Food for the Body, Mind, and Spirit

FOOD FOR THE BODY

      I've bought a lot of unusual things over the years.  This one I had never seen before.  Five  pallets of "heater" meals were up for auction.  (A "heater" meal is a complete meal that  includes a chemical pouch that gets super hot when water is added to it.)

     The menus sounded good even though they were months out of date.  A quick call confirmed that they could still be used.  Our bid of $511 won almost 5,000 lbs of ready to eat meals for hungry people in Mexico.

   FOOD FOR THE MIND
    Thanks to our volunteer, Dave Snyder, we are now able to provide quantities of refurbished computers with Windows 7 at very low cost. However, sometimes the demand outstrips the supply. Then we need to buy computers with Dave's guidance.     Last month we had to buy two new  laptops for a missionary to hand carry to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 Thanks to Dave's counsel and another volunteer, Scott Mahanes  we were able to purchase and prepare the computers just in time to make the flight.  We received this message back

. “Thank you for the lap tops, the pastors were elated to receive these tools for ministry! This is just one more way that ETS  does what the name says.  You have helped equip these two leaders. The blessings flow to them and back to you.. Thank you again.”

  FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT
     About a month ago, a young missionary, Ian Fry, presented the need for Bibles for           Zimbabwe.  I  just "happened" to see a special deal on 2,000 "Mission of God Study Bibles “ a few days before.  The list price for the Bible was $39.99.  The asking price was $5.00.  Was Ian interested?  Yes!  A few phone calls later the Bibles we purchased at $4.00 each!  The  Bibles were delivered to the container loading site this past week.

It gives us great joy to be able to help meet all sorts of needs.  Your gifts to our "Where Most Needed" account make timely responses possible.  Thank you for helping us help others!   

 Keith Jones 

Ghana Bibles Delivered

In December  we gave our donors an opportunity to help send Bibles to Ghana, to be distributed in the public schools.  We were able to send 3,000 Bibles to our friend and partner , pastor Ohene Kumi.  We are thrilled to share some pictures with you of students actually receiving their own personal copy of the Word of God.



Tyndale House Publishers created a Ghana Student Bible with a glossy, faux leather cover featuring the Ghanaian national colors of red, yellow and green.  The New Living Translation is the entire Bible in today's English that tells the powerful stories of how people's lives are changed by the love and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 


Thank you for your help, support and prayers that made this project happen.  Please continue to pray for the impact that God will make through His Word on the future leaders of Ghana.  A Bible can change a life, a family, a city, a country, a nation and a whole continent.

Please Continue to Pray:

• We need to sell our 3 trucks; one sale may be pending
• Strength for us as we enter a season of leading more volunteer teams
•  Healing for some of our key volunteers

      

Ghana Bibles

A word from Keith Jones

  When was the last time you received life changing news?  Was it the birth of a new baby, a good prognosis, or a financial blessing?

     How would you like to be a part of sharing the Gospel with 500,000 high school students in Ghana?  Not only is the government of Ghana allowing the distribution of the Bibles in the schools but this also comes with the blessing and full cooperation of the former President and First Lady of Ghana, Dr. Ernestina Naadu Mills.  She even wrote an introductory letter in the Bible to the students.   Can you imagine the impact of the Word of God on the future leaders of Ghana?  

     The Ghana Bible Society has a goal to distribute one million Bibles to students in all public Junior High Schools in the country  by the end of 2012.  So far it has distributed eight hundred and twenty three thousand (823,000) Bibles to students since 2007.  The Ghana Bible Society wants to commemorate Ghana’s golden jubilee anniversary by reaching out to the junior high students with the Word of God.

Tyndale House Publishers has created a Ghana Student Bible with a glossy, faux leather cover  featuring the Ghanian national   colors of red,  yellow and green.  ETS has purchased 3000 of these Bibles that will be shipped directly to pastor Ohene Kumi in Ghana for distribution.  Read on to find out how you can be a part of changing lives, futures and bringing the best news that anyone has ever received. 
                

   Keith Jones

Never Pay Retail

Charlie likes to tell our customers …..”Remember NPR!”

No , that’s not National Public Radio.

What he means is “Never Pay Retail.”

A major part of our work is helping ministries find appropriate resources at the lowest cost possible. Sometimes we are able to donate items. But usually we buy things at unusually low prices and pass the savings on.

Does is make a difference?

One example is a ministry that buys Bibles, books and other items for use in Honduras . Steve Zimmerman has been getting items from Equipping the Saints for several years.

The total of his most recent order of 2,662 Bibles and books with our normal discount prices came to $26,658.25. Our special discount for large orders reduced Steve’s cost to $17,661.20. That’s a 75% savings over the retail price.

Yes, that’s still a LOT of money



But the retail price for the same order would be $69, 265.38



Does “NPR” make a difference? Ask Steve!



Your encouragement through your prayers and gifts enable us to bless others.



Please continue to pray for urgently needed staff.

The needs and opportunities before us are far beyond our current staff’s abilities to meet.



Thanks for helping others. The ETS STAFF

  Prayer Request:

• Pray for more full time staff or for weekly volunteers to help with the work load
• Pray for the health and safety of our current staff.
• Pray for a "home" for two trucks and 6,000 pounds of Christian literature that has been donated.

A Different Kind of Ministry

You may have seen them:  School buses loaded with “stuff” and often towing another bus or truck or pickup…

 

  We often see them rolling down I-81 on their way to Mexico and beyond.

     It’s a business that sometimes offers ministry opportunities.

     Last week Pedro Jose Montufar Paz (more commonly known as “Gerson”) stopped in to load items destined for ministries in Guatemala.  Gerson makes the trip from New Jersey to Chimaltenango, Guatemala once a month.  His wife also often drives one bus while towing another.

     In addition to hundreds of Bibles and Scripture portions, Gerson also loaded 200 Matthew Henry commentaries for a pastors’ seminar, a 5400 watt Craftsman generator, microwave, electric guitar, Peavey sound system, wheelchairs, crutches, and walkers.

The trip takes 8 to 10 days, depending on weather, traffic, breakdowns and crossing international borders.  Drug traffickers that  demand “tolls” can also be a challenge.

Gerson is a brother in Christ.  We look forward to working with him to supply some of the needs of ministries south of our border.

The ETS Staff