends Mitch and Char, even if we couldn't find the house we thought we needed, we knew that God had a Kingdom plan that might or might not suit our impatience and selfishly-perceived essential conditions. We are so grateful that He doesn't give up on us, and uses us in spite of our egocentric desires. On the last day, we met with a potential landlord named Bailey. He's quite a character, and the house he became willing to rent to us after our interview is rather dilapidated, though roomy, and in a safe neighborhood. The interview itself progressed quickly from formal to informal, and in the course of all his coarse jokes we were told that he has cancer that progressed from his colon to his liver, and that he is afraid. We also discovered that this man has a praying wife. Bailey doesn't quite yet seem to grasp that God's grace and mercy are all he needs to cover a life of sin, but we believe he will. We were allowed the privilege of praying for Bailey, right there in the realtor's office, while tears rolled down his cheeks. We know God is not finished with our intermingled stories—He has woven our lives together for His wondrous purposes. Yes, we signed the lease.

Timeline:

March 1--move from Swaziland to South Africa
April 1-4--retreat with other missionaries on our team with whom we will serve the townships, as well as with the local pastors from those areas. The purpose will be to get to know each other and everyone's roles as we come together to share the Gospel and practical help for those in dire need.
May—will start “official” ministry with widows and orphans in the townships. But we all know that as we're surrendered servants, God uses us each and every day!

Prayer Requests:

The work of reconciliation—to God and amongst people
Bailey to know the full goodness and peace of reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.
Funding for a new (used) vehicle for us. Driving in rural Africa to far-flung villages is brutal on vehicles, as is transporting carloads of people, food boxes for care points, drinking water, firewood, building supplies, live chickens...
The fields are ripe for harvest in the South African townships—please pray for open hearts to receive God's love as He directs us to show it.

John and Kay West are missionaries in South Afraica. Visit the “Current Needs” tab on the GapFill.org website to see how you can help the West Family.

Will You Partner With GapFill.org? / December 28, 2013 by gapfillorgblog

As 2013 comes to a close, will you consider partnering with us and give a year-end, tax-deductible gift to help "fill in the gap" for Christian missionaries. These men and woman are living examples of Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!” (NLT)Here are some highlights of projects that still need funding. You can also visit the donate tab on GapFill.org's website for a one-time gift or to set-up automatic monthly donations.

Helping Bobb Walk

GapFill.org donors purchased for Bobb Lewis the Bioness Foot Drop Device back in 2012 after he suffered a stroke on the mission field. Bobb has made great progress with his foot drop device and is now ready for added stability and stimuli with a “thigh cuff” add on (L300 Plus). Please prayerfully consider donating to this worthwhile addition to Bobb’s current leg device as Bobb and Kayleen continue to serve Jesus in Malaysia.

Help Amos

Matthew and Sarah, Christian missionaries serving in a "sensitive area", found out their newborn son Amos had Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). As a result, they headed stateside to Fort Worth, TX to be near a TSC Center. They are currently staying with family as they find treatment for Amos and a place to live.

Time Sensitive Projects

Periodically, GapFill hears of missionary projects that are time sensitive and funds are needed immediately. Funds donated to this project will be accumulated and distributed when GapFill is made aware of these needs. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Children's Home

We continue to wait patiently and pray with John and Kay for children to fill this beautiful facility. It is only a matter of time before eight of the neediest of children will fill the building with love and laughter.

Help Widows and Orphans

Help John and Kay West as they provide for widows and orphans in South Africa. Your donation will help oversee building projects for widows, the payment of fees for the education of children, distribute clothing, food and Bibles.

Thank you for partnering with GapFill.org. We wish you and your loved ones a blessed 2014.

Blessings,

Joyce

Visit our Current Needs tab on the GapFill.org's website to see how you can continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Update from Matthew, Sarah and Family / November 2, 2013 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: Matthew and Sarah, a Christian tent-making family serving in a "sensitive area" for ten years, found out their newborn son Amos has Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). This is a serious genetic disorder that requires special medical attention. As a result, they are heading stateside to Fort Worth, TX, to be near a TSC Center. Thanks for continuing to be the "hands and feet" of Jesus by helping to meet the needs of this missionary family.

Update From Matthew

First, we want to express a large and heartfelt thank you to the many of you that have sent messages of encouragement, offered up prayers and even helped us financially. We thank you all so much.

