Monthly Ministry Updates
January 2025December 2024November 2024October 2024September 2024August 2024July 2024June 2024
May 2024April 2024March 2024February 2024January 2024December 2023November 2023October 2023September 2023August 2023July 2023June 2023May 2023April 2023March 2023June 2022"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!"
Psalm 105:1 |
DSM International Facebook Updates |
INDIA WIDOW OUTREACHUma Devi is a born-again Christian. Many years ago she lost her husband due to a chronic illness. Uma worked hard to raise her two sons and a daughter by selling pancakes at the local street market for the past 20 years. Uma is in her 60’s now, and both her sons have abandoned her. Two years ago, Uma was in an auto accident, and she injured her back severely. She has been struggling to walk since then. Uma is currently taking shelter at her daughter’s house. With no income, Uma has been struggling to meet her medical expenses, which can total around $140 a month. Through DSM, we are able to help with some of her medical expenses monthly. Thank you for helping us to encourage others!
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Hailey Pierce is serving Jesus through our ministries in Haiti. She is living at Our House of Hope in Port au Prince, and serving at Jehovah Rapha House, our special needs home. She is doing an outstanding job! You can see the love she bestows on the children in the photo. Hailey is in need of monthly financial support. She is faithfully serving without complaint, but she does not have sufficient monthly support. We would love for her to be able to continue with us. Would you consider supporting this young missionary?
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UKRAINESeveral years ago some Christians in Ukraine went on a mission trip to India. They ministered in the church of our India director. They have stayed in touch with Vivian. When the war broke out he texted them asking if they were ok. They responded that they are at the border doing what they can to help the refugees going to Poland. We were able to electronically send them funds and they continue to help those at the border with meals, clothing, blankets and God’s love. Again, thank you for partnering with us making this possible!
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DSM INTERNATIONALWe are experiencing some very obvious attacks from the enemy, especially in the area of health. Please pray for our staff. We know in the end we see victory through Christ, but we prefer to also win the battles along the way. We need prayer warriors! Thanks so much for your prayers and support.
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MARCHING
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“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
— Ephesians 3:18-- |
They live in a slum in Hyderabad, India. She is sitting on a wall, her toes eaten away by infection and disease. Her husband sits at her feet, crippled and blind. A few days ago they learned that we are including them in our Hyderabad support project.. We could not pass this couple by, even though our focus has been on widows and single mothers. To say the least, they were overjoyed to know they no longer need to beg for their next meal. They also will be fed with God’s Word as they visit monthly to receive their stipend. Thank you for being on our DSM support team!
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LOTS OF INDIA NEWS
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“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” — Philipians 3:13-14
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MORE GOOD NEWS:
The India government is now offering support for poor widows. What a blessing this is!!! Because many widows are illiterate, we will be establishing a program that will help them register for this subsidy. Our goal will be to help them to manage and maximize their money. This is new and exciting!!! |
INDIA
GOOD NEWS: Over the past few years we have been asking God to guide us in expanding our work in India. The Lord has been providing financially, and we desire to use those funds in the most effective way for God’s glory. One of those prayers was answered when we met Vivian Milton, a pastoral student at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Vivian is from Hyderabad, India, and is married with a 2 year old son. We have been excited to see God at work in Vivian’s life and in DSM as we have taken steps forward. In India, his family (father, mother, sister and brother) have struggled to maintain an orphanage, and we are very pleased that the Lord is allowing us to help these precious children. We will offer more details in coming newsletters. Through Vivian’s leadership we are also almost finished with the construction of a church in a remote tribal village. Pray for Vivian as he leads our India outreach. We are honored to welcome him onto our staff! |
3. WELCOME
Long time missionary friend, Sherrie Fausey, has joined our volunteer staff. She retired from running the school she started in Haiti. However, she still has a desire to help the needy in Haiti. She has been successfully raising funds to feed hungry children and is building replacement homes for mothers who lost their homes in the recent earthquake. |
INDIA
