To passionately worship and follow Jesus

Missions and Projects

Missions a Priority

Victoria Full Gospel Fellowship has a heart for missions. We support several missionaries and outreach projects, as well as hold a missions weekend every second year.

We make missions a priority
with our prayers and our finances.

Photo on the Right

Wes and Lorrie Jonat with their two girls—missionaries to Malawi, West Africa.

VFGF-Supported Missions & Missionaries

Long-Term Missions and Projects - Short-Term Missions and Projects
Operation Christmas Child - Supporting Missionaries - Our Missions Contacts

We Directly Support Missions

In addition to the contribution that Victoria Full Gospel Fellowship makes to missions through the ACOP, we support a number of missions and missionaries directly.

Click on the names for more information, including updates:

Long-Term Missions and Projects

Jerry and Brenda Schuetz

Missionaries to Zambia and South-Central Africa, Jerry and Brenda Schuetz are continuing in their project: the Heart of Africa Mission, a self-supporting Bible and Vocational Training School in Kitwe, Zambia.

VFGF has responded particularly strongly to the calling of this ministry since Jerry visited us during our Missions Conference in 2000.

• E-mail:
• Mailing Address: P.O. Box 21400, Kitwe, Zambia
• Website: www.schuetz.heartofafricamission.com.
• Other: ACOP Missions Information

Missions Update

Reaching & Teaching the Nations, to Reach & Teach the Nations

Missionaries Jerry and Brenda Schuetz have monthly reports which can be read on their Website. The philosophy of the Heart of Africa Mission demonstrates the desire to have the project self-sustaining and their recent reports indicate that goal is nearly realized. See their YouTube video showing the work in Zambia.

Jerry and Brenda have returned to Zambia for another 3-year term at the Heart of Africa Mission.

Prayer Requests:

These are some of their on-going prayer requests:

• Pray for spiritual health.
• Pray for physical health.
• Pray for the team.
• Pray for the mission.
• Pray for the boys.
• Pray for the Lord's flavour.

There are additional requests on their Website's Prayer page under the New Prayer Requests heading.

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Wes and Lorrie Jonat

Wes and Lorrie Jonat (missionaries to Malawi) are now living in Lilongwe, Malawi with their twin daughters, Tembi and Karis.

We are working with the leadership of ACOP Malawi to strengthen the national church, bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to this region of Southern Africa. Our purpose is to see the gospel shared in cities and villages, to assist in famine relief and development, to help care for AIDS Orphans, to teach and train the leaders in further bible education and to facilitate teams that come and make a difference in the lives of those in need.

• E-mail:
• Mailing Address: See their Website
• Website: www.jonats4africa.org.
• Other: ACOP Missions Information

Missions Update

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for the families in our churches that have run out of food and are suffering. ACOP is working to provide famine relief to the most desperate villages.
• Pray for rain! The maize crops need rain.
• Pray for the feeding centres which are looking after orphans and widows.
• Pray for the Lumbadzi feeding centre program. Pastor Felix and his wife have faithfully been feeding between 12-50 orphans as God provides. (See the VFGF Orphan Care Ministry response.)

Praise Reports:

• There have seen close to one thousand conversions to Christ since the beginning of January.
• There have been no further firebomb attacks since June 2007.
• Karis' arm has healed nicely and she can straighten her arm.
• The Bags of Hope project has been tremendously successful in reaching children.

The most recent requests and praise reports are found on the Jonats 4 Africa Website.

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Dorothy Gammie

Dorothy Gammie (missionary to Burkina Faso) is supported through our Women's Ministry and our Saanich Small Group.

• E-mail:
• Other: ACOP Missions Information

Missions Update

Dorothy has been on furlough in Eston, Canada, recovering from an injured knee but is now travelling in preparation to returning to Burkino Faso in June.

Praise Reports:

• Pascal taught at a children’s camp last week in a village an hour away from Leo. They prepared for 60 children but 200 came. Pascal was so very excited as parents just kept dropping their children off—many Moslem or animist—so he was able to teach kids who had never heard about Jesus before. Praise God!
• We did 2 day camps; one in Leo and one in Diebougou with 320 kids were taught during a Canadian team's stay with us.
• 480 children were taught during July and another 200 children at Daniel Zopoula's camp the morning we were there.
• Pascal taught 800 children at four children's camps in different districts during September; some children accepted the Lord and others rededicated their lives to Christ.

Please pray for:

• Pascal to receive his Canadian visa so he can come to the conference in Canada. He already has his ticket and all necessary funding while he is here.
• Pascal as he teaches the S.S. District Leaders or coordinators. Seven men and one lady from the different districts in Burkina Faso will come to Leo on April 8th for a week of training. Pascal would appreciate prayer as he is teaching them.
• Pascal and the Sunday School teachers as they continue to do the work in Burkino Faso. Pray for health and encouragement.
• Pascal as he teaches at the Bible School as well as directing the students in practical ministry of child evangelism in three different Christian schools in Leo as well as the kids club at the mission on Thursday afternoons.
• Physical strength for Pascal and anointing as he teaches Bible School students, our coordinators of S.S. teachers, S.S. teacher seminars and children.
• Pray for Dorothy that she get the rest she needs in Canada.