Second, Sarah made it to Texas safely, and she and Amos are doing fine. She is a bit bored, having no friends, having no way to go from place to place (aside from walking), and being in the U.S. where people just don't hang out outside like they do in China. Amos is fine; he hasn't shown any other symptoms as of yet and seems to be developing normally. Sarah has found two studies being done by the TSC Clinic in Houston that would pay for travel to Houston and give some (not all) tests (e.g. MRI, EEG) for free, so that sounds promising. God's blessings continue to appear. Sarah's also spending time looking online for deals on a car or minivan.

Third, I finished my last day of work this week, though I'm still working on some materials, including a description of duties and tasks to be done that I will need to give to the new EAP teacher replacing me. Barnabas and I fly out Nov. 6. Between then and now I have dinners with friends to attend, repacking to do, goodbyes to say, and generally keep my head from spinning off. Once I arrive, I'll definitely take a few days to rest and enjoy being with Sarah and Amos again. Then it will be off to the races trying to get a vehicle, sending out resumes, and looking for ways to get insurance and/or assistance in paying for Amos's treatments.

Prayer Needs

A car/minivan: Despite my dislike of PCs (personal cars), I know we need one at a hopefully reasonable price.
My students: The new teacher hasn't arrived yet, and I worry that he won't. I know the students are no longer my responsibility, but I still care about them and want them to learn and reach their goals.
A job or a place? I'm really wrestling with the question of whether I should pray for a job and simply go where the jobs are or whether I should ask Him where to go and trust that He has a job for me. It's an interesting but significant difference.
Insurance & Medical costs: Ironically with the AFA website troubles and so forth, this may be the worst possible time to be going back to the U.S. for medical treatment. I'm also having difficulty with the Texas CHIP web application, so neither of the boys are yet insured. Not to mention Sarah or me.
Adjustment: Just yesterday, I began to feel overwhelmed by all that lays before me: jobs, forms, applications, a culture I now feel alien in, disappointments, costs, etc. Ask that I (and we) would draw nearer to Jesus and walk with Him in these.

As a not-so-side note, I need a job. If you have connections that may be of help, please direct them to

info@gapfill.org and GapFill will relay them to me.

Blessings to you all,

Visit the Current Needs tab on the GapFill.org website to see how you can help this "Family in Need".

Update from the Weber's Papua New Guinea Trip / October 5, 2013 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: The Webers have returned from their visit to see the Bimin people in Papua New Guinea and are full of stories of God's Blessings. Thank you GapFill donors for your support in helping to make this trip possible. May you be blessed as God's Word is heard throughout PNG on solar powered Audio Bibles.

Update From the Webers

We are back from our trip to Papua New Guinea! And full of wonderful memories! Each of us (Christiane, Thomas and our son David, 16) has a different story to tell, but the consensus is that it was a great time of having time for friends! We boiled liters and liters of water to make tea and coffee, ate crackers by the kilo and swapped stories with our friends and "family" out in our village in the remote Bimin area (in the Star Mountains of Papua New Guinea) as well as with colleagues and friends at the base, Ukarumpa. Just to be able to sit down and share about each others' lives, of experiences over the last three and a half years in which we had not seen and barley heard from each other, was totally worth the trip. Hugs, shaking hands, looking at each other and marveling at the fact that we really had come this far, back to our home of 20 years, were part of the experience. And we are so thankful to our Lord God for his love and protection – both in PNG and in Switzerland.For David, this was a trip of catching up with school friends and village family, an opportunity to do things he was not allowed to do three years ago because he simply was too young then: using adventurous public transport, staying out till curfew... to name a few. Attending the High School graduation of good friends of his was also a treat.For Christiane and Thomas, seeing our "grandchildren" and children among the Bimin, hearing about their accomplishments at school, rejoicing with them in their successes and crying together about losses was priceless. And on the other side, spending time with some of our "parents" knowing that we may not see them again on this earth, simply because life expectancy in PNG is not as high as in Europe, was really special and bitter-sweet.

Audio Bibles Distributed

A highlight of this trip was the distribution of 230 solar powered MP3 Audio Bibles with 20 books of the BimWeng New Testament on them. We were able to supply a number to the school, they are being used in their library system. To prepare students from the even more remote parts of the language group to carry another quantity of the Audio Bibles home into their villages and instruct key people with the usage, we spent an afternoon at the (only) local school and taught teachers and students how to use these simple MP3 players and had a lot of fun together.More of the Audio Bibles were distributed to all 20 villages, mainly to people who have never and will most likely never learn how to read and write because of their age and other contributing factors.

