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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

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.

Orphan Care Ministry & Mustard Seed Donations
Long-Term Missions & Projects | Short-Term Missions & Projects
Operation Christmas Child | Supporting Missionaries | Our Missions Contacts

Orphan Care Ministry & Mustard Seed Donations

Third Sunday

A monthly financial offering is taken on the third Sunday each month which enables us to support:

• Orphan Care Ministry (direct support for orphans in Africa plus support for the Lumbadzi Feeding Centre in Malawi); plus
• The Mustard Seed Food Bank with donations of canned and non-perishable food items.

Orphan Care Ministry

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

• Three orphans in Africa are directly supported.
• The Lumbadzi Feeding Centre in Malawi: we are feeding 100 orphans twice weekly. We are able to continue to support this ministry past the 3.5 years we originally anticipated because of the level of support for this ministry.

Additional Information

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

Other Missions Support

Click on the names for more information, including updates:

 

Long-Term Missions and Projects

Wes and Lorrie Jonat

Missionaries to Malawi

Wes and Lorrie Jonat (missionaries to Malawi) have returned to 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

We have seen over a hundred people give their lives to Christ, we have seen people healed of sicknesses including cancer, we have seen God provide for us personally and for so many of our friends in Malawi. We have rejoiced together and wept together, we have opened God's Word. We have been able to provide education scholarships for more than 40 children and Bags of Hope to over two thousand students.

We have seen God provide churches with roofs, pastors with bicycles and even the ACOP Malawi president was able to buy a beautiful car. We have had visitors from Canada and realized teaching in Malawi and Mozambique. We have faced challenges and failures, yet God has sustained us through His Word and through your faithful prayers.

Prayer Requests

• Please pray that the Lord would protect the Jonats from any physical harm and would bless them with energy and vitality to do the work He has called them to.
• Pray that the Jonats will be able to seamlessly settle back into their home and the work God has called them to.
• Pray for the physical requirements of getting settled, their vehicle, their home, fridge, water filtration system.
• Pray for family that has been left behind in Canada that God would give peace to know that Wes, Lorrie and the girls are working for His Kingdom and are in His hands.

Return to Missionaries Listing

Dorothy Gammie

Missionary to Burkina Faso

Dorothy Gammie (missionary to Burkina Faso), has been a missionary to children in Africa since 1982. Realizing that she could she could only reach a few children, she began to train others to teach children.

• E-mail:
• Other: ACOP Missions Information

Pascal, saved in Dorothy's earlier work, is the national president of the children's department. There are 8 leaders (or superintendents) of 110 Sunday School teachers in their districts. Week-long training sessions are held four times a year.

Dorothy is supported through our Women’s Ministry and our Saanich Home Group.

Missions Update

2 Samuel 22:40 — The Lord armed me with strength for the battle.

Dorothy has returned to Canada and has tentative plans to return to Burkina in January depending upon the situation there. She covets your prayers and God's direction, guidance, protection and anointing as she is home in Canada.

Dorothy and Pascal attended the 4/14 Window Global Initiative conference in Singapore in September.

God is arming us with strength for the battle — those in Burkina and us here as he is raising up prayer warriors. Thanks for being co-laborers together with us for the ministry in Burkina Faso.

Prayer Requests

• Would you pray for Burkino Faso and the unrest there?
• Pray for our children's department leaders as they teach.
• Pray for wisdom to know priorities for each day and to have His Anointing as I teach, speak or give guidance to others.

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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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Jerry and Brenda Schuetz

Missionaries to Tanzania

Missionaries to Tanzania, Jerry and Brenda Schuetz spent their last term in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania but returned to Canada in January 2010 on an early medical furlough.

The Schuetz' have remained involved in overseeing, from a distance, the work at the Heart of Africa Mission in Kitwe, Zambia.

• E-mail:
• Mailing Address: c/o Apostolic Church of Pentecost of Canada
  #119 – 2340 Pegasus Way NE
  Calgary, AB, Canada T2E 8M5
• Other: ACOP Missions Information

Missions Update

Jerry and Brenda are now missions directors for ACOP.

Jerry and Brenda and their three sons spent almost 4 weeks in Tanzania in January 2011. Here's just some of what they had to say in their February Update:

Sweat poured from our faces as we dodged through chaotic, congested traffic in a not-so-healthy taxi on the streets of Dar es Salaam on January 4th just hours after arriving from Canada. Such was our introduction back to Tanzania after being away for a year.