Our children will celebrate in India with song and dance. The dance will be choreographed to Christian music telling the story of Christmas. There will be a special cake prepared. The children and widows will celebrate together with a candlelight service. Their Christmas present will be a special outfit made especially for them. We are so thankful that the pandemic has kept its distance from our India family! Please continue to pray for God’s protection. |
MISSION CRUISE
Our Mission Cruises for January have been canceled, but that did not keep members from our Mission Cruise leadership team from traveling to Cozumel, Mexico in November to encourage our partner churches there. Dan and Jane Pierson, John and Diane Windle and another couple led seminars and children’s meetings. It was a great encouragement to those struggling because of a lack of tourism to the island. |
HAITI
Please continue to pray for Haiti. You have no doubt heard about the kidnappings by the gangs. In addition, they are hijacking the delivery trucks keeping supplies from getting to the stores. Water and gas is difficult to find, and prices are escalating. Happily, our children at Jehovah Rapha House are oblivious to what is happening outside their gate. Last month they celebrated several birthdays with singing and cake. In December they will hopefully enjoy a special Christmas party. Every day we pray that the provisions for that day will be found. Every day God provides for those needs. Thank you for your faithful financial and prayer support. |
HONDURAS
Don continues to serve as president of Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries. We are organizing a team to help in the construction of their new mission center, the future home for mission teams visiting the island. Would you like to join us in March? Write Don at [email protected] for details. May your Christmas be blessed in every way! We want to thank you for your support in 2021. Thank you for remembering us with your year-end giving. It is what helps get us through the lean months. We look forward to serving our Lord in 2022! |
INDIA
Our children are in school and our widows have been sewing. We recently received a shipment of tote bags, shawls and friendship bracelets. We ask you to urgently pray that our permit to send funds to India will be renewed. The permit expired last month without a renewal, but it has been extended until the end of the year. We do not know why there is a delay, but we do know that many Christian organizations are not being renewed. Your prayers for our work in India and Haiti are much appreciated!! |
![]() CONCERTS
Laura Schultz, Don’s granddaughter, is now scheduling concerts through 2022. There are currently many available dates. Has it been awhile since Don visited your church? Let’s fix that! Write Laura at concerts@ dsminternational.org. |
The Lord Giveth:
Last month a doctor brought a small boy to our Jehovah Rapha House. Meet Fernando! This little boy’s mother died while hospitalized from a gunshot wound. She brought her son to the hospital with her. After her death he was found wandering the halls. So far no living relatives can be found. Would you like to be one of his sponsors? Go to the Sponsorships tab for information. |
Celebrate a Miracle With Us!
Last month we sent the final payment for Our House of Hope, our “mission base camp” in Haiti!!! We praise God for providing despite what could have been a devastating couple of years. Yes, GOD gets the credit, but so do you for responding to His leading with your generous gifts to make this seemingly impossible venture possible! WOW!!! We look forward to many lives being changed forever through this exciting ministry! |
Julie McFadden
We are so grateful for Julie as she deals with the many (almost daily) situations that arise with our ministries in Haiti. She is doing an outstanding job and we feel she is God’s provision as she watches over DSMI Haiti for many years to come. Please put her on your daily prayer list. |
Don and Kathy:
Yes, we moved to Virginia, but only in the new house for 2 weeks before packing up the RV for 2 ½ months of ministry in the Midwest. We love our Midwest friends and family, but we also are excited to see what plans the Lord has for us in Virginia and beyond! Again, we appreciate your prayers so very much! |
INDIA:
COVID-19 continues to ravage India. Pastor Prabhu recently reported that there are about 300,000 new cases in his state. While COVID surrounds them, none of our orphans or widows are sick. Please continue to pray for their protection as school is about to begin. |
HAITI: JEHOVAH RAPHA HOUSE
Over 40 children and young adults now live at Jehovah Rapha House, our home for those with special needs. AND THEY KEEP COMING!!! Our dream is to someday purchase property and build a youth home, adult home and medical building that will be home to many more. Until then we will rent. Please pray with us and for our staff as we seek a second home to rent as our current home is filled to capacity. Please pray for our wonderful Haitian staff as they work very hard in caring for our children. |
![]() HAITI: OUR HOUSE OF HOPE
The assassination of the President of Haiti was a tragic event last month. We did not know what to expect. Thankfully, things have been calm and life in Haiti continues pretty much like normal as the government reorganizes. Teams that have stayed at Our House of Hope continue to express their thanks for our ability to provide a comfortable and safe place for them to stay as they serve in Port Au Prince. Again, we are grateful for all of you who have contributed toward the purchase of OHOH! |
DON IS LEADING A TEAM TO HAITI IN JANUARY |
JANUARY IN HAITI!
