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Holy Ghost Ministries
December 2009
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May
the Glory of the Story fill your heart with Joy!
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings
of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ
the Lord.
Luke 2:8-11 | |
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Mission Statement
Holy Ghost Ministries is a non-denominational ministry dedicated to preaching
the gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20), showing the love of Christ to people through humanitarian projects (Matthew
25:34-40), and teaching unity in the body of Christ according to the teachings of Jesus (John 17:20-23).
"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered."
Proverbs 21:13
Holy Ghost Ministries is a 501(c)3 tax exempt, non-profit organization involved in Christian
ministry, missions and humanitarian projects in the United States, Ghana, Uganda, The Philippines
and throughout the world.
Our ministry is a
non-denominational Christian organization.
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Medical Missions
Greg & Cindy Gamso
Medical Missions Directors
We are proud to report that the medical missions efforts in Ghana West Africa were a success.
Our major emphasis this year was malaria net distributions and through the generous donations of HGM supporters we were able
to distribute over 400 nets in Ghana.
HGM is expanding the reach of the medical missions program and we were able to make several
connections that will allow HGM to make a deeper impact in 2010. During the first few days of the mission, Jason Rapert,
president of HGM, and the entire mission delegation were invited to meet with the Honorable Stephen Amoanor Kwao, MP and Minister
of Employment & Social Welfare for the nation of Ghana. We were assured of the Minister's help when HGM returns
to Ghana next year with a medical team to conduct clinics throughout the nation.
In addition to the malaria nets we distributed in Ghana, our team made important connections
with medical personnel in Pusigah and Salt Pond, arranged for medical supplies to be delivered to the Kormantse Medical Clinic,
distributed toys and candy to school children and made visits to 2 different orphanages.
It is obvious that God is enlarging the borders of HGM medical missions. If you are
a doctor, dentist or nurse, please contact us if you would like to participate as a member of one of our HGM medical mission
teams. You may contact us through our website www.holyghostministries.org, or you may write to us at Holy Ghost
Ministries, Medical Missions, P.O. Box 10388, Conway, AR 72034.
God bless,
Greg & Cindy Gamso |
Please help us by
forwarding our newsletter to a few of your friends. |
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DAWHENYA KVIP
Special thanks to the iF Foundation, formerly known as the Iovino Family Foundation, for their generous
grant of $30,000 to HGM which helped fund the above pictured KVIP public toilet in Dawhenya, Ghana, water closets in
Kormantse, and the water bore hole wells in Kukurantumi and Bugri.
Mr. Isaiah Addison, country director for the iF Foundation and also a new member of the HGM International
Board of Directors in Ghana, was the project coordinator for the Dawhenya project and did a fantastic job. "I believe
that Isaiah completed this project quicker than any other project we have funded in the nation of Ghana, " Jason Rapert.
The project was completed from start to finish in just six weeks and the finished project you see above was reinspected by
the HGM delegation in November 2009.
A wonderful byproduct of the project was the creation of a job in the community related to the maintenance
of the public toilet. An attendant was hired full time by the local community board that oversees the toilet system.
The man now hired to maintain the toilet and keep it clean for people to use formerly had no job and was not earning a daily
wage. With a wife and five children to support, the new job has been a tremendous blessing.
Thank you again to the iF Foundation, the Iovino family, Father James Byrum, Executive Director, and Mr. Isaiah
Addision, Ghana Country Director for iF Foundation and also founder of the DISOP Social Foundation in Ghana. |
 I would like for you to take a moment to meet Emmanuel Michael. This young man is 14 years old and
lives in Basayonde, a small village in the Upper East Region of Ghana, very near the borders of Togo and Burkina Faso.
Last year when I visited the church and school where Emmanuel attends, he and I hit it off pretty good and became friends.
Besides being a well mannered young man, he can sing very good too. I meet so many children and people during our missions,
but every now and then the Lord lays someone like Emmanuel on my heart and I have to think that He does so for His purposes.
This year when I visited Basayonde, I was expecting to see Emmanuel and sure enough he was there to greet me when I came.