The Old Testament Translation Continues

Spending time with the men who are continuing to translate God's Word into BimWeng (only a small part of the OT has been translated so far), we heard about their daily struggles, but also their plans to keep on with the translation. We were able to encourage them and spend time with all our co-workers and their families as well. They even made a special meal for us, prepared traditionally in a ground-oven.Back in Switzerland, we are now able to keep in much better contact and get news from the Bimin area regularly, thanks to cell phones. We can also send and receive texts. Bimin itself does not have direct reception, but there are "sweet spots" with reflections of the geographically next tower. Another new development going along with the cell phones is the possibility to load the audio files of the NT as well as the Jesus Film, which was dubbed into BimWeng in 2005, onto micro SD-cards so people can listen to the text and watch the movie!

Thank You!

We are grateful for God's protection during this memorable trip and to all of you for contributing financially and with your prayers to make it happen! Thank you!

Update from the West Family / August 11, 2013 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: I just received Kay and John West's newsletter and thought I would share it. If you are facing hardship or seemingly insurmountable obstacles in your own life, I hope you will do as the West's are doing - pray, let go, and let God!For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways . . . Isaiah 55:9Before leaving for the mission field, we got some wise advice about what not to put into newsletters, such as emotional pleas for financial help alongside photos of emaciated and starving children. It has been our desire to glorify God in every message we send, and we generally prefer to send newsletters that are uplifting and encouraging. Our Lord has blessed us beyond measure, and has used these jars of clay in ways for His Kingdom far beyond anything we could have hoped for or imagined. Therefore sending missives full of joyous reports has been effortless and sincere.Yet God has impressed on my heart this time to share some of the heartbreaks we’ve been dealing with. If there were no sorrow, there would be no need for God’s compassion; if there were no grief, there would be no need for God’s consolation. It is in the darkest times that He shines the brightest. We are learning to “let go and let God” and pray that as you read these heartrending situations you will also know and trust in His great love and the hope that is found in Him alone.One of the biggest challenges we face here is seeing relentless poverty and disease, and simply not being able to “fix” it all. As white Americans, we are persistently sought for solutions. There is a prevalent belief among Swazis that all Americans have infinite resources and infinite wisdom. It is easy to fall prey to believing we must solve every problem and meet every need in our own strength, and it is distressing not to be able to do so when the suffering is so great. We must resist the trap of “playing God.”As missionaries representing Jesus Christ, we want to do our best to show His mercy and provision. And often we do have the God-given resources and are able to help. Those times are wonderful, and we are careful to always reflect the glory and honor back to Him.Yet there are many other times when “all” we can do is share a few verses and pray with the one asking for miracles. In our flesh, this is painful, but we know that it is in these times that we can share the powerful truth that ONLY the Lord is able, that ONLY Jesus is the way. We must teach reliance on Him alone.For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 1 Corinthians 1:25

Situation #1

During our hospital ministry time a couple of weeks ago, our team encountered a young woman who is in one of the ladies’ Bible study groups Kay leads. Nelsiwe grew up on the streets as a child when her parents were killed in a car wreck and her father’s other wife (remember that polygamy is practiced here) kicked her siblings and her out of their home. She found refuge as a young adult with a kind woman of God in one of the mud hut communities here. However, once she acquired AIDS and tuberculosis, her benefactor was no longer able to care for her with her own meager resources. Nelsiwe begged her stepmother to take her in, to no avail. After sleeping in a neighbor’s outdoor toilet for several nights, she made her way to the hospital seeking medical help. She is very sick with TB and wound up spending the night in a nearby field while waiting for medical care. When we heard her story, we immediately prayed seeking God’s guidance, and then began contacting every resource we knew. No one was able to take her in. With hearts breaking, we bought her a decent hot meal and a warm blanket since it’s winter here, prayed with her and hugged her, and had to walk away, and let go and let God. We continue to check in on her and pray for her and dream of a better way....so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand..., and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

Situation # 2

A few months ago a three-year-old boy, Siyabonga, went missing. Both his mother and great-grandmother attend one of our women’s Bible study groups. Though a missing persons report has been filed with the police, no trace of the child has been found. It is believed that the boy was either sold into child slavery and taken to another country, or ritually murdered for “muti”—a potion concocted by witch doctors here and believed to produce power for recipients. We will never give up hope and continue to pray for answers, but we are also called to grieve with this family and to help them let go and let God.Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Situation #3