Don is leading a team to Haiti in January. Come for one or two weeks. Our primary focus will be to help at Jehovah Rapha House with the children and fix whatever might need fixing. We will also be seeking opportunities to serve with other mission organizations in Port au Prince. The dates are January 8-22. Come for either week or for both weeks! We ask that you raise or donate $1,000 per week to cover your expenses. (Any money left at the end of the trip stays in Haiti for our ongoing ministry there). You are also responsible for purchasing your own tickets for air travel. Once you arrive in Haiti we provide all transportation and food. This includes picking the team up at the airport in Port au Prince and getting you back. If you are interested, go to the missions page. Click on “Apply to join us”. You will need to set up an account with “Managed Missions”. There is an application there for you to fill out. |
PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR INDIA MINISTRY |
INDIA
You don’t see a lot of India updates on our Facebook page as we have learned the government is monitoring our updates. They continue to do what they can to discourage Christians from sharing the gospel. Our orphanages and widows homes are visited often and interrogated by government officials. One of the questions frequently asked is whether we force them to become Christians in order to live in our homes. We have made it clear that our doors are open to all, regardless of religion. Accepting Christ as Savior is a free choice they make, it is not forced on them. Recently a teacher at one of the schools asked some of our orphans what they do at the orphanage. The children shared that they had just helped clean their rooms and pulled weeds on the property. The teacher reported us to the child welfare department for breaking the child labor laws. This has resulted in Pastor Prabhu being called in for a series of meetings to defend our ministry. (Can you imagine being reported for making your child clean his/her room???) Please continue to pray for our India ministry. |
WITH THE LORD INDIA:
Five years ago, Miriyamma was living on the streets of Vijayawada. Her husband died and her three adult children shunned her and put her out of the home because of Hindu tradition. A local polititian, wanting her off the streets, sent her to our home. Two years ago she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior. She was a hard worker and a good helper with our orphans. Last month, Covid took her life. Thank you for your prayers, and thank you for making it possible for us to help her and show her the way to her heavenly home! |
![]() VENTURE INTERN PROGRAM HAITI: Our VENTURE intern program at Our House of Hope in Haiti is going well. This year we had some interns stay for three months and others for five. Upon returning to the States, several expressed the desire to return and serve full time! While we do not have positions available for them it is exciting to know that they desire to continue serving the Lord as missionaries. Hopefully this program will launch many into full time ministry. We are now accepting applications for next year. To get additional information on the Venture program contact Julie McFadden at [email protected].
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![]() NEWEST FULL TIME STAFF MEMBER
It is with great excitement that we announce that Hailey Pierce joined our DSMI Haiti staff in March. Hailey will be serving with Reese and Michael at Our House of Hope. Hailey has been coming with DSMI to Haiti since she was 14 years old. She has a servant’s heart and a fun, loving personality. We are excited that she has accepted the call to serve the Lord in Haiti. We ask you to pray for Hailey. If you would like to support this young, new missionary, please go to www.dsminternational.org/give |
If God is for us, who can be against us! Yes, we have an enemy, but he is no match for God almighty! In the past months we have seen obstacles thrown before us and we have seen God’s awesome hand in providing. And so we anticipate some great things for the future of DSMI.
