Don't Give Up , Trust In The Lord - Sarah Jumbe

SABBATH 28—JULY 13, 2024

I Thought It Would Be Impossible

Proverbs 11:30—“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”

Sugandai achieved only what she dared to dream of. She got sick very often for long periods and needed to take medication to survive. Her illnesses prevented her from doing many things. But with the aid of the Life Hope Center in Trinidad, her life improved.

“I used to feel sick, but with exercise and diet control, I stopped taking my meds,” Sugandai said. “Now I’m doing things I couldn’t do before. At the age of fifty-five, I thought this would be impossible.”

The Life Hope Center is an Urban Center of Influence (UCI) in the community of Brickfield on the island of Trinidad. One of the largest Hindu temples in the country is just a few blocks away. Whenever visitors walk past the Life Hope Center, they are drawn to the colorful sign that offers a variety of services aimed at satisfying the needs of the community. Christine Mathura, manager of the center, did a community needs assessment before the UCI opened its doors. “We found that children in this community can’t read properly,” explained Christine. “So, we enroll not only the children but also the parents, so that the children will come with them.”

The Life Hope Center began offering math and literacy classes for children ages six to fifteen, and a preschool program for younger children. For adults, UCI offers fitness and healthy living classes that teach the community how to prevent disease and improve quality of life.

The Life Hope Center’s holistic approach has led many people to receive academic and physi- cal training, as well as to find hope in Jesus. Employees regularly receive requests for spiritual cou- nseling, Bible classes, and prayer. “Thanks to the center, we were able to plant a church,” Christine said, “and now we have twenty-five people attending the services.”

Appeal: All over the world, there are dozens of Centers of Influence like this one. Pray for these projects so that, through friendship and compassion, people can glimpse God’s love. Thank you for changing lives with your Global Mission offerings! The 2018 mission offering was sent to Trinidad and helped this Center of Influence.

Earlier this week, Pastor Dan Serb, the current Irish Mission President, was appointed as Vice Principal of Newbold College of Higher Education. Pastor Dan will continue in his current role until August, by which time BUC Executive Committee will have had time to consider the appointment of a new President. The following article gives further information about Pastor Dan's new appointment. We wish Pastor Dan and his family all the best as he transitions to this new role over the coming months.

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