Recently we were teaching a message from God’s Word with some fellow missionaries in one of the villages. All went well until we began sharing communion with the believers there. Suddenly, a drunk man began shouting nonsense words and causing quite a disturbance. While we continued passing out the elements, determined not to let anything disrupt this holy time, another man happened by. Apparently this second man had just gotten off from working in the fields nearby, noticed the commotion, and decided to help us to pacify the first man. A shoving match rapidly ensued, ending quite abruptly when our “benefactor” picked up a large rock and hit the drunk man in the head with it, causing blood to spurt all over. This in turn caused everyone to scatter because of the fear of AIDS transmission. Apparently the drunk fellow was ok because he continued his ranting and raving. All this happened in a matter of minutes, and all we could do is let go and let God because it was all out of our control. We continued to minister to the stragglers, but left rather shaken up. This story is not over. In an amazing turn of events, we met the girlfriend of the inebriated gentleman a couple of days later when we were ministering at the hospital and led her to the Lord! Stay tuned!...”My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness...” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Situation #4

Ncamsile is Kay’s interpreter, ministry assistant, and close friend here. This single mother of six lives in a mud hut village amongst the poorest of the poor. Since she’s started serving the Lord full time, she has been abundantly blessed in many ways through God’s grace poured out through many of you, yet life is still brutally hard for her in many ways. Ncamsile never complains and is always full of joy. We were horrified to find out recently that she and her young children had been without enough food to eat all week as she had recently had to pay school fees for her older children and had to make the brutal choice as to how best to use the little money she had. Thankfully we were able to intervene and she and her kids now have enough to eat again. However, we know we cannot magically transport her to a better life; we are unable to meet all her needs. No matter how much we love her, in fact because we love her so much, it is imperative that we let go and let God.So shall My word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

Situations #5, 6, 7,...

Being far away from family members in crisis and unable to come alongside them—let go and let God.
Knowing there are children in desperate need but there is a power-hungry bureaucrat in the way, all we can do is wait for the permit for the children’s home and—let go and let God.
Feeling we can't face one more day of the incessant need all around us—let go and let God.
Sitting in an African hospital for emergency surgery for my hubby—let go and let God.
Facing the reality that we can't heal every sickness, can't feed every mouth, can't force a man to stop beating his wife and can't encourage her to leave because she has no place to go and no way to support herself or her children, can’t stop every death—let go and let God.
Attending the funeral of yet another child—let go and let God.

The story is told in Luke 5 of fishermen not catching any fish all night. Jesus told them to cast their nets and suddenly their nets were so full of fish the nets began to break and they had to get help to collect all the fish. This teaches us that we can do nothing on our own strength. All we can do is what we are called to do to the best of our God-given abilities, and trust Him for the outcome. In that, we rejoice, and hope that you do as well.

Those who sow in tears shall reap with joy. Psalm 126:5

If this post has left you with an ache in your heart; or if you are facing hardship or seemingly insurmountable obstacles in your own life, we hope you will do as we do—pray, and let go and let God! He is faithful, loving, and good. He is wise, all-powerful, and merciful. He is our ever-present help in our time of need, and He will never leave us or forsake us. Amen! Leaning on His everlasting arms!

John and Kay West are missionaries in Swaziland (A country slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey, ruled by the world’s last absolute monarch. An African kingdom of approximately one million people…who are dying at an astonishing rate) . Visit the “ Current Needs” tab on the GapFill.org website to see how you can help the West Family.

