by Barbara A. Oliver, managing editor
IVANO-FRANKIVSK, Ukraine (BNc) — One congregation does its benevolent work by the bucketful.
The Judsonia, Ark., church, together with other congregations, is involved in benevolent aid to Sudan, Ukraine, Nigeria, India, Honduras and a number of other nations. With the shipments of aid, they include “family buckets,” five-gallon plastic buckets filled with a variety of household items.
The brainchild of Kathy Cadden in Columbus, MS., the buckets are contributed by numerous congregations in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky and Missouri.
“These have really been an excellent way of getting urgently needed commodities to those in great need,” said John Kachelman, Jr., preacher with the Judsonia congregation.
Recently, Ivan and Sveta Skoleba from Ivano-Frankivsk reported the following story:
“We were distributing humanitarian aid and a young man came to us. He was from Iraq and came to Ukraine to get an education and then got married in Ivano-Frankivsk. His name is Mohammed. He and his wife are poor and could not afford to buy a stroller for their child. When he found out we were giving away things free of charge he asked us for a stroller and a bucket. I told him that aid had come from American believers. We talked at length with Mohammed and I told him that the churches of Christ help different people, no matter who they are or where they are from. He asked me to thank believers from America who had collected buckets and clothes.
“The next day he came back radiant with joy and said that he was astonished to see so many valuable things for their home that they found in the bucket: dishes, soaps, tooth paste, dish washing detergents, towels and even a cheese grater. He said that he and his wife could only dream about such things but they did not have money to buy them. We talked about God with him and he asked for a Bible.”
“The Lord works through humanitarian aid, creating different situations to share the Gospel even with Muslims,” said Skoleba.
2010-03-18 at 12:13 pm
Please include in each bucket a dvd of the Jesus movie in the appropriate language. I have it in many languages and can get it in many more. I have the right to reproduce them. This is a wonderful way to introduce Jesus to people who know nothing about Him. Then study with them. Ken Hargesheimer, minifarms@gmail.com
2010-03-18 at 8:26 pm
You are doing great job for spreed the Gospel to the lost souls.We will pray for your work.God bless your work.I am from India.I am doing evangelism work in our place.Preaching in one congregation.Please extend your hands up to our place.We need your co-operation to spreed the Gospel of Christ to the lost souls.Where I am working this is tribal area.Most of the people belongs to Hindu religion.Please pray for our work. gwkcoc@yahoo.com this is our e-mail.Please send the reply to this address.You are doing great work for the kingdom of God..
Thanking you,
Your brother in Christ,
T.J.R.Benhur Babu
Gajuwaka Church of Christ,
Gajuwaka,
Visakhapatnam,
Andhra Pradesh,
India.–530026