Ministries of Mercy and Hope

Morocco: Emergency Relief for African Refugees and Migrants

Sub Saharan refugees and migrants continue to flood into North Africa fleeing civil war, political persecution, ethnic and tribal strife, famine, disease, drought, and corruption. Refugees risk everything to journey across continent and desert searching for peace, freedom, and opportunity, and often suffer exploitation and abuse both along the way and after they arrive. Those who survive the journey constitute one of the world’s most neglected and vulnerable populations. At any given moment there are up to 30,000 refugees in Morocco alone, with another 20,000 on the eastern frontier and several hundred thousand in route. Through an ongoing ministry, thousands have been helped with basic needs, emergency medical care, and micro-enterprise development projects.

TBOWH funds are used to provide food packets and materials to start a variety of income-generating micro-businesses.

South Sumatra, Indonesia: River Ministry

The ministry serves communities of Indonesians living in villages along the extensive Musi River System.

The villages are characterized by extreme poverty with most families living on less than one dollar per day, a condition the World Health Organization calls “poverty that kills.” While contaminated river water is the number one source of illness and disease for these villagers, their level of poverty is so great that most cannot pay for the fuel needed to boil the water before drinking it.

The centerpiece of the ministry is a medical boat which travels up and down the river providing medical care, but the project also includes a wide range of initiatives developed to address the root causes of poverty and illness. The vessel serves as a mobile clinic with two medical exam rooms, a dental exam room, and a small pharmacy.

TBOWH funds are used to purchase medicine, medical supplies and equipment, including items for a new diagnostic laboratory.

Brownwood, Texas: Good Samaritan Ministries

Good Samaritan Ministries provides food, clothing, and utility assistance to needy residents in Brown County, which is primarily rural with a poverty rate higher than the state average. One-third of the county residents live in poverty, and many are elderly or disabled whose incomes cannot withstand crises. Good Samaritan serves the community through multiple ministries, providing perishable and nonperishable food items; quality used clothes at nominal cost; rent and utilities; and health needs including doctors’ appointments, prescriptions, eyeglasses, and dental care.

TBOWH funds are used to purchase perishable and nonperishable food items from the Abilene food bank and for processing white tail deer donated by local hunters.