After greeting him and giving him an HGM team shirt, I asked to meet his family. His father came to greet me and I asked
permission for his son and I to become friends. After receiving the father's blessing, I talked with Emmanuel a bit
more and later we went to greet his mother and the other children in the family. I was interested in how they were surviving
and he showed me their African style home and explained that they were farmers. I saw one cow, a few chickens and guineas
and several examples of small crops that their father was raising in the fields.
When I greeted the mother, she could speak no English at all, so Emmanuel interpreted so that his mother and I could
communicate. When I determined that the family had no malaria prevention nets, and they said they would use them if
they had them, I went back and got enough for their family from our medical missions team.
I cannot tell you why this young boy and his family have touched my heart so much, but I know that God is at work.
I keep up with the boy and his family through his pastor, Pastor Timothy.
If you have read this story and you feel touched by Emmanuel and the plight of his family, please contact us with a donation
for them. You can specify if the donation should be used for the general welfare of the family, or you can specify if
you would like for us to use the donation to help cover school fees and related expenses for Emmanuel and his siblings.
God placed this boy and his family on my heart for a purpose and I appreciate you for allowing me to introduce you to
one of the finest young men I have met on the mission field. God bless you for your donations and support.
We will keep you updated on Emmanuel and his family.
Jason Rapert |
Special
Ordination Service
Sanctuary of Hope
Branson, MO
December 27, 2009
Evangelist Jason Rapert has been invited by
Dr. Sam Kaunley, Senior Pastor of the The Sanctuary of Hope church in Branson, Missouri, to join with the
Sanctuary of Hope through ordination in their fellowship.
Please join Jason & Laurie and their family for this special ordination service in Branson, Missouri
on Sunday, December 27th, 10a.m. at the Sanctuary of Hope, 1790 Bee Creek Road, Branson, MO 65616.
We would be happy to have you worship with us during this special service.
Romans 11:29
"For the gifts and calling
of God are without repentance."
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Please help us by
forwarding our newsletter to a few of your friends. | |
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Dear Friends and Partners,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our friends,
partners and supporters! Your generous help in 2009 has helped HGM make a tremendous impact in the lives of thousands
of people in Ghana, Uganda and The Philippines. I can hardly believe that this ministry began only seven years ago as
a single concept, a God given idea birthed in my soul, with nothing more from me than a positive response of "yes" to
the Lord that I would go anywhere that the Lord opened the door to me.
Today I am amazed that HGM has grown into a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization in the
USA, a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Ghana, includes a well diversified board of directors and advisors in the
USA and Ghana, has committed volunteers and staff, commenced work in the Philippines and Uganda in 2009, is
branching into Panama in 2010 and has completed multiple water projects, malaria net distributions, scholarship programs,
orphanage projects, village feedings, sanitation projects, church building projects and evangelism in the USA, Canada,
Ghana, Uganda and the Philippines. Praise be to God. Thank you for your support of Holy Ghost Ministries and we
hope that you will think of us as you make your charitable contributions as we end the year. God blesses you and others
when you give to make our work possible - thank you and may God richly bless you.
We just completed a three week mission which included Ghana and Uganda where several
major projects were completed and others are just beginning. Thank you for allowing us to complete another water bore
hole well in the village of Dakadug in northern Ghana. An area where the villagers only access to water was a small
stream of water where animals and humans used the same source to sustain life. Now they village has their own water
well that is free from animal and parasite contamination, all made possible for only $6,200 US dollars donated by HGM
supporters.
Through the efforts of Greg & Cindy Gamso, HGM Medical Missions Directors, over 400 malaria
nets were distributed in Ghana this year, along with prepartions being made for hands-on medical teams to be hosted in
Ghana in 2010. We are committed to enlarging the scope of our medical missions efforts and I personally invite
you to contact us if you are interested in partnering with us, joining a medical team or believe you are qualified to
lead a medical team within Ghana, Uganda or the Philippines.