"Nkhulunkhulu muhle, sonkhe sikhatisi!" God is good, all the time! / May 19, 2013 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: Kay and John West had a "scare" in Swaziland the beginning of May, emergency surgery needed for John in a third world country. GapFill has added a project to help with the medical bills and future surgeries needed. They do have insurance but will still have "out of pocket" expenses. Still working on getting the exact amount, but wanted to include Kay's recap below in our blog. As Kay mentions, "Nkhulunkhulu muhle, sonkhe sikhatisi!" "God is good, all the time!"Briefly, John woke me up early Tues. morning saying he felt he needed to go to the hospital. The hospital is approx. 2 and 1/2 hours away and across the international border in South Africa. We quickly packed overnight bags just in case. John was in pain but miraculously was able to drive. This was truly a blessing as I'd never driven in SA and the 2-lane highways are tricky. We got to the ER around 10:30 am and ended up waiting 6 hours. During that time they did do some tests, including a CT scan once they saw the results of the primary tests. Once the doctor saw the CT scan, suddenly there was a lot of movement and they rushed John to the operating room (called the theater here). Thankfully our friends Char and Sandra showed up at that time to give lots of support. They waited with me until John was out of surgery. Crazy, but no one ever came to tell us he was out, or to let us know how it went, but these two pros (Char and Sandra--more on that in a minute) knew how to get the info. Though John seemed to be okay, it was about 8:30 pm when he was finally wheeled into his ward (ward with 3 other men, beds sectioned off by curtains), and I refused to leave so the sweet staff found me an empty hospital bed in another ward to "sleep" in.Wed. and Thurs. were spent just letting them clean John's wound and waiting for the infection to be gone. I stayed at the hospital all day, and slept at the home of our friends Mitch and Char. John was still on IV drip for pain and antibiotics all this time. Fri. we were on an emergency waiting list for John's next surgery, for the wound to be stitched up. They finally took him back around 3:45 pm and returned him to his ward around 5:35. Sat. he was released around 12:30 pm and we quickly took care of necessary business and came back to Swaziland before the border closed at 6 pm! Yep, John drove again!John will need to go back next Mon., May 20, to get the staples removed, and then in 6 weeks he'll need another surgery for a hernia that suddenly showed up post op this time. At least this time we can plan better!Blessings:

One car is still in the shop and the other is not in great working order. God got us there and back!
You prayed all last year for our fellow Swazi missionary friends Mitch and Char. Mitch is the one who had a botched emergency appendectomy here in Swaziland and multiple life-threatening complications for months after that. He endured over 5 months in the very same hospital (where he was transferred after the initial bad surgery) where John stayed this time. Because of his hard-earned experience, he and his precious wife Char had invaluable insight and wisdom and practical advice to help us through the week, and they know the hospital and staff backwards and forwards!
Mitch and Char as well as our mutual friend Sandra also "just happened" to move to Nelspruit (city where the hospital is located) just last month. As part of their ministry, they actually purchased and live in a beautiful retreat facility, and so were more than equipped to allow me to stay with them in their gorgeous place!
John takes VERY good care of me. But this week I was forced to learn lots of new skills, like driving in Nelspruit (pretty scary night one night getting lost), how to use a smart phone for emails and FB, and how to use our GPS, and how to purchase cell phone airtime.
Our "adopted" Swazi "son" "just happened" to be travelling through Nelspruit and was able to be there with me when they wheeled John away for the 2nd time.
A friend "just happened" to have it on her heart to give us a little extra money this month the same day John was admitted to the hospital--this will go a long ways in taking care of some of the costs incurred.
The morning we were to leave the hospital there was a pretty intense storm raging outside--this part of the world gets wild thunder, lightening, and rain storms with a lot of flooding, etc. Some of you got the message and prayed, and miraculously we had beautiful weather all the way home. Then the storm resumed!
Biggest blessings of all, of course, are that John is well on his way to recovery, and all of you and your faithful prayers and love and support!

"Nkhulunkhulu muhle, sonkhe sikhatisi!" "God is good, all the time!"

John and Kay West are missionaries in Swaziland (A country slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey, ruled by the world’s last absolute monarch. An African kingdom of approximately one million people…who are dying at an astonishing rate) . Visit the “Current Needs” tab on the GapFill.org website to see how you can help with some of the medical bills the West Family will incur.

Mesem New Testament Dedication / February 18, 2013 by gapfillorgblog

I recently returned from Papua New Guinea (PNG) where I was privileged to witness the celebration of the Mesem New Testament Dedication, a 25 year work by Neil and Kathy Vanaria. To say the celebration was overwhelming is an understatement. The love and giving that I and the others received from the Mesem people was truly amazing. Here were some of the highlights.While on route to PNG, I saw a Facebook post from Kathy Vanaria, they were at the docks collecting the scriptures. There was a picture of a group of Mesem men, women and children who were waiting for them dressed in traditional attire and ready to sing and dance. Kathy relayed the story,"At first the workers told them they could not get the scriptures even though they had all the paperwork and had paid the fees. Neil found a Christian friend who worked in the custom area and she quickly sorted the problem out. The forklift appeared shortly after and when the scriptures were lowered to the ground the Mesem got out of the truck and danced and sang as they approached the pallet of scriptures. After a prayer of thanksgiving they loaded the truck and we drove out to Hobu, which is an hour or so outside Lae. We were met there again by yet another group of celebrants who sang and danced as the Bibles were carried to the storage area. We had never expected such a welcome, but it was a precursor for what came next".