We are in the process of getting the deed transferred for Our House of Hope in Haiti to DSMI. This could happen quickly or it could take up to one year! Please pray it can be quick. While Haiti as a country still is having major issues, we see God’s hand in placing us in a country where we can truly represent Him in many ways. Our teams come home with gratitude for the safe place to sleep at Our House of Hope as well as great opportunities for ministry. We have just completed the first season of our intern program. What a blessing it is hear and see how God worked in their lives. Please remember our staff daily in prayer. |
![]() INDIA
Covid continues to slowly work its way into our orphanages and widow’s homes. A few of our children and widows have had Covid and recovered. One of our Indian pastors that was very helpful in shopping and delivering food to our largest orphanage is Pastor Nagaiah is now with the Lord. Please pray for his family and our entire India family as they mourn his passing. Pray for God’s hand of protection over those we serve in India. |
DON AND KATHY
The Wisconsin home is sold and we are now living in our RV as we wait for completion. We are so thankful to the Faith in Action team for their week of help as well as friends Steve and Susan from Illinois for their sacrifice of time to install the cabinets. And many of our Virginia friends have also been here assisting us. We still need help with some final construction items, and have a lot of painting and cleaning to do so that we can get our occupancy and move in. We hope to have our furniture and possessions delivered sometime in the next two weeks. Prayers are appreciated as we desire to get this move behind us and once again focus on the wonderful work the Lord has called us to. |
COVID UPDATE
I can no longer say that our orphans and widows are COVID free. One of our widows passed away this month due to the virus. Her eternity in Heaven has begun. Others have been sick and recovered. Thank you to all those that support our orphans and widows. The widow that passed heard about Jesus after moving into our widow’s home. Thank you for your part through prayer and finances in pointing her to heaven! |
JEHOVAH RAPHA HOUSE
We named him Jacob. He was abandoned on the street, laying in the sun for hours before one of our interns discovered him. After hours of unsuccessful attempts to find his home, we reported to the police that he was in our Jehovah Rapha House. He is about 5 or 6 years old. He is blind and has other special needs. His smile does not fade as he soaks in the love and attention he is receiving in his new home with us. Again, thank you for making this possible! Just a reminder that all of our children at JRH need sponsors. |
INDIA:
Naveen was brought with his little brother to DSM Children’s Home 8 years ago. He does not remember his mother. His father was suffering from paralysis. He came often to beg for food at our DSM home. 6 years ago his dad went to be with the Lord. He gets very good grades in school. He is sponsored Young Naveen Older Naveen and DSM placed him into a pastor’s home. As you can see in the pictures he has matured into a fine young man. Thank you to all of you who pray for these young people and to those who faithfully sponsor a child into a pastor’s home! |
OUR HOUSE OF HOPE:
We are getting there! We currently need about $60,000 to meet our final payment for our beautiful base camp and ministry center. We have two donors who have offered a total of $12,000 in matching gifts for this fund in March. Can you help us turn $12,000 into $24,000? |
HAITI:
The mission teams that have visited Our House of Hope recently have had wonderful trips. Now is a good time for you to schedule your mission team to Our House of Hope. Our children at Jehovah Rapha House are doing well and we thank God for their continued protection from COVID. |
OUR GOD IS A WAY MAKER!
Some of the words to the contemporary song “Way Maker” are:
“Even when I don’t see it, You’re working. Even when I can’t feel it, You’re working. You never stop, You never stop working.” We are seeing this at DSM! Our God is orchestrating hearts to pray for us. Our God is leading people to give at just the right times to provide for our many ministry expenses as we care for hundreds of orphans and widows. This month a church is being built in India because God prompted a few people to give specific gifts to make it happen. Interns are now in Haiti and being discipled in missions and the Christian faith through Our House of Hope. To date, none of our orphans or widows have contracted COVID-19! “He Never Stops Working!!!” Don Shire and Julie McFadden recorded this wonderful song and it will be sent via email to anyone that contributes before September towards our final payment for Our House of Hope in Haiti. Please take a few moments to watch the YouTube video that Arol McFadden put together using the song in the background as he tells the story of DSM in Haiti through his original artwork. It is amazing! |
In Other News
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Venture is underway!!! Three interns have arrived safely in Haiti and have started their 4-6 month internship at Our House of Hope. We are very excited for this new “venture”! HAITI BASE CAMP Arol McFdden in his video referred to Our House of Hope as our “DSMI Haiti Base Camp”. We like that! Don’t be surprised to see that come up more in the future. MISSIONS AND TRIPS We are now receiving teams in Haiti for ministry trips. We had 4 teams in recent weeks and they were all won-derfully successful. We will guide you through the travel guidelines, pick you up and return you to the Haiti airport, prepare your meals and take care of you during your ministry trip. Contact [email protected] with questions or to reserve your dates |
![]() Meet Deborah: She is only 3 months old. She was brought to us by a desperate grandmother whose daughter (the baby’s mother) is mentally and physically handicapped. The circumstances described to us are heartbreaking. We cry for her birth mother because of a sinful and fallen world. Pray for little Deborah. May God bless her little life. She is now loved and cared for and has a home. She is healthy and doing well. Happy New Year, Little Deborah!