HGM funded $3,000 US dollars for the Southern Ghana Bible College scholarship program
again this year and we are happy to report that the college had 120 in their graduating class this year (the largest class
ever). I was given the great honor of delivering the commencement address at SGBC on December 5, 2009, to an audience
numbering around 3,000 people - what a privilege and humbling experience. We are committed supporters of this fine bible
based institution and believe that Rev. Frederick Kyereko and the board of directors are doing a fine job educating men
and women for ministry service. The theme for the graduating class this year was "Spirit Empowered Missionaries",
and I of course enjoyed being a part of a graduating ceremony that celebrated the Great Commission.
The Mike Pike Orphanage project is still progressing and meetings were held that
should put the finishing touches on the 20 acres of land that has been donated to HGM for development by the village and elders
of Kormantse II in Ghana. Our delegation also met with the owner of a nearby house that has been offered to our ministry
on a lease basis that could be utilized as our Ghana headquarters while the orphanage development is under construction.
Please be in prayer with us as we make several important decisions in regards to these matters.
We were privileged to also commit to several projects which included paying $3,000
US dollars to roof the church at Narkwa where Pastor Tony Elegba's congregation worships near Mankessim, pledging
to pay for the cost of the floor at the AG church in Pusigah where Pastor Timothy Kere is pastor and funding a $5,000
microfinance loan to help a young entrepreneur begin a business in Accra. On a long term basis, we are planning
to make a commitment to help the community of Pusigah in northern Ghana.
Pusigah is located on the Burkina Faso border and northeast of Bawku, which is
suffering due to the Kusasi and Memprusi conflict that continues to cause trouble in the Upper East Region. Many
people have lost their lives from this decades old conflict and during the past year it has grown to a boiling point.
The Ghanaian military has taken over security in Bawku and many people are suffering in the villages surrounding the city.
The muslim village of Pusigah has opened its arms to HGM and we are intent on doing what we can to ease the suffering
in this region through projects aimed to bring a library to the community as they requested, medical missions
assistance, water bore hole assistance and community development that will build bridges between the various stakeholders
living in the community. The love of Jesus Christ is freely given to all who will receive it and we are doing what
we can to ensure that HGM extends this love to all within our reach.
In Uganda, we were able to meet with the community leaders of Bugerwa and the Good Samaritan
School where over 300 children attend school on a daily basis without access to potable water. The village itself
has over 2,000 residents and only one water bore hole to be used by everyone. This of course causes very long lines
of people waiting for access and results in many, just like the school children, from getting access at all. HGM
has been asked to help and we intend to do so. Most of you know that I am still an active member of Rotary International
and we were able to meet with the Jinja Rotary Club in Jinja, Uganda, just south of the project area in the Kamuli
District, and the club has agreed to a memorandum of understanding between itself and my home club, the Conway Rotary Club,
to undertake a water bore hole project to impact Bugerwa. In addition to the humanitarian projects, we were able
to be involved in ministry with local church leaders and we are very excited about the opportunities that await
us next year.
The very last project we undertook was a visit to the school founded
by Arkansas native Cariana Nash in Kampala. Cari graciously met with us to discuss the school she started eight
years ago and now has about 62 students. Her passion to serve children that are suffering from HIV and neglect
was obvious and her vision for an orphanage development that includes a long term sustainable impact of course touched
our hearts. We made a donation of $1,000 US dollars to Cari's school for the purchase of malaria nets and school
supplies for the kids in 2010 and we look forward to telling you more about this great ministry in the future.
Special thanks to all of our volunteers, financial contributors, supporters
and friends everywhere! You are making a huge difference in the lives of people all across the globe and we are privileged
to be a part of what God is doing. Your support is greatly appreciated and we hope that you will continue to be a partner
with what we have been entrusted to fulfill.
Next year HGM will be expanding and growing to meet the challenges presented by a young
international ministry that is having huge opportunities opening up all over the world. We ask for your prayers
and your wisdom as we prepare to meet the challenges with good planning and a desire to perform God's work with excellence.
We depend upon God and give Him all the glory.