Arrival in Papua New Guinea

I along with a number of overseas guests, arrived to share in the celebration. We needed five shuttles with the helicopter to get everyone to the village of Samanzing where the first dedication celebration was to begin. However, there was a mechanical failure and we ended up having to go one day later. Unable to communicate the situation to Neil and Tony who were already in the village, we wondered how it would be received on the other end. Neil knew there was an issue as they day grew later and we had not arrived and told our Mesem friends who had prepared an elaborate welcome. They said, "We came here to praise God, so that's OK".

Arrival in Samanzing

And what an elaborate welcome it was when we finally arrived. You could see the flags waving in the distance as the chopper got closer. Once the chopper touched down and we exited, Neil introduced each of us to the Mesem welcoming group that was at the landing. They then proceeded to carry everything we were holding (water bottles included) and escorted us up to the Vanaria's house. At each of the crest on the hills between the house there stood another village of people, dressed traditionally who broke into song when we appeared. They were singing welcome songs to us and praises to Jesus. Our guide explained to us that each of these villages use to hate each other and be at war, but now they are all one in Christ. As we got closer, a choir sang and led us up to the house. The path had been lined with bamboo decoration and strewn with flowers. Every guest was greeted this way as they made their way to the Vanaria's home. Next to the Vanaria's home, the people had set up a table with their best foods. They had killed ten pigs and used the meat to serve us all with their most cherished dishes.Shortly after the last of the invited guests arrived, the entire village became completely silent. We heard the rhythmic sound of the garamut and heard the low cry of a conch shell. A Mesem parade of Mesem men, led by a choir of Mesem women, walked slowly and reverently up the hill. On their shoulders the men carried cartons of the New Testament. Each man had his best clothes on and wore white gloves out of respect for the Word of God, I couldn't help but kneel. This was one of the most moving scenes I witnessed. They treated the scriptures as fine gold. They did not hurry but carefully placed the scriptures in the translation office, while the choir of women continued to sing God's praises.We were then led down the center of the village as we followed another group of those singing God's praises. There the people had built a sheltered grandstand and each of us was given a wreath of flowers and led to a seat on the stand. We had two attendants who served water in bamboo cups, and offered fresh fruit and cucumbers to refresh us. The next two hours were filled with speeches and encouragements to follow the Lord, a drama, praise, dancing and collection. When Tony, Neil and Kathy's son stood to speak, everyone could feel the excitement. He brought the house down when he said, "When I get married I will bring my bride here, because she will not understand me until she understands you." The people were thrilled and responded with tremendous affection. Then the music began yet again and the scriptures, now wrapped in purple cloth was brought into the dedication area. Bishop Giegere Wenge thanked the Vanaria's for their ministry and then cut the ribbon and took the first copy of the scriptures. For the next hour we distributed copies of the New Testament. Representatives from the village collected copies to bring back to their homes so those who were unable to attend will also get a copy. It was an incredibly moving experience.That night, after a wonderful meal, we met again in the church for praise and worship. Pastor Joe Sapienza of the Vanaria's home church in Massachusetts, Celebration International, brought a word of encouragement to drink daily of the scriptures just as we would of any other life sustaining food. After a glorious service, the people presented gifts to each of us. Tony got a special surprise. He was presented with a hawk to bring back to America to help him to remember his home village. (He let it loose the next day when he got to the Ramu Valley). A glorious day was had by all who attended.

