Mission Update Fall 2022
"The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” Lam. 3:25 NIV
As the weather begins to cool and we travel into the fall, we will soon be celebrating Thanksgiving. Most people look to the holiday for family and friends get togethers, but do we understand the meaning. The first Thanksgiving was in 1578 when Martin Frobisher and his crew had a meal and were thankful to God for his mercies and protection as they were anchored in Frobisher Bay. They acknowledged that God is the creator of all, and that He would provide for their needs. We do as well in our Fall mission update.
At CSM we are very mindful of the power of prayer, which is why in all our meetings and gatherings we acknowledge God is in charge. This year I ended up in hospital with a quadruple bypass due to major blockages. I could have had a heart attack or stroke at any time, but God provided a nudge for me to get checked over and the problem was discovered and resolved. I remember making part of my morning prayer the song “Be still and know that I am God.”
The ministry has also been blessed by God during a duration similar to my hospital visit due to the
Covid crisis. We experienced times that we could not accept material, other times when we could not send material, and times that our volunteers could not do the sorting due to the close quarters. Even though we are a volunteer organization, there still are bills to be paid even if nothing seems to be happening. The warehouse costs include taxes, heat, water, electricity, phones, internet, etc. During this time, our donors continue to send in money to keep our organization going. When there were major expenditures, we received unexpected donations to cover those as well, such as the furnace needed to be replaced and the tow motor needed to be overhauled to pass its safety.
We still are encountering issues to be resolved, but God will provide the answers to all our prayers and concerns. Other ministries are having similar difficulties as we are, so this is not a unique situation that only affects us. Our volunteer base is aging, and we have had individuals needing to step back for health reasons, and some others have passed away. There is a worldwide container shortage to contend with, so that limits the number of shipments we can make this year. As for our finances, we continue to be blessed by our donors, but we have not been able to have a fund-raising dinner in over 3 years.
My continued prayer to God is to supply prayer warriors to keep the ministry in prayer, individuals to volunteer in the areas that we need arms and legs, continued funds for the ministry and more containers to fill the requests we have from ministries throughout the world.
As you read this newsletter, pray about what you can do for CSM in the coming months. Call the office and ask what needs we have that can use your talents, in that many hands make light work. You may not be able to go to the mission fields yourself, but by assisting with CSM Ministries, you will be equipping the missionaries in the field like many of the churches in the Bible were supporting Paul as he carried out the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
Dennis Cheredar, Board Chairman
What's New at Christian Salvage Mission?
What a summer! I retract my statement in the Summer mission update that this has been a quieter year. We are back up to pre-pandemic levels of book donations, though not quite back up to being able to process all of those books. Its truly incredible when we see and hear about the mountains of books believers all throughout Canada are donating. Its even more amazing every time we hear about just how quickly the donated materials are distributed!
We’ve had a few retirements in the past few months, along with new volunteers who’ve joined our effort. We are thankful for all of the help, even if its just one day. Those few hours of help you give all add up to an incredible blessing for people all over the world. What better way to use your gifts than to help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
We’re continuing our efforts and prayers that a few more people in the Hamilton area will come forward to help us sort and pack at the warehouse. We’re also in need of a few extra local volunteers to help load containers. Our group of usuals for container loading is still helping, but when people are ill or on vacation, it gets hard to coordinate a full crew. If you would like to help in these roles, please let us know. If there’s someone you know who would be a blessing here, please let them know. You can read a little more about volunteering at CSM here.
Cheerfully in Christ, Valerie in the office
Recent Shipments
Since our last mission update, CSM has sent two shipments, both of which are on the water in transit at this time.
It’s normal for our shipping costs to raise slightly year over year. However, we have noticed enormous jumps in shipping costs this year. Compared to 2021, our 2022 shipments have been anywhere from 15% to 25% more expensive to ship. Please join us in praying for an easing of these costs. We can only send out as many containers as we have funding for, and people are hungry for God’s Word.
July 2022 - Ghana - 31,671 lbs
We aren’t sure just how we managed to squeeze in almost 1,000lbs more books than our usual shipment, but we did! This container is expected to arrive in Tema, Ghana near the end of September and will be distributed by a local outreach organization. Our cost to ship this container was $7,255.
Sept 2022 - Liberia - 28,176 lbs
For most of August we patiently waited for a container to fill, only to be surprised with one in September. Thankfully, our regulars pulled through again and with only 48 hours notice we packed up this shipment. Give Them Aid in Liberia will distribute the books. Our cost to ship this container was $8,501.
Spotlight: Liberia
The African country of Liberia is located on the continent’s western coast, tucked in between Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire. Liberia is a smaller country and has about 1% of the land mass of Canada with a population of 5.3 million souls. A little over 85% of Liberians profess saving faith in Jesus Christ. Liberia is beautifully diverse with 20 ethnic groups. Around 20% of Liberians use the country’s official language. About half of the population is literate.
Liberia suffered brutal civil wars from 1989 to 2003 that saw hundreds of thousands perish and many more people displaced. The country’s infrastructure as well as economy were decimated. Rebuilding has been sadly slowed by an Ebola outbreak as well as the pandemic. Much prayer and international help is needed to help Liberians. If you would like to learn more about how you can pray for Liberia, Prayercast has a page dedicated to the country.
CSM’s has sent four containers to Liberia. To date a total 120,497 lbs. of books have been donated through CSM by loving Canadian Christians to the people of Liberia.
Testimonials from Liberia:
Children's Ministry
“Dear Brethren of CSM organization, our church has been in existence for the past 15 years without active youth and children activities. We got the consignment of children materials from Give Them Aid organization. Since we began to use those materials in our ministry, we are seeing rampant growth in children and youth population. Hundreds of them are back to our church. Your gifts are appreciated. The Lord blesses your hand work.”
Health & Spiritual Care
“Liberia went under 14 years of civil war that led thousands of us to run in exile into the neighboring Countries for safety. The war affected the health department death and education every aspect of live. Our children attend health centers to learn about health, but no materials for research. We are thankful to God for your health materials; they are using some of those materials research. Our clinic, staff, and other relatives who are in health activities are greatly impacted with the health materials. They use those for personal research to help them get advance for saving lives. Great work done for us, may the Lord bless you.”
Church & Family Ministry
“The Spoken World Church of Yarmien district is grateful to God for your help or support given to us through Give Them Aid-Liberia. The devotional materials are used in our families devotional sections all of the time we meet. Many of our relatives who have been going from morning and evening devotions are getting matured through the reading those materials. Many of the church family are returning to our regular services from the impact of the materials.”