May the Lord greatly bless you, your family and everything you put your hand to,
in the name of Jesus.
His Servant,
Jason Rapert
Founder & President
Laurie & Jason Rapert
"Serving God By Serving Others" |
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A
Note from our Philippine Country Directors
Dear friends:
As we approach the Christmas holidays, I hope you realize how blessed we are in America.
It has become clearer to us as we have worked very closely this year with Jaime and Neth Valencia in the Philippines.
We have been corresponding with Jaime for over 30 years. It all started while he was attending Febias Bible College.
He graduated and has been a pastor all these years. Three years ago he planted Back to Jesus Christian Fellowship church
near Trece in the Philippines and now that church has an outreach in Southville, which is made up of over 16,000 families
that were relocated from the squalors of Manila. They live in one-room concrete block row houses. We had the pleasure
of meeting Jaime and his wife, Neth, in May last year. We were so impressed with the work they were doing. They
had none of the things that we take for granted in our churches yet they are seeing many people come to the Lord while mentoring
several young people. In order to help Jaime and Neth realize the vision they have, we have come under the umbrella
of Holy Ghost Ministries which is a non profit tax exempt organization involved in humanitarian work in Africa and the Philippines.
We have three major needs in the Philippine ministry:
Education - Following is an excerpt of
a letter from Jaime concerning the education needs of the young people in their church:
"I tell you the news that some children and youth already stopped in their elementary
and high school education. This is because they don't have money for transportation and don't have food to eat. They go to
school hungry. They can't understand the lessons being taught by their teachers because they are hungry. They are weak and
their stomach is aching.Many already stopped studying because of their pitiful situation. They want to continue studying but
they don't have a choice but to quit. The other children and youth, though continuing their studies, are always absent
in their school classes because of the same problems, no money for transportation, food or school projects which affects their
grades.
Richard Joseph Gasoc is a constant honor student since the first grade. He is in the 12th
grade now but forced to stop in studying last month because his mother was laid off from her job and his father is sick of
TB and diabetes.
XyGuialan, a 3rd year high school student only attends school once a week due to poverty.
Her parents are separated, Her mother has no permanent job and her father doesn't give them support. Her 2 younger brothers
and 1 younger sister seldom attend classes due to poverty. As a matter of fact, they don't have electricity since May this
year because they cannot pay their bills. Xy always accompanies us almost everyday in our Home Bible Studies, visitations
and follow-up.
As a Pastor, my heart is crying to see their condition, hungry and have no food to eat,
want to study to have a good future but need to quit because they have no money for transportation and food allowance in school.
These children and youth are faithfully attending Sunday School and Bible Studies.
They know that they are children of God because of their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. But they always ask me that if they
are truly children of God, why are they suffering poverty, no food to eat and cannot study?
Many times, I cannot answer their difficult questions because even I encourage them
many times and tell them that the Lord has a great plan for their lives, but they cannot understand this truth because of
their poverty.
Please pray for them that the Lord will alleviate their pitiful situation
and provide not only their spiritual needs but also their physical needs."
Woman's Shelter - We have a great need for a shelter
house for young women that are being thrown out of their homes because of their faith. Pastor Jaime believes that we
can rent a house for $100/month that would meet that need.
Christmas -
It is fast approaching and we want to be able to help Back to Jesus Christian Fellowship put food boxes together for their
families and also for outreach in the area. Most of the people in this area just eat rice and often go hungry.
The food boxes last year included rice, noodles, sardines, sugar, and coffee. That doesn't sound so great to us but
if you are hungry, it is very much appreciated.
As you shop for Christmas
gifts would you consider giving to these families. There is no gift too small.
All donations can
be sent to, Holy Ghost Ministries, P.O. Box 10388, Conway, AR 72034. Please note that it is for the Philippine ministry
and if you want to designate a particular project, also make a note of that.
If you want more
information on the Philippine ministry, you can look us up on the web at www.holyghostministries.org or email us at janis.minick@gmail.com.
God bless you.
Ferrel and Janis Minick
Philippine Country Directors |
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