The Mesem BridgeThe next morning I hiked with Neil and Tony to the steel bridge that was built about 10 years ago by supporters of Kathy and Neil to connect the Mesem village to Lae and other areas of Papua New Guinea. This was a strategic bridge that was needed for the Mesem to sell their garden vegetables at the market. Previously, the Mesem would build a wooden bridge each year, however, after a child broke through the bridge and was killed, the Vanaria's asked their supporters to help build a permanent steel bridge. As we were hiking toward the bridge, we met Mesem along the way going from village to village. Tony told me that this bridge was a monumental connection between the Vanaria's supporters and the Mesem people. He said the Mesem were in awe that people who never met them cared about them enough to build this bridge. The Mesem started to see the oneness that Christians have throughout the world.Neil and Tony, along with a photographer from Assembly of God World Missions, continued on to hike out to Lae. While they were on the trail they could hear singing off in the distance. Using the photographers telephoto lens, they spotted a group of Mesem men and women, heading back to their village, carrying cartons of the New Testament and singing as they went.I hiked quickly back to the village as the helicopter was coming to take us back to Lae (versus hiking 12 hours with Neil and Tony). Unfortunately, we all learned firsthand what PNG time means (maybe today or maybe tomorrow). After waiting all day at the helicopter landing spot, the clouds moved into the valleys and we knew no helicopter was coming that day. We then proceed back to the house to experience the adventure of taking a shower with a bucket of water. It was quite an ingenious set-up and worked quite well.

Next Dedication at Hobu

The next day a few of the Mesem hiked up to a signal area where we were able to get a message to Neil that the helicopter never came. Neil, now in Lae, was able to get to the helicopter company and "remind them" that we needed to be picked up as another celebration was happening in Hobu. We all went down to the helicopter landing spot yet again. This time the helicopter came, however, we now needed to go directly to Hobu as the celebration had begun and they were waiting for us. We arrived in Hobu to yet another group of Mesem who had been waiting 5 hours for our arrival. Once we arrived the singing, dancing, speeches and Bible distribution happened once again until it began to get dark. Once more they fed us all before we departed in a van and open air truck (Tony got a pig this time as a gift which accompanied those riding in the open air truck) back to our hotel. My adventure was coming to a close, my flight was leaving the next morning. I knew it would take me a while to process all that had happened.This was a 25 year journey taken by Neil and Kathy Vanaria. In the next few weeks Neil will complete the book, “How the Jews Lived" and check to be sure the New Testaments have been distributed properly to all the Mesem villages in Papua New Guinea. The Vanaria's will then transition to Europe where they will be taking up a ministry in Italy.

Joyce is the Founder and Executive Director of GapFill.org with a masters in nonprofit management. Visit our “Current Needs” tab on the GapFill.org website to see if God is calling you to “fill in the gap” for a missionary in need.

New Digital Hearing Aids for Phil Rojak, Missionary in Papua New Guinea! / January 13, 2013 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: Hearing aids for Phil Rojak was one of our first missionary needs at GapFill.org. This was one of the reasons that we realized we needed to start reaching out to others to help in meeting some of these needs as they were getting beyond what my husband Bill and I could meet. We posted Phil's need back in 2011 and waited to see what God would do. Phil received some donations but not enough to meet his need. Then Rev. Paul Wahl from Shakopee, Minnesota emailed GapFill.org with this note, " I saw on your website that a missionary was in need of hearing aids. Starkey, the company that makes the most advanced hearing aids in the world, is located in our community -- Eden Prairie, MN. The company operates a massive charitable foundation from which it uses donations to provide hearing aids to those in need." So I contacted Starkey to see if they could fill the need, also mentioning that Phil was scheduled to return to Papua New Guinea in January 2013. (Nothing like asking for a huge favor and then saying... oh...by the way...can you hurry up too.)

Then one evening Brady Forseth, the executive director of Starkey Hearing Foundation, left me a voice mail. He was traveling for 6 weeks throughout West Africa, India and the Philippines and was interested in helping Phil with his need and asked that I get in contact with him. So the connection began. Since Phil was scheduled to be in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in January 2013, they were in contact with Phil and felt that analog hearing aids would be the best fit for Phil since those type could be re-calibrated in PNG. This is where Phil's story picks up...

This past week has been amazing. Prior to Christmas I was called by Bill Austin at the Starkey Hearing Foundation asking me if I could come up to Minnesota to be fitted for hearing aids. After making arrangements to arrive late afternoon on the 27th of December I made the 10 hour drive from Springfield, Missouri fully expecting to receive a set of analog hearing aids. Due to in-climate weather I arrived an hour later than hoped but Mr. Austin encouraged me to come straight into the office anyhow. I arrived at 6 PM and was met by a small group of individuals that had obviously stayed on past regular hours just to service my need. As Mr. Austin prepared the impressions for my new hearing aids I happen to glance up to the nearby office cubicles and noticed Mr. Austin's name and the title of CEO. I was humbled by the fact that the CEO himself was personally looking after my needs of better hearing.