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Meet Ellianna: She was brought to us after having been abandoned. Her circumstance brought tears to the DSMI staff. She had no home. She has no history. She didn’t even have a name.
Today this little girl has a home. She has a name. She is loved! Reese named her Ellianna. Ellianna means “an answered prayer.” Ellianna, in her short time with us, has already brought us great joy!! |
INDIA/HAITI COVID UPDATE:
As we go into September, we are thrilled to report that although COVID-19 surrounds our ministries in India and Haiti, not one of them has been infected. Thank you for your prayers and please continue. Children in both countries will soon move from studying at home to physically attending school. Please pray for their protection against COVID-19 as bringing it home to the widows and to the special needs children could be serious. |
ONE YEAR AGO a terrible storm wreaked havoc on our home in Wisconsin. Hundreds of trees came down in our neighborhood, there was no electricity for days and damage was extensive. As we worked to clean up the mess, we thanked God for His protection, and trusted Him to provide what was needed. God was faithful! The storm is now a distant memory. This year there seems to be a different kind of storm wreaking havoc around us. We will not be afraid! We remain focused on loving the Lord and trust His perfect plan to unfold as we serve Him.
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COUNTDOWN TO SEPTEMBER PAYMENT: Despite difficult times, we are pleased to say that God is providing toward our next payment for the purchase of Our House of Hope. We still need an additional $75,000 by September. After that we have only one more payment!!! Praise God for what He has provided! Thank you to all who have helped us get this far!!
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BLESSED IN SO MANY WAYS!
Our House of Hope DSM Haiti Ministry Center and Jehovah Rapha House were blessed in January by a visit from Mission Bible Church in Minooka, IL. They were led by our awesome DSM Haiti Director, Julie McFadden. One of their many accomplishments was to build an outdoor kitchen at JRH. This keeps the heat outside as our cooks prepare meals for our JRH family. Michael and Reese Spencer (our full time hosts at Our House of Hope) hosted the team and did an outstanding job! We still have some weeks available in 2020 if your church would like to take a mission trip to Haiti. We can help you plan your trip or simply host your team. Write Julie at [email protected] to ask about available weeks. |
PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR TEAM IN HAITI
A team of 30 from Mission Bible Church in Minooka, IL, led by Julie McFadden, is serving in Haiti until January 10. They will serve at local orphanages and clinics and at our Jehovah Rapha House. They will meet our newest child, Alexis who was brought to us by Haiti social welfare. Notice the clean sheets, nice outfit and diaper? Those were not available before we adopted this orphanage. Thank you so much for helping us to care them! |
NEW CHILDREN AT JEHOVAH RAPHA HOUSE
Bianca (top) was born without eyes, with a cleft pallet, and a small brain. Philsma (bottom) was born with hydrocephalus. Both were abandoned by their parents at the hospital. The hospital tried several orphanages, trying to find them a home. All refused. We took them. They deserve to be held and loved. Both are responding well to their new home. Please pray for our caregivers as these little girls require a lot of special care. |
INDIA: Sumulamma, one of our widows, died in July from severe burns when her clothes caught fire near an outdoor cooking fire. She was 85. She is now with the Lord! Thank you for making it possible for us to show her the way to eternity with Christ!
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WOW!! Our neighbors, Silver Birch Ranch, had about 400 young people on its grounds during the storm. Hundreds of trees were uprooted. Praise God! They were well prepared and had no injuries. If you are familiar with their ministry please pray for them and possibly send a special gift to help them through this difficult time of cleanup and repair. www.silverbirchranch.org
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![]() INDIA: Sri Latha, our girl with HIV, has shown some improvement this past month. She is now taking some food. Last month it seemed she had only days left here on this earth. Please continue to pray for her as she is still a very sick young woman!
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![]() INDIA: Venkata Lakshimi, one of our widows, has cancer. Last month she was also near death. The doctors gave little hope for recovery. She is now receiving medication and show ing great improvement. She wants us to thank those of you that gave to the emergency medical fund so she could get her chemo treatments.
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Do you remember Pastor Bendji? He was the child at our Faith in Action House in Haiti that prayed for all of us when we spent time at the orphanage. His grandfather now has employment and came for Bendji and his siblings, Chinailove and Job . We cried many tears to see them go but at the same time we are very happy they will be with their loving grandfather.