Thanks for praying for us as there have been days where we really needed your prayers.

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Orphan Care Ministry

Answering the call to support the need for orphan care in Africa, our church responded in two areas:

• Two orphans in Africa are directly supported.
• The Lumbadzi Feeding Centre in Malawi: we are feeding 100 orphans twice weekly over the next 3.5 years.

Additional Information

Additional information about Orphan Care Ministries is available on ACOP's Orphan Care Ministry page.

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Other Ministries

Other ministries are supported by this church from time-to-time with an offering when they visit us, but their ongoing support comes primarily through ACOP

Please feel free to contact these missionaries directly. They greatly appreciate your prayers and letters. See Supporting Our Missionaries for more ideas.

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Short-Term Missions and Projects

Some of our own church members have been involved with short-term missions and projects. This is a space where we can let you know about current and upcoming missions projects.

Current Short-Term Missions

There are no current short term missions information.

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Operation Christmas Child

 

We support Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse that touches millions of children and their families all over the world each year. It gives children with no hope a glimpse of hope.

The realization that someone they don't know cared enough to prepare a shoebox of toys and other gifts can then open the opportunity to share the love God has for each one of these children.

Nearly 7.6 Million Lives Touched

In 2006, nearly 7.6 million shoe boxes were collected worldwide (739,079 from Canada) and distributed to children in about 100 countries who are the victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. VFGF filled 141 shoe boxes in 2007.

While the destination varies each year, Shoe boxes from BC go to Calgary for sorting and inspection, then shipped to children in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Venezuela. (Canadian boxes, in general, go to Central and South America and West Africa—not to Europe or Asia at this time.)

A Tangible Ministry

This is a very tangible ministry. In a special ceremony on November 4, 2007 all the shoe boxes were placed on the platform and we prayed for the children that will receive our gift boxes.

How to Participate

• Pray for Operation Christmas Child.
• Be sure to pack your box correctly and know what you can and cannot include.
  • Include at least $7 per box (cheques preferred) to cover costs—including shipping—and expand assistance to children and their communities. (Multiple donations from a single family can go into a single envelope.)
  • The box is treasured as much as the contents. Save Samaritan's Purse 48¢ by using your own shoebox or a suitable plastic box (Rubbermaid or Sterilite brands are best—others crack and/or crush), but no larger than 9" x 12" x 5" (approximately 23cm x 30.5cm x 12.5cm—no larger than the opened up OCC brochure).
  • Include a personal note and photo. Long after the candy is eaten and the supplies used up, that note reminds a child that someone cared and that God loves them.
• You'll be inspired by what other communities have done and the impact these shoe boxes can have on a child's life.

No Toothpaste Allowed

No toothpaste allowed in boxes anymore! Toothpaste has an expiry date and customs in many countries will no longer allow it. If one box has an expired tube, the whole shipment will be inspected and could be held up for months.

Permitted Candy

Only candy that is hard through the core (e.g. Werthers and Campino) is permitted. Candy that is crumbly (e.g. Rockets), chewy (e.g. Tootsie Rolls) or hard outside and soft inside is no longer accepted.

Recalled Toys

Check www.cpsc.gov for list of recalled toys and to receive further updates.

Balance Your Gifts

The emphasis, this year, is on a well-balanced gift with items from each of the four categories: hygiene, school supplies, toys and other items. For example, please avoid boxes of just candy or all toys.

Please contact (who co-ordinates Operation Shoebox for our church each year) or for information about how you can participate.

Other Questions?

The Operation Christmas Child Common Questions should answer most of your questions and provides a contact number and e-mail address for Operation Christmas Child.

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Supporting Our Missionaries

Your missionaries need funds to operate, but they also need our prayers and love to hear from you. Here are some of the many ways you can support missionaries in the field.

This information is culled from material provided by Gerald and Ruth Nygren.

Intercessory Prayer

Missionaries need intercessors more than admirers. They need prayers more than donors. They live and work in the enemy's territory and become the special object of Satan's attack. Support your missionaries by praying for them.

Missions Prayer Support

Pray for their:

Protection from Satanic attack. Enablement in life & ministry. Flexibility in relationships. Attitude of servanthood. Compatibility with fellow workers. Heart of love for all men. Boldness in preaching. Fruitfulness in service. Filling with the Holy Spirit. Understanding of culture. Management of time.

Discipline in devotional life. Proficiency in use of language. Patience with others. Safety in travel. Courage in danger. Health in soul and body. Support adequate for needs. Wisdom to maintain finances. Family home life. Children at school. Zeal to serve Christ.

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Our Missions Contacts

For more details of current missions projects, contact the following individuals:

• Doug Newman or for more information about the missions Victoria Full Gospel Fellowship supports; or
• for information about current ACOP missions projects.

You can also visit the ACOP missions site which contains various missions reports and contact information indexed by region.

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www.vfgf.org/missions.html
Updated April 18, 2008