But that did not end the amazement. When I went in to the audiologist's office to try on the hearing aids I noticed that the aids were not analog but instead the coveted digital aids that would enable me to hear better than I had ever heard in my life. Than due to my remote location and challenging climate in Papua New Guinea, Mr. Austin provided a second set of hearing aids for back-up just in case I need to send the first pair in for repairs or calibration. It was with great joy that I shook Mr. Austin's hand and said thank you for his generosity – a generosity that will help me to better do my work in Papua New Guinea.

I am very happy for GapFill and Joyce and Bill Turner for getting the ball rolling by making preliminary inquires with the Starkey Hearing Foundation regarding the possibility of servicing my needs. I am also thankful for the several donations provided by individuals I didn't even know who provided funding for the hearing aids, funding that was donor approved to be forwarded to the Starkey Hearing Foundation to assist in their goal of providing 100,000 hearing aids per year worldwide to the hearing challenged. Additionally, I am now in consultation with Starkey Hearing Foundation to be present with their team when they visit Papua New Guinea in March of this year. So God may have even greater plans that come out of this entire experience.

To God Be The Glory! Thank you Starkey Hearing Foundation!!

Phil and Kim Rojak have been in Papua New Guinea since January 2010 focusing on evangelism and discipleship. They are also assisting the Assemblies of God of Papua New Guinea to develop a comprehensive program dealing with those affected by HIV/AIDS and prevention strategies for the same.

Meet the West Family - Missionaries in Swaziland / December 23, 2012 by gapfillorgblog

Note from GapFill.org’s Founder: Inspired By Obedience. When I think about being "inspired by obedience", I think of Kay and John West. I first met Kay West at our college Moms In Touch (now called Moms in Prayer) prayer group. She was praying for her college son Zack and I was praying for my college daughter Ashley. Kay, I and a group of fabulous moms met weekly for six years to pray for our college children. During that time the Lord called Kay and her husband John to serve in Swaziland. They had gone on several "short-term" mission trips but at some point God wanted more. So for one year I watched Kay and her family prepare to leave. They prayed, solicited prayer from their church and friends, and had numerous garage sales to sell their belongings, which included a beautiful home in Phoenix, Arizona. They packed everything they had remaining into two crates that were then shipped to Swaziland, and their adventure began. I remember one time when John and Kay were in our home and I asked John why he felt he needed to sell his home. He said, "It was just stuff that was gong to rust anyway", referring to the verse in Matthew, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6: 19-21)...I think that said it all!

Meet John and Kay West

Their Mission

James 1:27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…

First and foremost, as followers of Christ, we are compelled to respond to the desperate need of the orphans and widows. Our primary task will be that of overseeing the building and administration of a children's home. Each household will be comprised of eight children and one woman with no living offspring of her own, who will raise the children as her own through adulthood. Over time, this children's home will become self-sustaining through farming and livestock management. The children will be an integral part of this enterprise, learning valuable lessons while helping raise enough food for their own use, as well as to sell for income to meet the other needs of their household. A Christian education will be a paramount part of their upbringing.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples...

While running the children's home will be a huge responsibility, we believe that one-on-one discipleship is biblically mandated and the only long-term solution to Swaziland’s multiple problems. This will be a second facet of our ministry there. John will begin discipling men, sharing biblical truths about a man’s God-ordained responsibilities in society and in a family. Kay will reach out to women, incorporating her expertise in grief counseling and mentoring women in biblical womanhood. Jeremy, our son, will minister to the youth, sharing Gospel truth to the next generation in which there is real hope for change.

Their Vision

We have a big God and He has given us a big vision. Our dream for the future is to help build a church and a hospice on the property where the children's home will be located. In addition, John’s background in marketing will be put to use helping widows to start small businesses. Most of all, we are passionate about sharing Christ with a rapidly dying population. Many Swazis we’ve known have already died—it is personal to us. Our hearts break with anguish over those who don’t know the comfort of facing an eternity with Jesus. John and Kay West are missionaries in Swaziland ( A country slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey, ruled by the world’s last absolute monarch. An African kingdom of approximately one million people…who are dying at an astonishing rate) .

Visit the “Current Needs” tab on the GapFill.org website to see how you can help the West Family as they serve the Swazi people.