January 2013 Goals Update

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By the time you receive this update Christmas Day is in the past and a brand new year has begun.  I hope your holiday season with family and friends was fun.  Truly, it is one of my favorite times of the year.  It’s the time of year when our lives slow down, we give from our hearts, family seems more precious then ever, and most of all, Jesus’ name is lifted high through sermons, testimonies and worship.

Before I get started on our Last Year’s Goals Update, I would like to tell you how blessed and humbling it has been to receive your cards and gifts.  There were so many! They just kept coming day after day.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  Esther, myself and the staff are overflowing with gratitude and appreciation. 

I would like to remind all of us that this update could not be written, had it not been that God’s people cared.  This update tells the true and eternal story of a spiritual army of willing warriors for Christ who allowed the God of heaven and earth to flow through them during 2012, just like the scripture says:

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. —John 7:38

This then, dear co-laborer, is a record of that living water which flowed from our inner parts throughout the year.  Some gave, others prayed and many went.  Together we rejoice with the Lord who gave each one of us the strength and courage to fight the battle for souls.

The year, 2012, started out with a greater desire than ever to draw nearer to God, experience His presence every minute of every day.  During the year, I experienced joy, passion for God, depression, excitement, sleepless nights, weeping, boldness, exhaustion, crying out to God and determination.  Most nights I fell asleep praying and woke up praying—begging God for sheep that got side tracked and for wandering and lost souls that roam the earth, not knowing that at any given moment, they could die and slip into eternity, separated from God forever. 

During the year, we mailed out very close to 10,000 catalogues and gained a total of 7,757 new students.  Even to this day, we are getting new students from our catalog mailing.  Special thanks to In His Steps Foundation and several local churches and individuals who helped us with this promotion. 

Our goal has been to add a 2,000 sq. ft. addition to our already existing office space.  So far, the MAP family has given $26,505.  At this point, we still need $7,401 to complete the project.  We would like to start building sometime in the Spring.  

Help us cross the finish line: click here

Throughout the year, several people, including a pastor, talked about the burden they felt for the former Amish in Columbia.  But as of yet, no one has taken the desperately needed step in that direction.  We will continue to pray.

In December, Bea Kennedy, who filled in as administrative assistant for Tina and myself for the past year and a half returned to her previous job.  This has allowed us to bring Paul Miller on for two days a week.  Paul will focus more on coordinating ministry projects, such as missionary training, Bible school start-up and fund raising.  He will also help out with the Bible Club as needed.  Other ideas and possibilities are brewing.  As we find out more, we will let you know.

More than any other year, we are seeing a large number of adults sign up for Bible courses and workbooks.  Ray Witmer from Morgantown WV runs Country Wide Prison Ministry.  He has allowed MAP to use his Bible study material.  In addition, we are continuing to make the study of John and Romans and ABC’s for Christian Growth available. 

Little has changed in this area.  We continue to use a local counseling ministry as well as Healing of the Heart in Lapeer MI and Caring for the Heart in South Carolina.  During the year, MAP has connected about 20 people with these ministries. 

The following people were voted on as full time board members in November: Leonard Dolce and Bill Dunn. 

I am always humbled when members of a church call and say, hey, we are doing our best to talk our church into taking MAP on.  That happened several times this year.  Since January, nine new churches partnered with MAP.  At least two increased their giving. 

Because of extra gifts during Christmas, we pulled out of a $9,000 deficit and ended up with about $10,000 in the black.  Much appreciation to all of you who gave over and above.  As of December 21, individuals, churches, businesses and grant foundations gave a total of about $250,000 throughout 2012.  God bless you richly!!!! 

Throughout the year,  we met for prayer every week, mentored and discipled somewhere around 50-60 people, did 36 church presentations, started GED classes, stepped up weekend youth activities, saw over 200 people come to Christ (includes the Bible Club and face to face evangelism), baptized three people, did one wedding, started a weekly Sunday school class for former Amish, added two missionary families in KY and WI, distributed several thousand New Testaments to Amish,  mailed out over 100,000 Bible lessons and Amish Voices.  Six young adults moved into our home while we helped them get on their feet—many others were helped with birth certificates, social security cards, housing, jobs, GEDs and counseling.

As always, we are excited for all that God did through His people in 2012.  Soon our turn will come to an end and someone else will pick up where we left off.  But until then, let’s enter the new year hand in hand, boldly winning our lost, confused and searching world to Christ. 

Journey on, friend and co-laborer. This is our generation; our turn to make a difference!  You are loved and greatly appreciated in God’s eyes and in ours.

—Joe Keim