Plate Spinning Mondays

     In the early days of variety shows on television there was usually one person who could keep a number of plates spinning, and juggle or tap dance at the same time without the plates dropping.  Most weeks at ETS there are always” a number of plates in the air” as we faithfully try to help missionaries and ministries with information,  supplies and equipment. 

  We recently sent out a 53 foot tractor trailer filled with clothing, and medical supplies to Jezreel Ministries in New York. We were very glad to have the help of 12 local Teen Challenge guys to help load the  trailer. The trailer was loaded on a Wednesday morning but a lot happened the Monday before.  These were the Monday Morning “plates”  spinning in the office:

• · Vitamin orders of children and prenatal vitamins for Peru and Honduras, as well as ziplock bags, medical charts ,and information on the Moringa tree.
• · Finding janitorial equipment for a local church.
• · Confirming shipment for Betty Lukens shipment to Bucaramanga, Columbia
• · Picking up boxed clothing (1800 lbs) from Calvary Baptist Church for the shipment to Jezreel.
• · Pick up of copiers purchased in Richmond
• · Negotiating discounts with Spanish book publisher
• · Shipping out orders
• · Receiving donations of books, clothing and computers
• · Delivery of a 10 foot projector screen to a local church

     Every day brings a new list of needs and requests.  Thank you for your faithful support and prayers  that enables us to keep reaching out.

                                                             The ETS Staff

Typewriters for Haiti

    

When does something obsolete and 50+years old become cutting edge technology?  When it’s needed in the 3rd world because it’s uniquely designed to meet their need!  We just sent 12 refurbished manual typewriters to Haiti in December for use by Lumiere Ministries.  This required finding repairable machines in our typewriter room (not difficult because we have such a good supply!), repairing them, and rewinding ribbons for them (ribbons are no longer easily available for this “dinosaur” technology.)

     For those of you not familiar with manual typewriters, these are what many of us used to use   before computers!  They are a way to type letters without electricity.  This makes them useful in Haiti, a country where electricity is not always available or reliable.  

     Dirk and Karen Martin with Lumiere Ministries will use these machines in a ministry to visually impaired students.  Their goal is to provide teacher training and some adaptive materials to the Special School of Les Cayes, which has around 20 blind students as well as sighted students.     

     Your support for our ministry is blessing “Limye Pou Moun Aveg Yo” (Light For Those Who Are Blind).  Thank you for partnering with us, in praying for us and for providing our financial support which makes all this  possible.

   The ETS STAFF

           

  

     

Unclaimed Opportunities

     “So dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable .  Always work enthusiastically  for the Lord , for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”  1 Corinthians 15:58 

 

     “Unclaimed opportunities” is another way to say “help wanted”.  We always need help at ETS, more so now that we have lost several volunteers and one staff worker last year.

     Helping as a volunteer is not only a satisfying  experience, where you can make a difference for God’s Kingdom, it can help you in other ways:

• ·  It looks good on a resume , if you are looking for a full time job
• ·  It is a great way to learn new skills. 
• ·   It is a way to spend quality time with other believers, and meet missionaries from all over the world, while working on a project that will have lasting impact on people you may never meet.

     Do you live in the Shenandoah Valley ?   Do you have a couple of hours you could donate to ETS on a weekly basis?  Could you donate a day or half a day?  We are looking for local people who can commit  a few hours a week to:

• ·  help pick up or deliver equipment and supplies
• · sort and pack clothing, medical supplies, books and literature
• · office help, answering the telephone, greeting visitors, etc.
• · help manage inventory
• · (for those with appropriate skills) repair equipment and help maintain our building and vehicles

The ETS  Staff

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

Happy for Help

What do you call a group from Savannah Christian Church that drove 10 hours to come sort clothing and move items out of storage for us?  We call them family, as many of them keep coming back!  We were very blessed to have 11 people from Late Church to help us out over a long weekend.

     It’s nice to have strong guys and girls to help us sort out a storage unit so that we were able to get out of it entirely.  This storage unit costs $160 every month and the items stored in it had been stored for at least a year.  What a blessing to be able to use that revenue for other items that can be used in ministry. Many of the items in storage will be recycled for scrap metal and the other items were relocated to other storage units.

     The group stayed at the mission and enjoyed the area sights and  local food.  We tell people that those that come to work with us sleep really well at night.  Maybe we worked them too hard?  Thanks  Savannah Christian!  Same time next year? 

               
  The ETS Staff

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.

More Supplies for Jezreel International

Shalom Aleichem!  This is a  traditional Jewish greeting, meaning “peace unto you.”  Since we know the Prince of Peace, Our Lord Jesus Christ, it has  special meaning to us as Christians.

ETS had the opportunity recently to share this peace Christ offers to Jews in Israel, with a shipment we sent with Jezreel International. Wednesday night, October 10, we had members from 3 different Mennonite churches gather with us to load a 52 foot tractor trailer with clothing, hospital furniture and medical supplies.

We sent almost 16,000 pounds of clothing, 136 computers, gurneys, exam tables, cribs, over the counter medications and other medical and hospital items.  These items were requested by ministries in Israel, who want relief items to used for “after the war”.  (There is a  definite expectation in Israel that a battle is going to take place.      Although none of us want to see this happen, we are glad to be able to supply these much needed items for future use.)

We are commanded in Scripture to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  Will you join us in praying this prayer, and in praying that the items we sent will be used for the glory of God and for the extension of His Kingdom?

Thank you for your support and prayers that made this shipment possible.    

                                The ETS Staff