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This girl, Deepika, is one of our orphans. She lives with her grandmother. She has scoliosis and is severely disabled. Doctors tell us that with surgery there is a possibility to correct the paralysis so she can sit on her own and even use the toilet which she currently cannot do. Her grandma is overwhelmed. The surgery will cost $13,000. We will help as God provides.
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“Dear Don Tataya (Grandfather Don) Thank you so much for your prayers. Today my 10th grade results were released. I found that I got first in class. I was so happy. My pastor Dad and family are so much happy. I cried with happiness because of you Don Tataya. Because of you now I am having this life and family. I am thankful ever. And also I want to go further studies. Thank you for prayers.
Your son, K. Suresh”
ROATAN: Last month, Don took a team of 12 to Roatan, Honduras where they focused on building walls, running electric wires, and spending quality time with the children at the “Greenfield Home for Children” run by Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries where Don Shire is president of the board. We had a great week and fell in love with the children. More info can be found at their website: www.sblmroatan.net
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![]() THANK YOU MR ED!!!
Ed Armstrong always promised that once he retired he would travel with us to help at our missions. We hear that a lot. But, he meant it!!! Ed has been faithfully joining us on our Roatan and Haiti trips. He has been a huge blessing! He sure would like some help! Are there any of you that will join us this year? |
Hi! I am Julie McFadden. I am so excited to be joining the Don Shire Ministries staff. I am thankful for the chance to serve the 51 children that we care for in Haiti. I am humbled by your continued support of this ministry!
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I feel frustrated,” president and CEO Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado told CT.
That’s because Compassion has worked every angle to try to stay open in India since last February, when India’s Ministry of Home Affairs put it on a list of organizations needing prior approval before transferring funds into the country. Then the government refused to grant such approval.
The government’s move can be traced back to 2011, when it changed its Foreign Contribution Regulation Act so that it could regulate NGOs it disagrees with philosophically, Mellado said. The move was seen by many as another step toward Hindu nationalism since 2014. India is now No. 15 on Open Doors’ list of countries where it’s hardest to be a Christian, up from No. 31 in 2013.
Compassion channels about $45 million into the country every year, more than any other charity.
Almost 40 percent of the local Indian churches that Compassion partnered with are still working with the children, albeit without the financial support.
“The local church is not going away,” he said. “They were there before us; they’ll be there after us.”
After all, this isn’t the first time Compassion has been forced to leave a country. In 1985, after 17 years serving children in Indonesia, Compassion pulled out “in order to maintain its commitment to financial integrity.” But by 1988 it was back, and “some of the children in the programs were pastors of the churches that helped bring us back,” Mellado said.
NEW MINISTRY IDEA:
A lady in Virginia has a new ministry. She buys scarves made by our India widows and gives them to ladies she meets that need some encouragement. Our widows are helped and those that receive them are blessed as well. Could you do something like this? Contact Kathy and have her pick you out a nice assortment of scarves. |
![]() Colton recently ended his one year commitment in Haiti and is now planning for a few months of ministry in India and the Philippines. In the Philippines he will intern at an orphanage that has been extremely successful at self-sustainable living. Every inch of their property is in some way producing food or income from selling the excess produce to the community. The goal is to learn and bring this knowledge to our orphanages and widow’s homes. Please pray for Colton as he serves.
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![]() HEMA UPDATE: While we were in India last month I had the opportunity to visit with Hema. She is still a very sick little girl, but, she is showing positive results from her continued chemo and other treatments. Our recent wire transfer to India also included another $2000 for her treatments. Thank you to those who are praying and contributed to our Emergency Medical Fund!
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![]() HAITI: This month Colton will host 2 teams to Haiti. They will build homes for the homeless and reach out to very poor communities with medical and spiritual outreach. Colton has also been using his experience working in his grandfather’s bakery by volunteering to help a local bakery in Haiti, which has offered wonderful opportunities to share God’s gift of salvation. Colton would also like to thank all those that are supporting him to serve with DSM and his hope is that you will all have a blessed Christmas.
