January 2020 MAP Update
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| 575 US Highway 250 | Greenwich, OH 44837 | Office: (419) 962-1515 |
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Joe Keim Update Gospel of John Project |
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| Newness of Life |
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My name is Barbara Hostetler, and I was born and raised in a strict Swartzentruber Amish community. Growing up, I was taught about God, but I wasn’t taught about how to get saved. Instead, I was taught that I had to live on the hope of being good enough to get to heaven. I only had a German Bible until I was seventeen years old, so when I did read the Bible, I hardly understood any of what I was reading. When I began to read the English Bible in my late teen years, I started having questions about why the Amish do things the way they do, but my parents convinced me that the only way for me to get to heaven was to stay Amish and to obey them and the church. At the age of nineteen, I became a member of the church. I felt great that day, and I believed that I was doing the right thing, but it wasn’t long until I started having questions and doubts again. I convinced myself that if I stayed, I would see in time that the Amish church was right. I got married at the age of twenty-one. Two years later, my husband and I started seeing that the Amish were not living according to the Bible. I searched the Bible for answers like never before, and we finally realized that we had to choose between following Christ or our family; so, in February 2018, I gave my life to Jesus and we left the Amish. It was my desire to be baptized for Jesus because I want to follow all His teaching. As I continue in my life, my goal is to be a light to others and to help them find Jesus. When Barbara became pregnant earlier this year, we thought she was going to loose her baby several times. The entire church prayed and God spared the child. We are truly grateful for His mercy and response to our cries! —Joe Keim |
This is the third of four testimonies from former Amish who got baptized in 2019. | Samuel Girod Update |
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As I’m sure you remember from the last ministry update, we had a baby girl in July. Debra Dawn Girod is doing well and growing so fast! This makes child number six for us. September and October were busy months for us. We traveled to MO, MI, and IN presenting the ministry. God has been blessing His ministry. We’ve been ministering to two young Amish men. One of them is an Amish minister who is struggling with all of the rules. He lives in another community, so I called a pastor near him and asked if he could minister to him. While there, the pastor shared the gospel with him. He received Jesus in his heart right there in the pastor’s car! PRAISE GOD! I still am in contact with Him and he’s a new man. We’ve been assisting another man who left the Amish. He had an accident earlier this year and had alcohol in his blood. He lost his driving privileges, recently got them back, but then was arrested for probation violation and went to jail for three days. We were able to bail him out and stand in court with him. I was able to witness to him about what Jesus did for us, but he has been spiritually abused in the community that he comes from and has had no one to support him. We were able to be there and be a blessing. Please pray for both of these men so that God may do a great work in their lives. We have been hearing that there are other married men who are wanting to leave the Amish because they can’t handle the stress of all the rules and regulations. Let’s stay in prayer so that they get saved and are able to lead their whole families to Christ. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness (Romans 4:5). —Samuel and Polly Girod |
| Gospel of John Project |
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This picture shows the four authors of the Gospel of John project, and was taken at one of our home conferences in 2015—a pastor, a Bible translator, a missionary, and a publisher. Recently, we received another shipment of the Gospel of John book, now in its fourth printing. I can’t help but marvel and rejoice over the number of these books that have been handed out to Amish people. Pastors and lay people continue to call and ask for more cases. To learn more about the Gospel of John project and how you can get involved, go to our website store. We’d be happy to send you a sample copy. — Joe Keim |
| Joanna Joyce Girod |
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– Samuel Girod |
Joanna Joyce Girod went to be with the Lord! With a life-long battle of I-cell disease, she became sick with a viral infection, and fought it for almost a week. Last year we were in and out of the hospital with Joanna so much that her genetics doctor suggested that we get a home care service for her, which was hospice. We have had them for over a year. 2019 was the best year we've had with her. Joanna never had to go to the hospital and we are forever grateful. She has been such a darling all year and has been in good health, but we knew this day was coming! Please pray for the children while they are still processing this and also include Polly and I! 