All five of our family members were privileged to spend almost 4 weeks in Tanzania ministering and meeting with leaders and visiting many good friends and associates. A significant portion of our time was spent sorting through 15 years of things we had accumulated in Africa. We brought a few things home, sold some and gave away most everything else. What a joy to see the work of God going on well despite challenges.

We felt so at home and comfortable in very familiar surroundings. With sadness we said goodbye (though we hope not permanently) to the leaders in Tanzania. We trust that in our new role we can continue to serve those who are serving Jesus in Tanzania and in other parts of the world.

Prayer Requests

These are some of their prayer requests (updated February 2011):

• Please pray for God's protection and strength as well as peace as we seek to settle in Canada as a family.
• Please pray for the Lords financial provision for these trips to different parts of the globe.
• Please also pray that we would be able to serve Jesus and others well.

Return to Missionaries Listing

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 annually 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.

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.

More than 86 Million Lives Touched

Since 1993, more than 86 million shoe boxes have been packed, shipped, and delivered across the globe to children in over 130 countries who are the victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. In 2010, 640,714 were shipped from Canada to children in more than 15 countries.

• Read how this simple gift can impact lives.
• Play the Operation Shoebox video.

Where are They Going?

While the destination varies each year, shoe boxes from BC go to Calgary for sorting and inspection, then are shipped to children in a variety of countries around the world.

Shoe boxes from Canada are distributed primarily in 15–20 countries in Central and South America, West Africa, and the Caribbean. Each year, the list of specific countries that will receive a shipment of shoe boxes from Canada is finalized in late November. Boxes from Western Canada will go to South & Central America (Paraguay, Venezuela, Guatemala, Nicaragua) and West Africa (Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso).

How to Participate

• Pray for Operation Christmas Child.
• Prepare and pack your box
  • Be sure to pack your box correctly. Know what you can and cannot include.
  • Print out and include the All About Me Children's Activity Page (PDF–151k) in each of your boxes.
  • The box is treasured as much as the contents. Save Samaritan’s Purse 48¢ by using your own shoebox or a pliable 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.
• Please donate a minimum of $7 for each shoe box you prepare to help cover project costs, including shipping. Simply make your donation online or place a cheque or cash donation in an envelope inside your shoe box. (Multiple donations from a single family can go into a single envelope.)

Your shoeboxes can have a tremendous impact on a child’s life.

Victoria Collection Centre

Each year, VFGF collects shoeboxes until the last Sunday prior to collection week.

Other locations can be found using the Samaritan Purse Collection Centre Locator by entering your postal code. Be sure to check the hours and dates the collection centres are open.

Balance Your Gifts

Fill your shoe box with a well-balanced variety of items from the following categories:

• School Supplies — Items such as pencils, pens, pencil crayons, note pads, and picture books.
• Toys & Other Gifts — Items such as stuffed animals, small musical instruments, hair clips, toy jewelry, t-shirts, socks, and candy (loose, individually wrapped hard candy in a sealable bag).
• Hygiene Items — Please place mild soap in a plastic resealable bag.
• Personal Note — Include a personal note and/or a photo in your shoe box (not inside the donation envelope).

Note: You can remove packaging from toys to create more room in your box but toothbrushes and soap must be in their original packaging.

Avoid Prohibited Items

Be sure to check what you can and cannot include in your shoebox. If one box has a prohibited item, the whole shipment will be inspected and could be held up for months.

DO NOT INCLUDE:

• Toothpaste (due to customs regulations).
• Food and any chewy, crumbly, or soft candy: Including gum (due to customs regulations).
• Used items (due to customs regulations).
• Playing cards (card games such as UNO are allowed).
• Liquids or items that could leak, melt, freeze, or break — Shampoo, creams, lip balm, bath gels, mirrors, or glass, etc. (these can damage other items in the shoe box).
• Items that can scare or harm a child — War-related toys, knives, and toy guns, etc.
• Using a backpack instead of a shoe box is problematic because it creates unfair circumstances at distribution events. Backpacks can also cause problems when cartons are being packed, and when shipments are going through Customs.

Recalled Toys

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

Other Questions?

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

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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:

 

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Our Missions Contacts

For more details of current missions projects, contact for more information about current ACOP missions projects or those missions supported by Victoria Full Gospel Fellowship.

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 November 20, 2011

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