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Current Needs and Prayer Requests:
* Each year at Christmas we give each orphan and widow in India a new outfit. Our annual cost is around $8,000. We have an India Christmas fund for this purpose. 100% of your designated gift will go to that account. * We are still looking for land in Haiti to build an orphanage. Please pray for God’s direction and provision. * End of year gifts are a large part of the funding that carries us through the new year. If you will, please remember us as you allocate your year-end giving. * Don has planned a winter concert tour in Florida. He still has dates available in February, March and April. You can help by putting in a good word for him with your friends and contacts. Your prayers are appreciated that the Lord will open the doors for ministry. * Praise the Lord! The Mission Cruises are completely full for January. You might want to plan ahead for 2018. Applications will be available in January. Or, you can write Jane Pierson, our Mission Cruise Coordinator, and ask her to put you on the list for 2018 and to send you the info when it is ready. It broke our hearts to tell several that we could not take them this year as we are filled to our maximum. |
![]() HAITI: Despite delays caused by a hurricane, flooded out roads, a broken Earthblock machine and other minor issues, Colton reported that production has started and they now have over 1000 earthblocks made. These will be used in December as teams arrive to build homes for those that desperately need one. Colton definitely has learned to practice the phrase; “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape!”
NEW!!!We are now ACH capable! This means we can now offer the convenient option of scheduling your regular donation directly from your bank account, without the fees that credit cards incur. If you are interested, please contact our accounting manager, Priscilla, with the following information: your bank account number, routing number, whether it is a checking or savings account, business or personal account, payment schedule (how often), amount of donation, what day of month for withdrawal, and designation of the gift. Priscilla can be contacted at: (920) 809-8615
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My husband Matt and I live near New Holstein, WI where we raised our two sons. I first heard of Don Shire Ministries when Don played a concert at our church, but the most significant "contact" came through a woman who attends our church. She asked if we would be willing to financially sponsor an Indian orphan so the child could be adopted by a Christian pastor. We agreed to sponsor two boys feeling this was how God wanted us to use His money and excited to be able to make a difference.
The sponsorship program was fairly new and I felt led to contact Don to offer to help coordinate this sponsorship program in some way-if he needed help. His reply was that he really needed help coordinating mission trips and the rest is history! I will only add that it is very fulfilling to be involved in work that is so clearly God's work. It is a joy to partner with Him.
Current Needs and Prayer Requests:
· We desire to provide a Christmas present for each orphan and widow in our care. Please consider a gift to our Christmas fund. · We are now scheduling concerts for Don in 2017. Is your church or group interested? Write [email protected]. Ruth is waiting to hear from you! · Continue to pray for Hema, our girl with leukemia in India. · We are still looking for property in Haiti to build a new orphanage. Please pray for God’s leading. |
![]() Colton is back in Haiti for a few months. Please pray for him as he is leading a church Bible study and counseling. He is also making plans for teams that will be visiting in the months to come. They will be building homes for widows.
Colton put together a very nice video report on the earth-block business we helped to launch while in Zambia. The business will help to support the Zambia national AWANA program. Here is a link if you would like to see it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMdi-wzWeU |
Crystal DeLong
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I moved back to Virginia in 2012 after serving overseas for six years. Teaching in Turkey and Morocco had forever changed me and a passion for missions was still there when Don visited our church, Trinity Baptist, early in the spring of 2013. I had been looking for ways to serve now that I was back in the states. Don had visited our church several times before, but this time he mentioned a specific need; someone to send out his newsletter electronically. I knew this was a way that I could help serve. I love how God answered both of our prayers; God is good!
MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF:
Kathy and I realized several years ago that the Lord has blessed and grown DSM to a place where we could no longer manage it alone. We began to pray for help in specific areas. One of them was in the area of communication with churches, pastors, worship leaders, and mission committees that ask for me to come to their church for a concert or missions conference. With my travel schedule often taking me out of the USA, it was sometimes weeks before I could respond. Then God sent us Ruth! Please read about her in this month’s letter. She is an answer to many of your prayers for us. Thank you!! |
![]() Last month a man approached me before a concert and wanted to talk to me. He wanted to thank me for coming to his prison several years ago. It was that day he committed his life to Christ. He said his life changed that day. He is now out of prison and doing well.
Thank you for making it possible for us to minister anywhere the Lord opens a door! |
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Ministry addressDSM INTERNATIONAL
P.O. Box 826 Bedford, VA 24523 |
Phone715.484.2017
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